Academy of Music, NYC 5/17/74
source: FM reel master
taped by Jerry Moore
lineage: wnew simulcast>7" reel @ 3.75 ips, dolby b
technics rs-1506>teac an-180>hd-p2 24/48>
cd wave>adobe 2.0 16/44>flac
transferred & seeded by Rob Berger
History 9from wiki)
Former Yardbirds members Keith Relf, and Jim McCarty organised a new group devoted to experimentation between rock, Folk, and classical forms. This quintet — Relf on guitar & vocals, McCarty on drums, plus bassist Louis Cennamo, pianist John Hawken, and Relf's sister Jane Relf as an additional vocalist — released a pair of albums on Elektra (US) and Island (UK-ILPS 9112), the first one, titled simply "Renaissance", being produced by fellow ex-Yardbird Paul Samwell-Smith[1].
As touring began to grind on them, the band gradually dissolved one by one. As each member left, new or guest members were added. A barely finished second album, Illusion, was released in Germany in 1971, although not released in the UK until 1976. (Island, HELP 27)] This album marked the beginning of Renaissance's long-standing collaboration with Cornish poet Betty Thatcher-Newsinger as lyricist when she co-wrote two songs with Relf and McCarty; it also featured the first composition by Michael Dunford, who would soon become the band's principal composer.
Dunford joined the band on guitar, before leaving to work as full-time composer. McCarty, although no longer performing, continued to compose for the band while Dunford, inheriting the helm of the band, started auditions for a new lineup. Vocalist Binky Cullom came and went. Reflecting his academic training, Dunford started rebuilding the group with more classically trained personnel. With some vocal training and local gigs under her belt, Annie Haslam saw an advertisement in the music weekly "Melody Maker" for a singer in Dunford's new group. She was hired, and the second incarnation of Renaissance was begun. New material was created by Dunford sending Thatcher demo tapes, which she would write poetry to fit.
A line-up consisting of Haslam (vocals), John Tout (piano), Jon Camp (bass pedals/vocals),Terence Sullivan (drums) and Mick Parsons (electric guitar) was set to record a new album when Parsons died suddenly, and Rob Hendry (electric guitar) was drafted in to replace him. This line-up released Prologue in 1972 on EMI-Sovereign Records (UK), with four tracks composed by Dunford and two by McCarty; two were instrumentals and four featured lyrics by Thatcher. Francis Monkman, of the group Curved Air, guested on synthesiser on the final track "Rajah Khan".
Hendry left the group after the album was recorded and Michael Dunford returned as lead (acoustic) guitarist, completing what most fans regard as the classic five-piece line-up, which would remain together through six studio albums. The next album, Ashes are Burning, was released in 1973. Dunford, McCarty and Thatcher continued as composers and lyricist, and Dunford debuted with acoustic guitar contributions. Andy Powell, of the group Wishbone Ash, was brought in for a blistering electric guitar solo on the final track "Ashes are Burning," which became the band's anthem piece. (John Tout returned the favour by playing organ on Wishbone's classic album "Argus"). The album became the band's first to chart in the US where it reached #171 on the Billboard 200.
The band left major label EMI, and was recruited by Miles Copeland's new prog rock boutique label BTM Records (British Talent Management). The label's first release was Turn of the Cards in 1974. With a larger budget, the album went from folk-flavoured to a more dark, lush, orchestral rock sound. One of the album's songs, "Things I Don't Understand" which clocked in at 9:30, was Jim McCarty's last co-writing credit with the group. A lengthy tribute to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, called "Mother Russia", closed out the album, with lyrics inspired by his autobiographical novel, "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich". The LP was first issued in the United States on Sire Records in August 1974, where it reached #94, some months before an official UK release. Although the band's fan base was relatively small, its following was heavily concentrated in the large cities of the northeast US. The album was eventually released in the UK in March 1975.
disc one: 53:13
01: dj, intro music
02: Can You Understand?
03: Black Flame
04: Carpet Of The Sun
05: Cold Is Being
06: Things I Don't Understand
07: Running Hard
disc two: 40:08
01: Ashes Are Burning*
02: Mother Russia
notes: w/ 24 piece orchestra,
*w/ Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash)on guitar,
promoter Howard Stein on piano
disc transition is seemless
rapidshare.com:http://lix.in/-514af5orhttp://lix.in/-48232f
http://lix.in/-49a9d0
http://lix.in/-4b3071
http://lix.in/-4cb712
http://lix.in/-4e3db3
http://lix.in/-4fc454megaupload:http://lix.in/-545841orhttp://lix.in/-4b307b
http://lix.in/-4cb71c
http://lix.in/-4e3dbd
http://lix.in/-4fc45e
http://lix.in/-514aff
http://lix.in/-52d1a0Comments welcome.