I remember like it was yesterday Renaissance playing at the Last Exit club in Washington DC. Keith Relf and his beautiful sister Jane sang this song "Island" together like angels from heaven! I shall never forget that magical night and this song was the high light of the evening. The inside record cover was photographed on the elevated platform of the costume gallery at the Victoria and Albert museum my work colleagues remembered the day it was photographed This musical combo was at the forefront on progressive music. Keith Relf's musical career stretched all the way from the YardBirds doing covers of blues songs and slowly finding their voice writing fabulous songs like "For your love" with Brian Augar on harpsichord. This musical style influenced many soundtrack composers like John Barry in the James Bond films and Roy Frederick Budd in the famous "Get Carter" film with Michael Cane. That haunting groovy 1960s harpsichord sound. Then the YardBirds wrote their anti-war masterpiece "Shapes" Then Keith Relf's Renaissance was formed championing fusing classical music with rock music. He was a pioneer in this genre before King Crimson and Emerson Lake and Palmer. Although Renaissance never became massively popular their place in musical history is assured. The group name was carried on by various people but I never followed any of these musical Shanigans especially after Keith's untimely passing.
Well the name was carried on( not sure why) but I wouldn't say various ppl. It was just one band, and they've been around ever since. So you're talking 50 yrs. They are/were really really good. Stop living in the past and check them out. You'll enjoy.
"Keith Relf's musical career stretched all the way from the YardBirds doing covers of blues songs and slowly finding their voice writing fabulous songs like "For your love" with Brian Augar on harpsichord." 'For your love' was written by Graham Gouldman, later of 10CC.
Wow. "Island" is my all-time favorite song by the original Renaissance line-up...have been a fan for almost 30 years, and in all that time have never seen this footage before. Spectacular! Jane Relf is magical--such a lovely voice.
Very nice! I saw them a few times in the 70s when Annie Haslam was the singer. The first time I saw them they were supporting Caravan at the Mountford Hall in Liverpool. The next time I saw them they were the main act.
That's not quite the same band. I tried to return their first album, as I felt it was a rip-off... tough times: greedy managements. That said: Renaissance mark 2 opening for Caravan is good. Girls who grow plump..?
Funny to see people trying to dance to this song! This is from the first Renaissance album. Bought it when I was about 15. Still love it today. It's an incredible mix of rock and classical with lyrics that combine to produce a truly beautiful, even mystical, listening experience, while gazing, perhaps, at the wonderful cover art... IMO it's not just the best prog album ever made (not counting Pink Floyd, who I have somehow never seen as being prog) but one of the best modern albums ever. Imagine that this album doesn't even get an entry into Rolling Stone's latest Greatest 500! But then you have to wonder about a greatest 500 that puts Kanje West at no. 17, Purple Rain at 7 and Marvyn Gaye at 1, and where Forever Changes is placed way down at 180 (?!)..
Showing my age here, but I saw Renaissance in concert at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. I believe it was in 1970, and they were the opening act for Canned Heat. Like 98% of the crowd, I came to watch Canned Heat, and had never heard of them. But within five minutes, I was hooked. I had been a big fan of the Yardbirds, and was totally blown away when I found out that Keith Relf was the lead guitarist. Their musical skills and the clarity of the singing really stood out. They deservedly got a great reception from the crowd who were waiting to see Canned Heat.
Heard this song scores of times. Never seen it done live! Thank you. Louis Cennamo is severely under appreciated. I was lucky to meet Mr. Hawken after a Strawbs show and thanked him for his Renaissance contributions. They are all my heroes, including the Annie/Tout/Camp/Dunford/Sullivan version. I'm glad Annie keeps the music alive even now.
I agree re. Louis Cennamo. My hunch (given the playing position of his right hand) is that he started out on double bass before moving on to the bass guitar.
That first Renaissance album is an absolute masterpiece! What a treasure finding this video! I still have my vinyl LP and hadn’t the slightest interest in them once the original line-up disbanded. You can’t top that!
Una meraviglia musicale interpretativa questi reinassance e come ritornare indietro nel tempo quando questo genere andava per la maggiore bisognerebbe ritornare a sentire e a far capire ai giovani di oggi certe espressioni musicali ❤😂
Increíble registro de la alineación original de Renaissance con los hermanos Relf al frente. Sus temas conectan el folk (inglés) con la música clásica europea, algo que no he vuelto a ver de manera tan certera y clara (al menos desde la propuesta acústica del sonido + trovador, y no tan electica o electrónica). Pero lo que atrae de modo especial en esta alineación es la linda voz de Jane Relf (especialmente en la sobrecogedora belleza del Wanderer Shubertiano). Aquí lo vemos tal y cual eran en 1969, y en su himno Island de su álbum debut. Sigo buscando las giras de este año, pues en vivo improvisaban mucho, pero siempre ampliando su cálido estilo y su fina inspiración. Siempre he visto a Keith Relf en crisis ese año del debut, ¿por qué? Tal vez tenga que ver con la ruptura temprana del gran proyecto. Gracias por este regalo amigos. Saludos desde Perú.
One of my favourite songs from the years around 1970. Renaissance (later Illusion) is a very underrated band. So many gems to be found on the band's albums.
I really liked Jane Relf's singing...but she seemed to have retired from the music business when she was young and I lost track of her as an artist. Perhaps she continued with the band Illusion but ...again ...I was unaware of their existence. In a sense it felt like the same situation with Amanda Parsons from National Health who worked for television but vanished from music... I will continue to search for Jane Relf recordings and hopefully if she in fact has been involved in other projects that they would readily available
Maravilhosas essas variações de Beethoven, com um toque de Bach! Seria praticamente impossível encontrar essa qualidade sonora e criativa nas bandas de hoje...
Their combined voices reminds the second line up voices of Annie Haslam and the others. Unbeliveable it's the same Keith Relf that sings "Heart Full of Soul". What so much different groups came from the "Yardbirds" one heavy blues/rock band and one symphonic prog band.
Sounds really beautiful. I wonder how many people were even aware that a Yardbird was in this band? She has a very pretty voice. I can hear that Annie was hired for sounding a bit like her.
No Annie Haslam version of this band did not just take the name both Keith Relf and Jim Mccarty auditioned Annie to keep the band going after the original line up fall apart in 1970. And Jim McCarty stayed on with band as the lyric writer!! I suggest you do your research before commenting.
Desert island album. Jane: time to compile. Critical edition. Thanks. I still remember when i got "the other guys": i tried to return that album... tho i loved its Hipgnosis cover.
Keith Relf & Jim McCarty, 1/2 last original Yardbirds. What a difference compared to what they played and sang with Page. Always loved all versions of Yardbirds. And I believe it is Keith's sister Jane singing.
Jane has a great voice!!!! I still don’t understand the connection between this incarnation of Renaissance and the one with Annie Haslam. None of these band members were in the later Renaissance.
Midway though recording the second album in 1970, McCarty, Relf and Cennamo left the band. During the latter half of the year, there was then a rapid succesion of further personnel changes. By New Year's Day, 1971, the original lineup was no more, but Mike Dunford, John Tout and Annie Haslam were in place .
Illusion ('Out of the Mist',1977; 'Illusion',1978) picks up where the original Renaissance left off- everyone is there except Keith Relf who was already gone by then.
