The Left Banke

The Left Banke
The Left Banke in 1966
Background information
Origin	New York, New York, U.S.
Genres	Baroque pop
Years active	1965–1969 1971 1978 2011–2012 2015–present
Labels	Smash Philips Relix Bam-Caruso Rhino Line Mercury/PolyGram Red Cap
Associated acts	Christopher & The Chaps The Magic Plants Montage Stories The Beckies Sam Kogon
Members	Tom Finn George Cameron Steve Martin Caro Michael Brown Warren David-Schierhorst Jeff Winfield Rick Brand Bert Sommer Michael McKean Tom Feher

The Left Banke is an American baroque pop band, formed in New York City in 1965. They are best remembered for their two US hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina". The band often used what the music press referred to as "baroque" string arrangements, which led to their music being variously termed as "Bach-rock" or "baroque rock". The band's vocal harmonies borrowed from contemporaries such as The Beatles, The Zombies, and other British Invasion groups.

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine placed "Walk Away Renée" at #220 in its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

The Left Banke was formed in 1965 and consisted of keyboard player/songwriter Michael Brown, drummer/singer George Cameron, bass guitarist/singer Tom Finn, singer Steve Martin (who also used the name Steve Martin Caro), and drummer Warren David-Schierhorst. Brown's father, Harry Lookofsky, a well-known session violinist, ran a studio in New York and took an interest in the band's music, acting as producer, manager and publisher. After some initial recording sessions, David-Schierhorst was ousted, with Cameron switching to drums and Jeff Winfield on guitar. Brown's song, "Walk Away Renee", was sold to Smash Records, a subsidiary of Mercury Records, and became a huge hit in late 1966. The band's second single, "Pretty Ballerina", also written by Brown, charted in early 1967, and The Left Banke released an album entitled Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina, by which time, Rick Brand had replaced Winfield on guitar.