The Left Banke: Evolution of a Unique Sound in 1967

The Left Banke in Song Hits magazine: April 1967

The Left Banke: Evolution of a Unique Sound in 1967 | The sound is haunting . . . a unique combination of chamber strings with a subtle, insinuating drumbeat. And the melody? It’s done in unique harmonics for a “pop” song.

Minor chords — a repetitive sounding lyric line, these are some of the characteristics of a brand new song entitled “Pretty Ballerina.” Already it has captured the listening ear of a curious and interested public.

The unique sound is produced naturally enough by the Left Banke, the New York-based quintet that hit so strongly with their harpsichord and string-quartet backed “Walk Away, Renee’’ last summer.

“Pretty Ballerina” was not a quick ‘follow-up’ record in usual tradition of contemporary rock groups with a hit on their hands. The members of the Left Banke worked for months to come up with just the exact sound they felt they must produce to continue the musical revolution they began with “Walk Away, Renee”.

Walk Away Renee

Recently, in an interview, members of The Left Banke sounded out on some of the problems encountered by a pop group with song hits on the nation’s charts.

“People expect a lot out of a pop group,” said Steve Martin. “They expect you to continually pour out witty little answers they think are cute.”

And while The Left Banke is not without its sense of humour, they don’t believe in going around saying things simply for “shock” effect.

“We can’t and we don’t even try,” said Steve, “We just say what we feel and don’t try to put on any front.”

The group also discussed their “‘sound”’ – a topic very much mentioned since the appearance of their Baroque-like “Walk Away, Renee.”

“I don’t suppose you could put our music in any particular classification,’’ Mike Brown, the writer of ‘Walk Away, Renee,’ said. “But we do try to get away from commercial aspects in our music. Better yet, I think commerciality gets away from us.”

Another less commercial approach to performing has been adopted by the group. That is, they don’t like travelling and don’t relish “gigs.”

They’d prefer to concentrate all their efforts on turning out ‘real music,’ with as much of it as possible written by the members of the group. The reason?

As Mike Brown of The Left Banke explains it – a group with as original and unique a sound as The Left Banke’s simply “has to produce’ its own material. The music performed has to be truly individualized.

Fans have come to expect creativity

Additionally, fans of The Left Banke, the group feels, have come to expect such originality and creativity. For instance, The Left Banke has spent a lot of time in the studio since their initial hit more probably than a typical “pop” music group.

But the members of the group are determined that their up-coming LP album will be truly an “original,” and getting together a dozen or so tracks of the sort The Left Banke demands for its releases is no small task.

Members of the group report that the new LP will contain all original material.

“People occasionally ask about the kind of music we play,’’ says Mike, “but I think we’ll have to be better known before they really begin to think of us as that serious a group.”

Clavinet hunt

Mike, who descends from a musical background (his father is a violinist), plays piano, harpsichord, organ, and clavichord for a time. He searched desperately to find a clavinet, an 18th-century keyboard instrument the tone of which he “But I found out that it wasn’t substantial enough to take on the road. So now I use an electric piano.”

The newest member of the Left Banke ensemble is 19-year-old Rick Brand. He is now the lead guitarist with the group. Like the other members of the group today, Rick calls Manhattan home base.

Bass player Tom Finn – 18 years old – was once inclined toward becoming a rail-road engineer. (how serious he is in saying this is anyone’s guess!).

But when he and Mike met and discovered each other’s musical interests, they immediately began writing songs together. They were, in effect, the original nucleus of the Left Banke as it exists today.

Tom began his musical training in the seventh grade and now plays trumpet. Also drums, and piano, as well as electric bass.

Vocalist Steve Martin is the “idol’’ of the group. That is to say, he receives considerable attention from fans when the group appears in person. His vocals are responsible for a lot of the excitement the group generates on such live dates.

Steve’s background is quite cosmopolitan since he has travelled through all parts of the world. He once attended school in Madrid, Spain.

Finally, there’s drummer George Cameron, also 19. George provides that distinctive crisp and subtle rhythm backing that characterizes the Left Banke arrangements.

From: The Publicity Dept.
SMASH RECORDS.
35 East Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois – 60601