The group was formed in 1965 and consisted of keyboardist/songwriter Michael Brown, guitarist Jeff Winfield (later replaced by Rick Brand), bassist Tom Finn, drummer George Cameron and singer Steve Martin (aka Steve Martin Caro). Brown's father, Harry Lookofsky, a well-known session violinist, ran a studio in New York and took an interest in the band's music, acting as producer, manager, and publisher. Brown's song "Walk Away Renee" was sold to Smash, a subsidiary of Mercury Records, and became a hit in late 1966. "Pretty Ballerina," also written by Brown, charted in early 1967, and the Left Banke released an LP entitled, appropriately enough, Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina.
At this point, tension between Brown and the rest of the group began to surface, as Brown recorded a single, "And Suddenly"/"Ivy Ivy," under the Left Banke name, using session musicians and Bert Sommer on lead vocals. The remaining Left Banke numbers used their fan club to boycott the record, which led to confusion among radio stations over which "Left Banke" to support. Radio and Smash Records ultimately pulled their support from the single, which subsequently failed to even crack the Hot 100. ("And Suddenly" was recorded by a group called the Cherry People and was a minor hit.) In late 1967, the group reunited and recorded more material, including the single "Desiree" which just slipped into the Hot 100 - radio was still reluctant to plug the Left Banke after the controversy surrounding the previous single. Brown left the group for good soon after. Cameron and Martin continued to record, and the songs cut by the various incarnations of the group were assembled into a second LP, The Left Banke Too, which appeared in November of 1968. Later that year, Brown and Martin rejoined to cut yet another single as The Left Banke, Myrah b/w Pedestal, which would be their final single on Smash.
In the early '70s, the group reunited briefly to record two songs for the movie Hot Parts. The songs, "Love Songs in the Night" and "Two by Two," were credited to Steve Martin and released as a single on the Buddah label. In the late '70s, Martin reunited with George Cameron and Tom Finn to release the album Strangers on a Train (Released as Voices Calling in Europe). The album did little to restore the popularity of the group despite the modest success of the single Queen Of Paradise.
After leaving the Left Banke, Mike Brown helped form the band Montage. While Brown was not an official member of the group, his presence is unmistakable. They released one self-titled album featuring a re-make of "Desiree" (recently reissued on the Sundazed label) before Brown left. Brown's next project was the band Stories featuring singer Ian Lloyd. The band had several hits, including 1973's "Brother Louie" which made #3 in the Billboard top 100 charts. However, Brown had left the group prior to the success of Brother Louie. Brown's next (and last) band was The Beckies. Only modest success was achieved and Brown soon left.
Although best known for their two hit singles, the Left Banke produced many other songs that have achieved "classic" status, including "She May Call You up Tonight," "Goodbye Holly," and "Desiree." Despite their short and troubled history, they are widely regarded as one of the finest pop bands of the era. Their string arrangements and Steve Martin Caro's emotional, but sometimes unclear vocals are cited as a major influence on Michael Stipe of R.E.M..
In 1992, Mercury released a compilation CD of The Left Banke's complete recorded output titled There's Gonna Be A Storm--The Complete Recordings 1966-1969.
On March 22, 2006, while Harry Shearer was being interviewed on the Opie and Anthony Radio Show about the movie "Spinal Tap", he stated the following, "Well, Michael McKean had been in a band called 'The Left Banke'. They'd done a hit called 'Walk Away Renee', and 'Pretty Ballerina' was their follow-up that was a semi-hit, and he joined the band right after they had their hits."
Postings found on various Left Banke fan sites and blogs seemed to indicate that Brown, Martin, Finn and Cameron along with Jimmy McAllister, member of The Beckies and The Chesmann Square, had reunited and had been rehearsing. McAllister died in 2006. The latest reunion news is that the group may reform to do a few shows in the UK.
Many former members of the Left Banke (as well as associates of the group) frequent various internet discussion forums, particularly the Leftbankism Yahoo Group. Due to their participation and fan interest, a two-volume set of unreleased recordings from both the Left Banke and its various, solo offshoots were torrented through various torrent sites and is also available at leftbanke.nu.
Noel Gallagher of Oasis is interested in doing a cover record based on songs by The Left Banke.
The Band Eels covered "Pretty Ballerina" on their 2005 "Live with Strings" tour. It was recorded on the subsequent 2006 release of "With Strings: Live at Town Hall."
Swedish singer/songwriter, Jens Lekman used a sample of their song Something on my mind for his song Black Cab.
The Left Banke song "Walk Away Renee" was a major influence of the classic arena rock song "More than a Feeling" by Boston.
Lead singer Michael Brown died on March 19, 2015.
Vocalist and instrumentalist Steve Martin Caro passed in January 2020.
Bassist and vocalist Tom Finn passed in June 2020.
Drummer and vocalist George Cameron passed in June 2018.
Band members
Current members
Steve Martin Caro — lead vocals, guitar, drums, tambourine, bass (1965–1969; 1971; 1978)
Sam Kogon — lead vocals (2014–present)
Tony Waldman — drums (2014–present)
Dan LeBrun — bass (2014–present)
Stefan Paolini — keyboards (2014–present)
Finnegan Shanahan — violin, vocals (2014–present)
Former members
George Cameron — drums, percussion, backing vocals; lead vocals, guitar (1965–1969; 1971; 1978; 2011; died 2018)
Michael Brown — piano, harpsichord, Clavinet, organ, lead vocals (1965–1967; 1969, 1971, 1978; died 2015)
Tom Finn — bass, guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (1965–1969; 1971; 1978; 2011)
Warren David-Schierhorst — drums (1965–1966)
Jeff Winfield — guitar (1966; died 2009)
Rick Brand — guitar, banjo (1966–1967)
Bert Sommer — lead vocals, guitar (1967, died 1990)
Michael McKean — guitar (1967)
Tom Feher — piano, guitar (1968–1969)
Dark Is The Bark
The Left Banke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She loves
She lies in glistenings of
Reddish and blue
Darkness was all she could see
Lovely was all she could be
No one had bothered to be
Darkness red (dark is the bark of the tree)
Living gray (dark is the bark of the tree)
Surrounded with boxes of people that once saw the day
I speak and my words begin to believe what I say
Darkness was all I could see
Lonely was all I could be
Loving was something to me
Somewhere for someone to see
It was shade (is the bark of the tree)
She's so mean (dark is the bark of the tree)
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
The opening lines of The Left Banke's "Dark Is The Bark" sets the stage with the main character being surrounded by luxury in the form of valuable possessions such as gold and priceless paintings. The focus is then shifted to the female subject of the song who is laying down in a state of iridescence with a combination of reddish and blue hues. However, the overall tone is melancholy as darkness is all she can perceive. "Darkness was all she could see, lovely was all she could be, no one had bothered to be something she wanted to see." This portrays a yearning for something greater and a hint of loneliness that is not being fulfilled.
The second verse expresses the singer's own perception of his surroundings. He is surrounded by boxes of people who once knew what it was like to live in the light, which is a metaphor for life. The mention of words starting to believe what he says indicates his desire to be heard and remembered. This is reinforced by the following lyrics, "Darkness was all I could see, lonely was all I could be, loving was something to me, somewhere for someone to see, it was shade." The reference to "shade" denotes a form of protection, it implies that he is shielding himself from the light, perhaps because he has been hurt before. The repetition of "dark is the bark of the tree" at the end of each verse further reinforces the theme of darkness and the inability to see clearly.
Line by Line Meaning
Surrounded in gold and priceless paintings
The subject is surrounded by luxury objects, indicating a wealthy and possibly privileged lifestyle.
She loves
The subject experiences feelings of love.
She lies in glistenings of reddish and blue
The subject is surrounded by shiny or reflective objects in shades of red and blue.
Darkness was all she could see
The subject is experiencing emotional darkness and possibly depression.
Lovely was all she could be
Despite her emotional state, the subject maintains a pleasant or attractive appearance.
No one had bothered to be
Something she wanted to see
The subject feels alone and unsupported by others in her life, especially in regards to her emotional well-being.
Darkness red (dark is the bark of the tree)
Living gray (dark is the bark of the tree)
The repeated phrase suggests a metaphor for the subject's emotional state, that it is dark and lifeless like the bark of a tree.
Surrounded with boxes of people that once saw the day
The subject is in a crowded place, surrounded by people who may have once been happy, but now seem jaded or disillusioned.
I speak and my words begin to believe what I say
The artist feels empowered by their words, and the words themselves take on a deeper level of meaning as they are spoken.
Darkness was all I could see
The artist is experiencing emotional darkness and possibly depression, similar to the subject earlier in the song.
Lonely was all I could be
Despite any external appearances or social interactions, the singer feels alone and disconnected from others.
Loving was something to me
Somewhere for someone to see
The artist craves love and affection, and feels that someone in their life should recognize this and provide it for them.
It was shade (is the bark of the tree)
She's so mean (dark is the bark of the tree)
The repeated phrase again suggests a metaphor for the singer's emotional state, that it is dark and lifeless like the bark of a tree. Additionally, the singer seems to feel resentful towards a woman in their life, possibly due to a lack of emotional support.
La, la, la, la
A nonsensical refrain, possibly meant to evoke a sense of emptiness or futility.
La, la, la, la
A continuation of the refrain.
La, la, la, la
A final repetition of the refrain.
Contributed by Jake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.