I hear this song and immediately I'm 16 again, and life is good...so good. I never knew how good until it's been gone 47 years. Thank you so much for this.
So untimely for this young group's sensitive approach to a most haunting tune. I was 16 in the late autumn when hearing this against a cold whistling wind. So, sooooo beautiful. Some things are just caught in the magic. Love this!
LOVED The Left Banke, & Steve's voice & hair. I was 12 in 1966 and this clip is from the show "Where The Action Is", where everyone lip synced in different locales. Dick Clark produced the show. We heard back then that Steve lived on W 57th Street in NY and we went into the city couple weekends to try find him. No luck. I'm sad to hear about Jeff & that Steve isn't well to perform. Great song and great memories. Thank you! I have this on VHS but haven't seen in a bit since DVDs.
This puts ANY "music" on the radio today in the dust.What an achingly gorgeous melody.The longing in his voice is almost tangible.The string arrangements sublime.An absolute classic!Thank you sincerely from a music snob.
Michael Brown on keyboards wrote the lyrics. He wrote them about the girlfriend of the base player Tom Finn. Her name was Renee Fladen-Kamm, a beautiful blond girl who stole Michael Brown's heart. She so captivated him that he also wrote "Pretty Ballerina" about her.
Tom Finn went on to become a successful DJ and Renee became a vocal coach. I don't know about Michael Brown. This song is beautiful because it is so authentic and heartfelt about what it means to fall in love for the first time.
@PinkLederhosen In this video the lead guitarist is Jeff Winfield, to the right of Steve, the lead singer. I was his wife, but he passed away 2 years ago. The Left Banke has regrouped and played in Brooklyn and the East Village in the past two months. I'm friends with George and Tom Finn and communicate with Tom Fehr. I know Steve's mental state makes him unable to perform, but I will find out what happened to Mike Brown and let you know.
Such great memories!! This is the group that wrote this song eventhough it's been recorded many time over by other artists. This raw sound is so nice! From what I understand this song is based on one of the band members who was secretly in love with one of the other band mate's girlfriend. Heartbroken he wrote this beautiful song!
I actually remember this, I was 10 years old at the time. The lyrics and musical compostion is great. The song still brings a tear to my eye as it did over 40 years ago. I think all of us have had a Renee in our life....somebody that we could only admire from afar.
Believe me, no group comes close to this potential. With just a little care given, they could have been so huge. No one watched out for them. Such a damn shame. I love the Left Banke. Who knows, there is hope yet.
A great slow dance song to just relax and feel the warmth of another person's arms. Sorry to hear about some later legal troubles. However, that doesn't erase the positive memories and the excellent tunes we'll always have. Peace to ALL.
I do not have something important to say, just it (this song) reveale what I am walking trhouhgt now, it is to say... , well, This is not my lenguage, better..Esta canciòn me hizo redordar lo bello que fué mi parte de vida con la música, la música trae algo a mi alma
Hey JohnnyRock2K -- I know I may not have heard the tune the split-second it came out, but I know I've always loved it, and I know I'll always remember what I thought was so good about those times.
It was the drummers unrequited love. That's why Rene is "not to blame". At 16 the young man did not know how to attract the woman. It's about his love for her and the sadness of that nothing was going to come of it. Rene was in the recording room when the song was made, and had to leave so that the drummer could complete the recording. 44 years ago. Great song. Band blew apart from instant fame, youth and inexperience. Too bad.
Thanks for the background on this song. Having grown up when this song was released, there was a lot of us shy-guys carrying torches for girls who would never see that light. The song from Todd Rundgren, “We gotta get you a woman” carried that same vibe. On the upside, a lot of great songs have been written due to our troubled teen years.
Meaira, yeah they're singing in the middle of nowhere with no electrical cords... yet I hear violins and see none. This is a great song, but let's face it, this was a studio job.
To moremoxi-I believe what you were seeing is some leaves in the top of the tree.I have looked at this video many times and i see what you are talking about but i believe it is the leaves you are seeing.REMEMBER ROCK AND ROLL FOREVER
To danglissa1: This song reached #59 on Cashbox in 1967.Their other big hit was pretty balerina. I had the pleasure of being in the crowd the day it was taped for Where The Action Is hosted by Dick Clark.
@stillrockinat61Thats very interesting! can you tell us more about that day, also were was this? it is very hard to make out the back round of the area.
Oh I loved that show. I was about four. I watched Herman's Hermits ride a roller coaster on it, and Paul Revere - my cousin knew someone who won a lock of his hair -. One of the dancers name was "Cookie" Good TV, Really.
Ok, I know I'm kind of the crazy one, but...am I the only one who noticed the flying saucer in the sky? Tee...love this, truly, hon. Thanks so much...
@Novoa86 Lets all get up and dance to a song, that was a hit before your mother was born. Though she was born a long long time ago, your mother would know-your mother would know. Ever notice how the Beatles said everything before you needed it?
I was 16 or so when this was a favorite and I still remember the words. I don't remember my address or my social security number but if you need the lyrics to any Beatles song-I remember them.
@mrsoc " Lets all get up and dance to a song, that was a hit before your mother was born. Though she was born a long long time ago, your mother would know-your mother would know"
It's Your mother SHOULD know. Not "would" know. The title of the song is, Your Mother Should Know. From the Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour album.
@puseye Senility is a wonderful thing. You hear a new joke all the time-even if it's the same one. There are plenty of things your mother should know-and being a mother of long standing, I can assure you that I have forgotten most of them. I don't mind-as long as the world produces people to correct me-I imagine I'll be fine.
My ex wifes middle name was Renne. What are the odds? This came on the radio as I was leaving her for the very last time. 25 years ago and this tune is so bittersweet. After all this time should I find closure with her?
The band is from NYC... I have a file on them as I researched Pretty Ballerina for an upcomming compilation cd put out by a local dj here in Chicago...The last group before that I researched for him was The Flock from Chicago and two of the original members are now talking almost daily and I'm hoping for a band reunion. (The lead singer past away but the other guys are interested.)
Renee now lives in Berkeley, California, where she is still active in the music scene...both as a teacher and performer. She must've been beautiful inside and out to inspire these lyrics.
Many people have tried to copy this song. It ain't gonna happen. No one can even come close to reproducing the sound that this group of kids came up with in 1966. The keyboard player was 16 and in love with the bass players girlfriend Renee Fladen-Kamm when he wrote this. "California Dreamin" a year earlier inspired the flute portion. God bless the 60's
This song brings me back to my first girlfriend in 6th grade.Patty Duy I miss you .She was killed in a summer outing with her dad.I will always remember you.Rest in piece.Love you.I hope to see you all grown up someday again.
This is one of those songs that transports you directly to the time when it was popular. It brings back vivid memories of how it was growing up in the late 60s. Walk Away and Left Banke captured brilliantly the confused melancholy of that era and I am soooo glad they did.
My father was a career DJ from these days and beyond and received a plaque from the record label that put this song out for being one of the first DJ's in the area to play this song and for declaring it a Smash Hit!! Was a good time in music to grow up, especially with a parent in the business.
This is one of may favorite vids on utube, one of the reasons I bought a computer. It always makes me sad though cuz everytime I watch, it reminds me of the girlfriends that have walked away.
It's a shame there isn't one clip I could find anywhere of The Left Banke doing "Walk Away Renee" live,very unusual for a song that sold as many records as this one did.
@poconolots you were in central park in '66, i wonder what it was like there? same as everywhere probably. that was the magical thing about the '60s, we were all banded togther for the same purpose, the same cause, the same direction. and it was a war. not necessarily the viet nam one, but us against our government, for change. and that change was the biggest to ever happen in human history. it was a revolution, a liberation, of sexual, societal, political, and of the imposed constaints and co
@altrent27 Interestingly you are 46, born in 64. And this song was released when you were 2. To have a sense of the music of those days, your mother must have really liked music and left the radio on all the time.
Sorry but Paul Revere and the Raiders already had a couple of hits when this show was on. Gay comedian Rip Taylor would often show up pelting people with popcorn and such.
This is from the afternoon live program "Where the Action Is." It ran in the mid-'60s. The house band was Paul Revere and the Raiders who were unknown when the show started.
Thanks for the remembering "Where the Action Is". The theme song for the show was sung by Freddie"Boom-Boom" Cannon. "Its so neat to meet your baby where the action is...."
@jaecht83 The TV show "Where The Action Is" was filmed in California. The lead guitarist wearing all black to the right of Steve, the lead singer, was my husband, Jeff. He passed away this past June.
@barbaralinn Thank you for this. It was truly among the first which brought change to music and attitudes in the USA and the world. I loved it in 1965 and still do!!!
@barbaralinn Sad to read of Jeff Winfield's passing--he was an important part of the early sound of the Left Banke. This is a even rarer video clip because of Jeff's appearance in it--there aren't too many clips of the original band that survive--he will be forever young because this one did. My condolences to you, barbaralinn.
The Left Banke's version is the orginal. The Four Tops were just one of many who covered this track. However, this is the one to have. Btw, Renee is a real person. She dated one of the members of the The Left Banke.
i believe this footage is from the TV show "where the action is" which was created by dick clark after american bandstand moved from weekday afternoons to sunday only. the locale of the left banke's performance along with the october 1966 date on the clip suggest that's where it's from as the band made an appearance on the show just at that time.
Wow...You were married to him? I've loved the Left Banke since '67. Love their sound. There was no other period to compare to the sixties. This is a beautiful song, along with Pretty Ballerina.
to CosmicTraveler. In my travels I've come across fanatic fans in the strangest places. Of course, Jeff was only their lead guitarist during the Walk Away Renee Tour and in the studio. He was then replaced. But I was young, I knew the guys in the group as friends, and when it's like that, it's no big deal. And I agree about Pretty Ballerina.
To BostonDukie - thank you for your condolences. I saw Jeff in the hospital before he died, but the shock will live with me forever. I knew him for 45 years and he was the love of my life.
Jeff, the lead guitarist to the right of Steve Martin wearing all black, was my first boyfriend at 14 and we married at 22. I can't believe he died in June. If there is peace in death, I dearly hope he found it. Barbara
i thought Michael Brwon left the group amicably.I know he went on to play with the stories and later the Beckies.Ok cheers,this really was good.Check for the song Desiree.
my father wrote this song and sold it for $20 back in the day... it's about his brother's girlfriend, Renee, leaving him. i believe he was all of 16 when he wrote it.
I am dead serious, he lived in Yuma, AZ. As I said, he sold it I think he said for $20 or so. Always makes me smile when I hear it on the radio... thanks for posting it!
This story is totally not true. This song was written in New York. This is one of the most well documented songs ever written. Rene was Tom Finn's (the Bassist)girlfriend.
This story is totally not true. This song was written in New York. This is one of the most well documented songs ever written. Rene was Tom Finn's (the Bassist)girlfriend.
If you would read it correctly, he sold the rights of it when he was young. Songwriters can claim a song once the original author has sold its rights. Such is the case with Finn, and, perhaps he picked up the song because he had a girlfriend named Rene. My father doesn't have any rights to it, so there you go.
I'm sorry the song writer who wrote the song didn't buy rights. He wrote the song. I spoke with him yesterday and he will tell you where,why and how is was CREATED. No rights were ever purchased. It is so harmful to propagate untruths. The person who wrote this masterpiece should not have to endure this kind of thievery.
He is bull****ing you. Walk Away Renee was written by the Left Banke's keyboard player, Michael Brown. Renee was the girlfriend of the band's bassist, Tom Finn. Brown had a crush on her.
That's a bunch of bull. Walk Away Renee was written by the Left Banke's keyboard player, Michael Brown. Renee was the girlfriend of the band's bassist, Tom Finn. Brown had a crush on her.
Can still recall the feeling of walking back to the dorm when this popular and hearing it blasting from dozens of dorm room windows all tuned to the same radio station.
This is a GREAT song by a great band, The Left Banke. Takes me back to many years ago. And it MANY times better than that lousy cover version by The Four Tops.
How does a great song become a Debate Between the Bands issue? Ridiculous. The music industry usually has artist who respect each other. I'm sure that the Left Banke and the Tops respect each others' version. Only YouTubers can make an issue out of this.
For those who wish to compare this version to the Four Tops version let me point out that the Banke version was voted #220 in the Rolling Stone top 500 rock songs of all time. The Tops version isn't even mentioned. Obviously those who "appreciate and understand music" like the Banke version better.
i think that list was a bunch of bs, but to agree i believe the melancholy tone of the left banke fits the lyrics so much better making this one my favorite songs and superior to the 4 tops version
Old geezer? The year this song came out I turned 13. I wasn't even interested in girls yet. But two years later I was crushed by my first love and this song had special meaning. Her name wasn't Renee though lol.
People, people, "can't we all just get along?" The Tops were great but the Banke had a different approach. Dare I say "timeless" in their rendition. The song haunts all of us who were young in the sixties. Until I saw this video I wondered what Rene looked like, now I know. It is classical in its simple story, ever draw a heart on the wall and put your initials in it. I did in 1968, in college. I wonder if the wall is still there? She married someone else. See what I mean?
Us "old" people rarely got to see recording artists perform. We bought the records because the MUSIC is what counted; not what someone looked like...like today's average buyer!
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Once again, The Four Tops produced an excellent version of this song. Their rendition reached #12 on billboard's top 100 in 1968. Hence, my point of view is shared by many who appreciate and understand music. I was a teenager in 1968 during that year and vividly remember how dynamic and popular the song was. The Four Tops' version is beyond superb - its awsome. Case closed!
I don't see how a song getting a position on a chart has anything to do with "many who appreciate and understand music" since that would imply that every popular song is a brilliant, well crafted song.
How mean spirited a person you are. If you think the Four Tops version is superb so what. It was good and that it. This original version is a masterpiece.I doubt you understand this. The Four Tops never did a masterpiece you were a chart watcher not a music lover. And you cant throw rank around here I'm probably older than you.
BFD spingarn. I was a teenager in Detroit, home of the Tops and many other soul groups when their version was released in '68. We weren't particularly impressed by the release of their song. It was just another mediocre cover of a great song by a soul group. Only happened every two days or so.
I hear this song and immediately I'm 16 again, and life is good...so good. I never knew how good until it's been gone 47 years. Thank you so much for this.
Cav89 2 days ago in playlist Favorite videos
So untimely for this young group's sensitive approach to a most haunting tune. I was 16 in the late autumn when hearing this against a cold whistling wind. So, sooooo beautiful. Some things are just caught in the magic. Love this!
CookieZeal 1 week ago
LOVED The Left Banke, & Steve's voice & hair. I was 12 in 1966 and this clip is from the show "Where The Action Is", where everyone lip synced in different locales. Dick Clark produced the show. We heard back then that Steve lived on W 57th Street in NY and we went into the city couple weekends to try find him. No luck. I'm sad to hear about Jeff & that Steve isn't well to perform. Great song and great memories. Thank you! I have this on VHS but haven't seen in a bit since DVDs.
anticorpration 1 week ago
This puts ANY "music" on the radio today in the dust.What an achingly gorgeous melody.The longing in his voice is almost tangible.The string arrangements sublime.An absolute classic!Thank you sincerely from a music snob.
frozinarosie 1 month ago
Takes me back to my youth. Young, innocent and so much fun!
ArniepII 2 months ago
they were a great group legendary sound Sorry to hear about your hubby's passing dear.
aacrowley897 2 months ago
Michael Brown was also like 15yo when he wrote this song and "Pretty Ballerina" both about Renee.
chaos22349 2 months ago
Michael Brown on keyboards wrote the lyrics. He wrote them about the girlfriend of the base player Tom Finn. Her name was Renee Fladen-Kamm, a beautiful blond girl who stole Michael Brown's heart. She so captivated him that he also wrote "Pretty Ballerina" about her.
Tom Finn went on to become a successful DJ and Renee became a vocal coach. I don't know about Michael Brown. This song is beautiful because it is so authentic and heartfelt about what it means to fall in love for the first time.
PinkLederhosen 7 months ago
@PinkLederhosen Michael Brown was a founding member of The Stories w/Ian Lloyd
vonzeke 6 months ago
@PinkLederhosen So cool to have a back story on a song that clearly was written about real people. Thanks!
japinvt 3 months ago in playlist 60s
@PinkLederhosen In this video the lead guitarist is Jeff Winfield, to the right of Steve, the lead singer. I was his wife, but he passed away 2 years ago. The Left Banke has regrouped and played in Brooklyn and the East Village in the past two months. I'm friends with George and Tom Finn and communicate with Tom Fehr. I know Steve's mental state makes him unable to perform, but I will find out what happened to Mike Brown and let you know.
barbaralinn 2 months ago
@barbaralinn
I am sorry to hear of his passing. It's good to hear some classical rock, especially this...quite emotional.
armynorb 2 months ago
so evocative -still get goosebumps everytime i hear this even 40 years later
tothemeadow64 7 months ago
I was born the year this came out but will never forget hearing it on the radio growing up.
Prior to youtube, I could'nt find it. friends would always say, nah, no, nope, never heard THAT one. awesome!
HughManification 8 months ago
Wow, what an awesome find thank you so much for sharing this!
GuyinCa 8 months ago 5
Anyone know if Left Bank made a record called Locomotion (lo-lo-lo-lo-lolo-locomotion)?
369bollix 9 months ago
@369bollix
Orginal version was made by Little Eva
Remade in 1970's by Grand Funk Railroad
ope7734 8 months ago
Such great memories!! This is the group that wrote this song eventhough it's been recorded many time over by other artists. This raw sound is so nice! From what I understand this song is based on one of the band members who was secretly in love with one of the other band mate's girlfriend. Heartbroken he wrote this beautiful song!
johngiam3 9 months ago
I actually remember this, I was 10 years old at the time. The lyrics and musical compostion is great. The song still brings a tear to my eye as it did over 40 years ago. I think all of us have had a Renee in our life....somebody that we could only admire from afar.
Cosmicartist56 9 months ago
Classic, simply awesome.
Love that flute.
youngishpete 10 months ago
Believe me, no group comes close to this potential. With just a little care given, they could have been so huge. No one watched out for them. Such a damn shame. I love the Left Banke. Who knows, there is hope yet.
RaffAff1 10 months ago
This was one of the first videos I watched on YouTube several years ago, I love the internet.
clintonearlwalker 11 months ago
Baroque Pop at it's finest! Mike Brown was a great songwriter! And what a voice Steve Martin had.
coachbk1 11 months ago
A great slow dance song to just relax and feel the warmth of another person's arms. Sorry to hear about some later legal troubles. However, that doesn't erase the positive memories and the excellent tunes we'll always have. Peace to ALL.
mjcamck71 11 months ago
Thanks for posting this. What a classic.
youngishpete 1 year ago
I do not have something important to say, just it (this song) reveale what I am walking trhouhgt now, it is to say... , well, This is not my lenguage, better..Esta canciòn me hizo redordar lo bello que fué mi parte de vida con la música, la música trae algo a mi alma
MrMagyar7 1 year ago
One of my favorites
kjmg65 1 year ago
@jJohnnyRock2000 The song was written by the left banke's keyboardist Micheal Brown not the drummer.
70schild63 1 year ago
Hey JohnnyRock2K -- I know I may not have heard the tune the split-second it came out, but I know I've always loved it, and I know I'll always remember what I thought was so good about those times.
altrent27 1 year ago
To bad this songs "NEVER" on the radio. Maybe just not good enough:(
Gnomebe 1 year ago
I hear this song and I'm immediately 17 in that very moment. True your comment altrent27!
Cav89 1 year ago
It was the drummers unrequited love. That's why Rene is "not to blame". At 16 the young man did not know how to attract the woman. It's about his love for her and the sadness of that nothing was going to come of it. Rene was in the recording room when the song was made, and had to leave so that the drummer could complete the recording. 44 years ago. Great song. Band blew apart from instant fame, youth and inexperience. Too bad.
JohnnyRock2000 1 year ago
@JohnnyRock2000
Thanks for the background on this song. Having grown up when this song was released, there was a lot of us shy-guys carrying torches for girls who would never see that light. The song from Todd Rundgren, “We gotta get you a woman” carried that same vibe. On the upside, a lot of great songs have been written due to our troubled teen years.
tcoyote 1 year ago
I was named after this song.
Wrentastic 1 year ago
Bands today cannot write songs this good, it's impossible
brucefanmark 1 year ago
@brucefanmark - One of the top 200 billboard hits of all time.
JohnnyRock2000 1 year ago
Meaira, yeah they're singing in the middle of nowhere with no electrical cords... yet I hear violins and see none. This is a great song, but let's face it, this was a studio job.
szgage 1 year ago
@szgage Yes, but it always sounds 100 times better.
iluvflagunlaws 1 year ago
Date a asian lady # lushfmlk.info #
lushaaloma 1 year ago
Comment removed
iluvflagunlaws 1 year ago
so beautiful, why should rock/pop be embarrassed of string instruments? I guess that's what made them Baroque?
leoschmeo 1 year ago
@leoschmeo - not quite as orchestral as the Beatles. And lots of violins made it.
JohnnyRock2000 1 year ago
simpler times
iluvflagunlaws 1 year ago
I doubt there will ever be a song like this again. What a classic.
chisaoboy 1 year ago
To moremoxi-I believe what you were seeing is some leaves in the top of the tree.I have looked at this video many times and i see what you are talking about but i believe it is the leaves you are seeing.REMEMBER ROCK AND ROLL FOREVER
stillrockinat61 1 year ago
To danglissa1: This song reached #59 on Cashbox in 1967.Their other big hit was pretty balerina. I had the pleasure of being in the crowd the day it was taped for Where The Action Is hosted by Dick Clark.
stillrockinat61 1 year ago
@stillrockinat61Thats very interesting! can you tell us more about that day, also were was this? it is very hard to make out the back round of the area.
kyolym 1 year ago
@stillrockinat61 Filmed in NYC Central Park?
pdorn777 1 year ago
@stillrockinat61
Oh I loved that show. I was about four. I watched Herman's Hermits ride a roller coaster on it, and Paul Revere - my cousin knew someone who won a lock of his hair -. One of the dancers name was "Cookie" Good TV, Really.
leoschmeo 1 year ago
Ok, I know I'm kind of the crazy one, but...am I the only one who noticed the flying saucer in the sky? Tee...love this, truly, hon. Thanks so much...
moremoxi 1 year ago
i realise this is the original was this a hit by this group,it wasnt in u.k. how about u.s.a.?
danglissa1 1 year ago
why can't time stand still sometimes,like during the time this was out?
petuniababi 1 year ago
My mom was not even born when Walk Away Renee was released.
But for some reason I can't stop listening to this song. I love it.
Novoa86 1 year ago
@Novoa86 Lets all get up and dance to a song, that was a hit before your mother was born. Though she was born a long long time ago, your mother would know-your mother would know. Ever notice how the Beatles said everything before you needed it?
I was 16 or so when this was a favorite and I still remember the words. I don't remember my address or my social security number but if you need the lyrics to any Beatles song-I remember them.
mrsoc 1 year ago
@mrsoc " Lets all get up and dance to a song, that was a hit before your mother was born. Though she was born a long long time ago, your mother would know-your mother would know"
It's Your mother SHOULD know. Not "would" know. The title of the song is, Your Mother Should Know. From the Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour album.
puseye 1 year ago
@puseye Senility is a wonderful thing. You hear a new joke all the time-even if it's the same one. There are plenty of things your mother should know-and being a mother of long standing, I can assure you that I have forgotten most of them. I don't mind-as long as the world produces people to correct me-I imagine I'll be fine.
mrsoc 1 year ago 2
Love it!
santamara 1 year ago
My ex wifes middle name was Renne. What are the odds? This came on the radio as I was leaving her for the very last time. 25 years ago and this tune is so bittersweet. After all this time should I find closure with her?
undertkr2001 1 year ago
Mary G was my Renee at that time. God love that song.
JackJoseph11 1 year ago
I am very close to all the 60's bands from Chicago.
airshotsphotoco 1 year ago
The band is from NYC... I have a file on them as I researched Pretty Ballerina for an upcomming compilation cd put out by a local dj here in Chicago...The last group before that I researched for him was The Flock from Chicago and two of the original members are now talking almost daily and I'm hoping for a band reunion. (The lead singer past away but the other guys are interested.)
airshotsphotoco 1 year ago
They had another hit called Pretty Ballerina also.
airshotsphotoco 1 year ago
I loved when it was released and I love it even more today. Simply a classic!
pat45068 1 year ago
44 yrs consecutive things have gotten worse since then.
iluvflagunlaws 1 year ago
Such a great classic song
thewellsmcclane 1 year ago
It's one of those things where when you heard this song back in the day, and knew it was special and enjoyable and hasn't one bit lost it's shine.
Also love the four Tops version
This song will live forever!
qtronics1 1 year ago
This is one of the greatest songs, ever. This guy has an incredible voice.
LongLiveOx 1 year ago
beautiful song
vitaplumber 1 year ago 2
Renee now lives in Berkeley, California, where she is still active in the music scene...both as a teacher and performer. She must've been beautiful inside and out to inspire these lyrics.
TheProfessorpat 1 year ago
Many people have tried to copy this song. It ain't gonna happen. No one can even come close to reproducing the sound that this group of kids came up with in 1966. The keyboard player was 16 and in love with the bass players girlfriend Renee Fladen-Kamm when he wrote this. "California Dreamin" a year earlier inspired the flute portion. God bless the 60's
clintonearlwalker 1 year ago
The REAL Baroque Pop .... 1966
Synthhtnys 1 year ago
This song brings me back to my first girlfriend in 6th grade.Patty Duy I miss you .She was killed in a summer outing with her dad.I will always remember you.Rest in piece.Love you.I hope to see you all grown up someday again.
pep103 1 year ago
Comment removed
pdorn777 1 year ago
haha my name is Renee
:D
nkotb5ross 1 year ago
revel in self-hurt? that ain't the way to go
2georgeorwell 1 year ago
the world sure was different back then
userboy6 1 year ago
@userboy6 Oh! You have that right!!!
Augie47 1 year ago
Oh wow what a fantastic upload !!!! thank you :)
Ardbug 1 year ago
This is one of those songs that transports you directly to the time when it was popular. It brings back vivid memories of how it was growing up in the late 60s. Walk Away and Left Banke captured brilliantly the confused melancholy of that era and I am soooo glad they did.
bellacharo 1 year ago
My father was a career DJ from these days and beyond and received a plaque from the record label that put this song out for being one of the first DJ's in the area to play this song and for declaring it a Smash Hit!! Was a good time in music to grow up, especially with a parent in the business.
Lv2bRomanced 1 year ago
This is one of may favorite vids on utube, one of the reasons I bought a computer. It always makes me sad though cuz everytime I watch, it reminds me of the girlfriends that have walked away.
clintonearlwalker 1 year ago 2
no one is playing a violin in any of the videos of them singing this song.
psykosel 1 year ago
With the soft smooth of the harpsichord and the voices, I want to lay down and relax. I want to do that every time I hear this song.
nelson209ful 1 year ago 2
WOW !!! This is a great find
1979Saluki 1 year ago 2
It's a shame there isn't one clip I could find anywhere of The Left Banke doing "Walk Away Renee" live,very unusual for a song that sold as many records as this one did.
MrKite053 1 year ago 2
My dad got my middle name from this song. :D
blairgarret 1 year ago
saw these guys doing a photo in Cental Park '66?
poconolots 1 year ago 6
@poconolots you were in central park in '66, i wonder what it was like there? same as everywhere probably. that was the magical thing about the '60s, we were all banded togther for the same purpose, the same cause, the same direction. and it was a war. not necessarily the viet nam one, but us against our government, for change. and that change was the biggest to ever happen in human history. it was a revolution, a liberation, of sexual, societal, political, and of the imposed constaints and co
m1kewithaone 6 months ago
One of the best classics...You can't find talent like this anymore :(
BJSteigner 1 year ago 3
Great melody, one of those songs I can vaguely remember growing up, the background soundtrack of my youth.
PoeJoe8 1 year ago 4
Rare enough to hear anymore that it will stop me in my tracks. God love those days.
altrent27 2 years ago 34
@altrent27 you got that right. nothing like the 60"s and 70" s in music.
suda51fan 1 year ago
@altrent27 Interestingly you are 46, born in 64. And this song was released when you were 2. To have a sense of the music of those days, your mother must have really liked music and left the radio on all the time.
JohnnyRock2000 1 year ago
@altrent27 I hear this song and I'm immediately 17 in that very moment. True your comment altrent27!
Cav89 1 year ago
Sorry but Paul Revere and the Raiders already had a couple of hits when this show was on. Gay comedian Rip Taylor would often show up pelting people with popcorn and such.
dukeyflyswatter 2 years ago
This is from the afternoon live program "Where the Action Is." It ran in the mid-'60s. The house band was Paul Revere and the Raiders who were unknown when the show started.
rivlax 2 years ago
Thanks for the remembering "Where the Action Is". The theme song for the show was sung by Freddie"Boom-Boom" Cannon. "Its so neat to meet your baby where the action is...."
motorcityquig 1 year ago
what tv series is this from? it sounds like dick clark doing the intro. thanks.
johnrunion 2 years ago
Comment removed
cr6691 2 years ago
where are they playing?
jaecht83 2 years ago
@jaecht83 The TV show "Where The Action Is" was filmed in California. The lead guitarist wearing all black to the right of Steve, the lead singer, was my husband, Jeff. He passed away this past June.
barbaralinn 1 year ago
@barbaralinn Thank you for this. It was truly among the first which brought change to music and attitudes in the USA and the world. I loved it in 1965 and still do!!!
Augie47 1 year ago
@barbaralinn Condolences, Barbara. glad you were still friends with him and i hope you had seen him recently. that blows.....
MacGrurry 1 year ago
@barbaralinn Sad to read of Jeff Winfield's passing--he was an important part of the early sound of the Left Banke. This is a even rarer video clip because of Jeff's appearance in it--there aren't too many clips of the original band that survive--he will be forever young because this one did. My condolences to you, barbaralinn.
truethought62 1 year ago
Wonderful lead vocal and harmonies.
I had forgotten about this version and now prefer it to that of the Four Tops.
capothree 2 years ago 14
i remember when i was 5 years old in cuba. my mother loved that song and she still do.
ilmhams 2 years ago 2
the singer is from puerto rico.
ilmhams 2 years ago 2
@capothree Yeah, the original version
fanfestdhl 2 years ago
@capothree
The Left Banke's version is the orginal. The Four Tops were just one of many who covered this track. However, this is the one to have. Btw, Renee is a real person. She dated one of the members of the The Left Banke.
puseye 1 year ago 2
Comment removed
bluesruley2k 1 year ago
@capothree How can one not remember the original version, but remember a a soul groups over orchestrated
overdubbed , The Four Tops plus a girls vocal track over their own harmony, Might as well have had a choir, lol
!
rakeuiff 7 months ago
someone PLEASE put "dark is the bark " on here!!!!!!!
clemzzz 2 years ago 2
My first daughters middle name is Renee because of this song. Couldn't talk the ex into making it her first name
plymouthroadrunner1 2 years ago 2
my sister's middle name is Renee for this song too.
tazkongmcgraw 2 years ago
Awesome!
pef286 2 years ago 3
luv this! Thank you!
jameszerukjr 2 years ago
Ohio has always claimed The Left Banke, but I'm no expert. I just love them.
mickindanny 2 years ago
@mickindanny nope nyc boys!
fanfestdhl 2 years ago
i believe this footage is from the TV show "where the action is" which was created by dick clark after american bandstand moved from weekday afternoons to sunday only. the locale of the left banke's performance along with the october 1966 date on the clip suggest that's where it's from as the band made an appearance on the show just at that time.
alguien031 2 years ago
Beautiful. This part of the country had the sound; one of the best bands. I think of them with The Lime, New Colony Six...are they in the Rock Hall?
mickindanny 2 years ago
To BostonDukie - I didn't notice I was signed on under my daughter's name. But thank you again for your condolences.
barbaralinn 2 years ago
Wow...You were married to him? I've loved the Left Banke since '67. Love their sound. There was no other period to compare to the sixties. This is a beautiful song, along with Pretty Ballerina.
CosmicTraveler 2 years ago
to CosmicTraveler. In my travels I've come across fanatic fans in the strangest places. Of course, Jeff was only their lead guitarist during the Walk Away Renee Tour and in the studio. He was then replaced. But I was young, I knew the guys in the group as friends, and when it's like that, it's no big deal. And I agree about Pretty Ballerina.
barbaralinn 2 years ago
to Barbaralinn: So sorry to hear of your loss - I saw the left Banke live in Halifax in the 60's and I have never forgotten their music . Take care
BostonDukie 2 years ago
To BostonDukie - thank you for your condolences. I saw Jeff in the hospital before he died, but the shock will live with me forever. I knew him for 45 years and he was the love of my life.
Jaimalicious 2 years ago
Dark Is The Bark... is the greatest "unknown" song EVER ! great arragement , with hints of brian wilson style production and melody .
clemzzz 2 years ago 4
love this song by the left banke!
ediann 2 years ago
Yeah! Wow! I´m getting old... I guess
MrKaplan72 2 years ago
I never get tired of listening to the Left Banke. Classic.
ecosmart123 2 years ago
Jeff, the lead guitarist to the right of Steve Martin wearing all black, was my first boyfriend at 14 and we married at 22. I can't believe he died in June. If there is peace in death, I dearly hope he found it. Barbara
barbaralinn 2 years ago
Belle and Sebastian - I fought in the war
rodrigolfernandes 2 years ago
This song is about a person who's already letting go of his hopeless love.
Aleancelo 3 years ago 2
i have a link to one of there albums..The Left Banke - Two Compilations. just pm me for them..ret vin cu
panda606 3 years ago
What happened to Steve Martin and Jeff Winfield?
cityofparis 3 years ago
Selling this song for 20$ is worse than me selling my gun collection and my mom for 20$
iluvflagunlaws 3 years ago 3
i thought Michael Brwon left the group amicably.I know he went on to play with the stories and later the Beckies.Ok cheers,this really was good.Check for the song Desiree.
sunsets1970 3 years ago
my father wrote this song and sold it for $20 back in the day... it's about his brother's girlfriend, Renee, leaving him. i believe he was all of 16 when he wrote it.
MusicIsMyLifeNC 3 years ago
Are you serious?
lulakirby 3 years ago
I am dead serious, he lived in Yuma, AZ. As I said, he sold it I think he said for $20 or so. Always makes me smile when I hear it on the radio... thanks for posting it!
MusicIsMyLifeNC 3 years ago
This story is totally not true. This song was written in New York. This is one of the most well documented songs ever written. Rene was Tom Finn's (the Bassist)girlfriend.
fanfestdhl 3 years ago
This story is totally not true. This song was written in New York. This is one of the most well documented songs ever written. Rene was Tom Finn's (the Bassist)girlfriend.
fanfestdhl 3 years ago
If you would read it correctly, he sold the rights of it when he was young. Songwriters can claim a song once the original author has sold its rights. Such is the case with Finn, and, perhaps he picked up the song because he had a girlfriend named Rene. My father doesn't have any rights to it, so there you go.
MusicIsMyLifeNC 3 years ago
I'm sorry the song writer who wrote the song didn't buy rights. He wrote the song. I spoke with him yesterday and he will tell you where,why and how is was CREATED. No rights were ever purchased. It is so harmful to propagate untruths. The person who wrote this masterpiece should not have to endure this kind of thievery.
fanfestdhl 3 years ago
He is bull****ing you. Walk Away Renee was written by the Left Banke's keyboard player, Michael Brown. Renee was the girlfriend of the band's bassist, Tom Finn. Brown had a crush on her.
Houstonguy2006 3 years ago 2
i heard it on crossing jordan and had not heard it in years it stil stands up great song my 18 year old son likes it too
halkk 3 years ago
Thanks for sharing that. It's very interesting to know.
pba20420 3 years ago
That's a bunch of bull. Walk Away Renee was written by the Left Banke's keyboard player, Michael Brown. Renee was the girlfriend of the band's bassist, Tom Finn. Brown had a crush on her.
Houstonguy2006 3 years ago 2
Triumphant! Where are they today?
Augie47 3 years ago
Thanks for posting this clip.
Can still recall the feeling of walking back to the dorm when this popular and hearing it blasting from dozens of dorm room windows all tuned to the same radio station.
wcsu1975 3 years ago
Check out the recent cover by Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy
django7176 3 years ago
This song has been runnung through my head the past three weeks and I hear it on the radio about every three or four days.
carsmasher 3 years ago
This is a GREAT song by a great band, The Left Banke. Takes me back to many years ago. And it MANY times better than that lousy cover version by The Four Tops.
elliott021 3 years ago
One of the greatest rock songs ever written, people are still talking about it.
puseye 3 years ago 2
That's Steven Tyler on drums!
BaWsLeE 3 years ago
really? he was in the group?
g0ldbuG 3 years ago
It's the violins. Strings always evoke strong emotions.
harpo103 3 years ago
How does a great song become a Debate Between the Bands issue? Ridiculous. The music industry usually has artist who respect each other. I'm sure that the Left Banke and the Tops respect each others' version. Only YouTubers can make an issue out of this.
balooby 3 years ago 3
For those who wish to compare this version to the Four Tops version let me point out that the Banke version was voted #220 in the Rolling Stone top 500 rock songs of all time. The Tops version isn't even mentioned. Obviously those who "appreciate and understand music" like the Banke version better.
MrHandy1 3 years ago
i think that list was a bunch of bs, but to agree i believe the melancholy tone of the left banke fits the lyrics so much better making this one my favorite songs and superior to the 4 tops version
Noceo99 3 years ago
Old geezer? The year this song came out I turned 13. I wasn't even interested in girls yet. But two years later I was crushed by my first love and this song had special meaning. Her name wasn't Renee though lol.
MrHandy1 3 years ago
You really can't comment on the validity of this song, lest you lived back then. That being the case makes you one old geezer who
captured a great song during a great era...
laff it off....
billykkutter 3 years ago
People, people, "can't we all just get along?" The Tops were great but the Banke had a different approach. Dare I say "timeless" in their rendition. The song haunts all of us who were young in the sixties. Until I saw this video I wondered what Rene looked like, now I know. It is classical in its simple story, ever draw a heart on the wall and put your initials in it. I did in 1968, in college. I wonder if the wall is still there? She married someone else. See what I mean?
frilb 3 years ago
MADMIKE IS 37..MAN I LOVE THIS SONG...
gloriamichaelc 3 years ago
What a lovely reminder of a magic time.
These were the days of love and understanding.We seemed so close to changing the World.Alas,it was just a beautiful dream.
bluesborn 3 years ago
Us "old" people rarely got to see recording artists perform. We bought the records because the MUSIC is what counted; not what someone looked like...like today's average buyer!
jsbach15 3 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Once again, The Four Tops produced an excellent version of this song. Their rendition reached #12 on billboard's top 100 in 1968. Hence, my point of view is shared by many who appreciate and understand music. I was a teenager in 1968 during that year and vividly remember how dynamic and popular the song was. The Four Tops' version is beyond superb - its awsome. Case closed!
spingarnhighschool 3 years ago
spingarnhighschool:"Hence, my point of view is shared by many who appreciate and understand music."
So by implication, those who don't share your view don't "appreciate and understand music"? How nice for you.
LTF6161 3 years ago
I don't see how a song getting a position on a chart has anything to do with "many who appreciate and understand music" since that would imply that every popular song is a brilliant, well crafted song.
hewhosayszonk 3 years ago
How mean spirited a person you are. If you think the Four Tops version is superb so what. It was good and that it. This original version is a masterpiece.I doubt you understand this. The Four Tops never did a masterpiece you were a chart watcher not a music lover. And you cant throw rank around here I'm probably older than you.
fanfestdhl 3 years ago
BFD spingarn. I was a teenager in Detroit, home of the Tops and many other soul groups when their version was released in '68. We weren't particularly impressed by the release of their song. It was just another mediocre cover of a great song by a soul group. Only happened every two days or so.
MrHandy1 3 years ago
I should have phrased that, another mediocre cover, by a soul group, of a great song.
MrHandy1 3 years ago
the dark-haired head-booper is sweet...this brought back wonderful memories...thanks for posting
mtnpeakmom 3 years ago
His name is Steve Martin Caro.
scubawrestler 3 years ago
the video effect during the break is priceless
skorpidzo829 3 years ago
The Four Tops version, though good, can't touch this one. Awesome!
EP68special 3 years ago 3
The Four Tops covered this song superbly. I love both versions
spingarnhighschool 3 years ago
The Four Tops version is far from Superb. The Left Banke own this song. Let's stop the noise here.
fanfestdhl 3 years ago 3
Very nicely done ! Thanks for posting ...
FTPUsr 3 years ago