Tuesday May 31, 2022 “Walk Away Renee” The Left Banke
“Walk Away Renee” may be psychedelic or it could be baroque rock but we’ll leave the final choice to those clever folks who decide on labels and categories, but while we’re waiting for their decision I will say emphatically that this is psychedelic music, so it can be included with this week’s theme.
"Walk Away Renée" was a top ten song co-written by Left Banke band member Michael Brown, and yes there is a Rene and we’ll get to whether she actually walked away shortly.
The Left Banke came together accidentally when George Cameron’s band The Morticians were recording at World United studio which was owned by the father of future Left Banke band member Mike Brown. The Morticians were looking for new members, which now that I've read that seems a bit creepy, and this attracted Tom Finn of the band The Magic Plants.
Now you can see why I am going to be so definitive about this music being psychedelic: Morticians, Magic Plants and Left Bankes, all very psychedelic (?).
Never intending to form a band, these guys got together and recorded some songs. Hey, Mike Brown had access to the studio for free…his dad owned the place. Their first couple of songs were not memorable but then came “Walk Away Renee” along with “Pretty Ballerina” also co-written by Brown, and they got picked up by Smash Records.
No small venture, Smash Records was the home to Frankie Valli, James Brown and country stars Roger MIller and Jerry Lee Lewis among others.
“Walk Away Renee” became a top ten hit but there was a problem, there really was no band and co-songwriter and harpsichord player Mike Brown would leave the ‘group’ before “Walk Away Renee” was a hit.
You're wondering about Renee. She was a real person, Renee Fladen and Mike Brown was infatuated with her, but she was band member Tom Finn’s girlfriend so it led Brown to write this brooding, moody, disconsolate, baroque (psychedelic) melody. By the way, Renee was a ballerina as well and I’m guessing a pretty one.
Stay safe and well…and whenever I watch the lead singer tapping out rhythm on his leg in the video for this song it seems he must be thinking of a different, much faster song.