The Left Banke - LeftBanke.nu

»Hello - Goodbye by Richard Younger

From Mojo August 2002

He arrived with a bass guitar and his girlfriend Renee, who broke their leader's heart.
This month, from melodies to messiness with... Tom Finn and The Left Banke

Hello

December 1965

The first time we all got together was at World United Recording studio on 48th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. I knew that George Cameron was looking for new members for his band. The Morticans, so Warren David, a drummer who'd been with me in The Magic Plants, marched over from our west-side crash pads. I also brought along Steve Martin, a singer that just came in from Spain that I befriended on the street.

I'd recorded at World United and knew the owners son, Michael Brown. We all loved the same type of music: The Beatles, The Zombies, The Kinks, The Animals, and naturally were able to sing together. Even at that first meeting, Steve and George had originals like I Haven't Got The Nerve and I've Got Something On My Mind. I didn't think too much of the tunes until Mike got on the studio's Steinway and gave them some structure. I plunked a Danelectro bass, George strummed a red Hagstrom solid body, Warren played drums. We were all wearing long hair, we were all styling, just young and full of life.

We never had a plan to be a group, but Michael had the keys to his father's studio. I'd bring my girlfriend Renee along, and Michael fell for her, getting his heart broken, but writing these amazing melodies. Once Michael's father caught us in the studio and heard us, he wanted to get in on the action. That started things rolling but it was also the kiss of death.

Goodbye

November 1969

Mike left the group before Walk Away Renee broke. He refused to tour -- not that I can blame him. We'd go do gigs and get our asses kicked by local bands with better equipment. There were always disagreements with Michael's father. They tried to throw Steve, George, and me out of the band but rehired us two weeks later when they realized the chemistry was gone.

For a while, there were two Left Bankes: one with Michael, and one with George, Steve, and myself. When they put out Ivy Ivy in '67 it got messy, but we got possession of the group's name. We did get back together for Desiree [produced by Michael], but radio was scared off by this time. We were still held together by this sophisticated, beautiful vision we had for our music, which by 1969 was under attack by these animal San Francisco bands with no talent.

One afternoon, Donovan was at World Recording and was telling Steve that George Harrison had loved Walk Away Renee and that The Beatles were breaking up. That seemed like an omen. We said, "Let's just hang it up." We did the best we could, we just didn't want to compete in a Beatle-less world. In later years, we put out some new recordings, but there was no real getting back.