Renaissance (band)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Renaissance are an English progressive rock band, most notable for their 1978 UK top 10 hit "Northern Lights" and progressive rock classics like "Carpet of the Sun", "Mother Russia" and "Ashes Are Burning".
Contents |
Discography
Albums
Year | Title | Chart-Positions | Comments | |
---|---|---|---|---|
UK<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref> | US | |||
1969 | Renaissance | 60 | - | |
1971 | Illusion | - | - | 1976 (UK) |
1972 | Prologue | - | - | |
1973 | Ashes Are Burning | - | 171 | |
1974 | Turn of the Cards | - | 94 | 1975 (UK) |
1975 | Scheherazade and Other Stories | - | 48 | |
1976 | Live at Carnegie Hall | - | 55 | |
1977 | Novella | - | 46 | 1977 (January in US, August in UK, as the band moved to the Warner Bros Music Group) |
1978 | A Song for All Seasons | 35 | 58 | UK:Silver |
1979 | Azure d'Or | 73 | 125 | |
1981 | Camera Camera | - | 196 | |
1983 | Time-Line | - | 207 | |
2001 | Tuscany | - | - | |
2002 | In the Land of the Rising Sun: Live in Japan 2001 | - | - | |
2010 | The Mystic And The Muse | - | - | Three-track EP of new songs |
Compilations & archival releases
- In the Beginning (compilation double-album of Prologue and Ashes are Burning), 1978
- Tales of 1001 Nights (compilation in two volumes), 1990
- Da Capo (Repertoire Germany compilation), 1995 [2 CDs] [Limited Edition in tall digipak with a much more concise, detailed booklet]
- Live at the Royal Albert Hall : King Biscuit Flower Hour, 1997 (live performance recorded 1977; two volumes)
- Songs from Renaissance Days, 1997 (compilation of out-takes, including one B-side and two Haslam solo tracks, 1979–88)
- The BBC Sessions 1975–1978, 1999 [2 CDs]
- Day Of The Dreamer, 2000 (live performance recorded 1978)
- Unplugged Live at the Academy of Music, 2000 (live performance recorded 1985)
- Live + Direct, 2002 (edited 1970 live recording plus demos/misc from 1968–76)
- Dreams & Omens, 2008 (live performance recorded 1978)
- Live in Chicago, 2010 (live performance recorded 1983)
Singles
UK
- "Island" b/w "The Sea", 1969
- "Back Home Once Again" b/w "The Captive Heart", 1977
- "Northern Lights" b/w "Opening Out", 1978 - UK #10<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
- "The Winter Tree" b/w "Island of Avalon", 1979
- "Jekyll and Hyde" b/w "Forever Changing", 1979
- "Faeries (Living at the Bottom of the Garden)" b/w "Remember", 1981
- "Bonjour Swansong" b/w "Ukraine Ways", 1981
- "Richard the IX" b/w "Flight", 1983
US
- "Prologue" b/w "Spare Some Love", 1972
- "Carpet of the Sun" b/w "Bound For Infinity", 1973
- "Mother Russia" (3'07 edit) b/w "I Think of You", 1974
- "Carpet of the Sun" (live) b/w "Kiev" (live), 1976
- "Midas Man" b/w "The Captive Heart", 1977
- "Northern Lights" b/w "Opening Out", 1978
- "Jekyll and Hyde" b/w "Forever Changing", 1979
- "Bonjour Swansong" b/w "Remember", 1981
Japan only
- "Spare Some Love" b/w "Prologue", 1972
West Germany only
- "Faeries (Living at the Bottom of the Garden)" b/w "Bonjour Swansong"
Michael Dunford's Renaissance
These albums were essentially collaborations between Dunford and singer Stephanie Adlington.
- The Other Woman, 1994 (originally issued as by "Renaissance")
- Ocean Gypsy, 1997 (mostly new versions of past Renaissance songs)
- Trip To The Fair, 1998 (compilation of tracks from the previous two releases)
Annie Haslam's Renaissance
This album was essentially an Annie Haslam solo release (one of several).
- Blessing in Disguise, 1994
Renaissant
This album was essentially a Terry Sullivan solo release, with lyrics by Betty Thatcher-Newsinger and keyboards by John Tout. Terry's wife Christine did most of the vocals, with Terry himself taking lead on two songs.
- South of Winter, 2005
Major television appearances
- Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
Multi-artist television program with Renaissance performing "Can You Understand" and "Black Flame." Syndicated (USA), 1974. 11 minutes, original running time unknown.
- The Midnight Special
Multi-artist television program with Renaissance performing "Carpet of the Sun" and "Midas Man." NBC (USA), 1976. 5 minutes, original running time unknown.
- Sight and Sound in Concert
First in a series of programs consisting of artists performing live, with the performance broadcast simultaneously on TV and FM radio, hosted by DJ Alan Black. Songs performed were: "Carpet of the Sun", "Mother Russia", "Can You Hear Me", "Ocean Gypsy", "Running Hard", "Touching Once" and "Prologue". Originally broadcast on 8 January 1977. BBC (UK), 1977. Approximately 50–55 minutes.
- The Mike Douglas Show
Television talk show features Renaissance performing "Northern Lights" on 4 May 1978.
- MTV Interview
Interview by J.J. Jackson with Annie Haslam and Jon Camp. MTV (USA), April, 1983. 10 minutes.
Illusion
Shortly prior to his death, Keith Relf wanted to try to reform the original Renaissance. Since the name Renaissance was now firmly in the hands of the Haslam lineup, he chose the tentative band name "Now". Jim McCarty was not involved at this point.<ref>Liner notes from Live + Direct.</ref> After Relf's death, all of the surviving four formed a new band (along with two new musicians) and named it Illusion after Renaissance's second album. Illusion released two albums for Island Records before splitting, while a third made up of unreleased demos appeared years later. The original four reformed again for the production of Through the Fire which was released under the bandname of Renaissance Illusion. (There are two second albums entitled Illusion: the second album of the original Renaissance (1971); and the eponymous second album of their reunion band, Illusion (1978).)
- Out Of The Mist, 1977
- Illusion, 1978
- Enchanted Caress: Previously Unreleased Material, 1990
- Illusion: The Island Years, 2003
Renaissance Illusion
- Through The Fire, 2001
Covers of Renaissance songs
This list does not include Renaissance songs performed by individual former members of the band.
- "Ashes Are Burning", on the Faith & Disease albums Fortune His Sleep 1995 and Livesongs: Third Body, 1996
- "Ocean Gypsy", on the Blackmore's Night album Shadow of the Moon, 1997