The Left Banke

The Left Banke was a Baroque Pop Band during the 1960's. Their hit songs "Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina" are two examples of Baroque Pop and Proto-Prog Rock.

Formed in 1965 with Steve Martin Caro on vocals, Michael Brown on keyboards, Tom Finn on Bass, and George Cameron on drums. Later that year, Jeff Winfield would play guitar for The Left Banke.

The Left Banke's first hit "Walk Away Renee" went to #5 on The Billboard Charts and would later be covered by The Temptations and Linda Ronstadt to name a few. "Pretty Ballerina" would be The Left Banke's second hit reaching-up to #15 on the Billboard Charts. Both songs would be on The Left Banke's debut album Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina.

By 1967, all but Brown was active in The Left Banke. He would form The New Left Banke with original drummer Warren David, Bert Sommer on vocals, and Michael McKean on guitar. The other members of The Left Banke filed lawsuit and by the time they were recording their second album The Left Banke Too, keyboardist Michael Brown left The Left Banke for good and despite reaching #98 on The Billboard Charts in 1968, The Left Banke didn't have a chart-topping hit.

The Left Banke would reunite in 1971 and make a final album called Strangers on a Train which was recorded in 1978 but released in 1986. Sadly, all members of The Left Banke have passed-away between the years 1990 and 2020.