According to Wikipedia, the Stories followed about six months later. Not surprising anyone over here wouldn't know that: the Stories hit #1 on Billboard, Hot Chocolate didn't chart (but made it to #7 in the UK).
― clemenza, Friday, 20 March 2015 14:34 (nine years ago) link
I'm from the UK but the song would have come out when I was 6 years old. & I've never been massively into the band Hot Chocolate.Not sure if I've ever actually heard the Stories version. & haven't seen the writing credits or I'd've known, though they're both Browns so maybe I wouldn't.
But I was aware there was a Stories version that somehow related to Michael brown.
― Stevolende, Friday, 20 March 2015 15:06 (nine years ago) link
I'd bet The Four Tops and several others got higher with covers of Michael Brown material than the Left banke did too.
― Stevolende, Friday, 20 March 2015 15:07 (nine years ago) link
Left Banke version went to #5 in the U.S., Four Tops went to #14.
― timellison, Friday, 20 March 2015 22:59 (nine years ago) link
Once some guy who fancied himself an office oldies maven was going on about three hit versions "Walk Away Renee." Which led to the following exchange:
JR&tB: Three? I only know the Left Banke original and the Four Tops, which is the third?OOM: The best of all, Southside Johnny.
― Where is the Brilliant Friend's Home? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 20 March 2015 23:54 (nine years ago) link
Anyway, this page has a version I like which I think I mentioned upthread:
― Where is the Brilliant Friend's Home? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 21 March 2015 00:34 (nine years ago) link
thanks
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 21 March 2015 15:38 (nine years ago) link
where's the love for desiree, the less famous but just as good "woman's name ending with -ee" song that MB wrote! i looooved this song when i was younger. it sounds like a showtune! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6d9k-Nn0P4
― groundless round (La Lechera), Saturday, 21 March 2015 16:05 (nine years ago) link
Bad year for Michael Browns.
RIP
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 21 March 2015 23:22 (nine years ago) link
Yeah! love "Desiree" (both versions).
― Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Sunday, 22 March 2015 00:16 (nine years ago) link
Relinking to interesting piece about his dad, Harry Lookofsky: http://www.jonroseweb.com/c_articles_stringsville.html. His dad played and arranged strings on both Left Banke and Stories records, as well as producing, particularly on "Walk Away Renee" for which he apparently had to knock on a lot of record company doors to get a release.
― Where is the Brilliant Friend's Home? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 22 March 2015 02:22 (nine years ago) link
RIP George Cameronhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_QVUfZv92U
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 26 June 2018 21:44 (five years ago) link
RIP George, had a hand in writing some great songs and also sang lead occasionally.
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Tuesday, 26 June 2018 22:04 (five years ago) link
Rest In Peace and thank you xx
― An Uphill Battle For Legumes (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 26 June 2018 23:02 (five years ago) link
It's always a pleasant surprise to be re-reminded that the entire Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina album is fantastic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZSlF2AkrS4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_yCSNj50iI
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 12:52 (four years ago) link
Sundazed:
We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Steve Martin Caro, lead singer for the Left Banke, it’s always brought us tremendous pride and joy to share so much of his art with you over the years. Our tone arms are now at half mast. The work of the Left Banke has long been an elusive holy grail for vintage pop fanatics. The legendary "baroque rock" combo's work ranks with the greatest American music of the 1960s, and remains beloved by discerning pop connoisseurs around the world. Out of print for decades and despite its longstanding unavailability, the Left Banke's music has attained an ever-increasing level of prestige over the years, and continues to exercise a powerful mystique amongst the group's legion of admirers. Thank you Steve for all the wonderful art you’ve brought into our lives. #stevemartincaro #leftbanke #baroquepop #walkawayrenee
― a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 15 January 2020 18:09 (four years ago) link
RIP, such a great voice.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 15 January 2020 18:24 (four years ago) link
RIP Steve.
― Frozen Mug (Tom D.), Wednesday, 15 January 2020 18:38 (four years ago) link
I'm going on a train journey tomorrow and was wondering what music to listen to, problem solved.
― Frozen Mug (Tom D.), Wednesday, 15 January 2020 18:46 (four years ago) link
RIP. I listen to the 66-69 comp so often and treasure so much of it.
― bold caucasian eroticism (Simon H.), Wednesday, 15 January 2020 18:56 (four years ago) link
So many awesome versions of this tune
― Mule, Wednesday, 15 January 2020 20:55 (four years ago) link
yup
― Disco Cladistic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 15 January 2020 23:50 (four years ago) link
I remember coming across this thread a long long time ago, way back when youtube.com was a brand new thing, in the olden times of 2007 before I'd ever heard this song. I looked it up because I was very interested in hearing what someone called the most beautiful song they'd ever heard. (I also did the same thing when someone here said the same thing about "Wichita Lineman." I'd never heard that before either, somehow.)
Anyway I remember hearing "Walk Away Renee" for the first time and liking it a lot not just because it's great but because it's a great thing brand new to me and therefore probably many others and therefore probably severely underrated. Upon reading the news in this thread today I listened to it again for the first time in a long time and still liked it a lot, and because I have free time to kill while I wait for my start date for my new job, I had a lot of the day today to sit around and listen to music. I listened to the whole Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina album twice. It's great! And I've never heard it before. And being able to hear something great I've never heard before is exactly the sort of thing I've been using this board for for nearly the last twenty years.
― del griffith, Thursday, 16 January 2020 03:13 (four years ago) link
"I've Got Something On My Mind" is my favorite
― uncrut gems (crüt), Thursday, 16 January 2020 03:24 (four years ago) link
^^ that's a super good one"Desiree" is my favorite I think
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Thursday, 16 January 2020 14:33 (four years ago) link
I just looked up the backstory of The Left Banke, and I'm amazed by how young they were. I would never in a million years have guessed that Walk Away Renee was written by an actual teenager, even though the lyrics are all about teenage love.
― Lily Dale, Thursday, 16 January 2020 17:06 (four years ago) link
Also there were two, possibly, three incarnations of the band, in as many years, and all of them were good.
― Frozen Mug (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 January 2020 17:08 (four years ago) link
The Stories’ “Love Is In Motion” is a great track. They don’t have their own thread so posting that here.
― TS: Kirk/Spock vs. Marat/Sade (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 1 February 2020 20:59 (four years ago) link
Now have been listening to There’s Gonna Be a Storm and really digging the melancholy garagey orch-pop of all of it, particularly “Let Go of You Girl.”
― TS: Kirk/Spock vs. Hitchcock/Truffaut (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 February 2020 16:57 (four years ago) link
“Pretty Ballerina” has a drony violin I never noticed before, played by Lookofsky père, I believe, vaguely reminiscent of “Venus in Furs.”
― TS: Kirk/Spock vs. Hitchcock/Truffaut (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 February 2020 16:59 (four years ago) link
Other thing I am reminded of a bit is the Dutch group The Outsiders.
Here’s a factoid I never knew from the second album’s Wikipedia page:A pre-Aerosmith Steven Tyler, then known as Steve Tallarico, contributed backing vocals to several songs on the album including ‘My Friend Today’ and ‘Dark is the Bark’.[3]
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 15 February 2020 14:55 (four years ago) link
It's really obvious it's him too. He was quoted somewhere about he'd been hanging out with the band and was shocked at how unprepared to record they were (songs written immediately before stepping into the studio and/or written in the studio).
― a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 15 February 2020 15:42 (four years ago) link
Those are pretty good songs, unprepared or not!
― Load up your rubber wallets (Tom D.), Saturday, 15 February 2020 16:00 (four years ago) link
Just happened upon this Michael Brown chestnut from the 70s: https://youtu.be/wLeQXGcw5gM
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 19 February 2020 13:51 (four years ago) link
The four tops version is the worst.
Jesus christ!
― does it look like i'm here (jon123), Wednesday, 19 February 2020 17:26 (four years ago) link
Bass player Tom Finn has died, meaning the entire original line-up of the band is now dead.
― Future England Captain (Tom D.), Monday, 29 June 2020 10:33 (three years ago) link
RIP :(
― SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Monday, 29 June 2020 17:09 (three years ago) link