Renaissance - Prologue CD (expanded)
SKU
23-Eclec 2644
After releasing two (excellent but unsuccessful) albums in 1969 and 1970, Renaissance started to unravel with new members replacing the founding members, until, by the time of this, their 3rd release, no member remained from the original band who played on the first two albums! But surprisingly, this accident of chance led to the formation of one of the best loved progressive bands of the 1970's.
This first album by the 1970's version (i.e. the Annie Haslam version) of the band is definitely a transitional album, but Annie and almost everyone else is there, and it starts to begin to sound like them.
“A newly re-mastered and expanded edition of the classic 1972 album by Renaissance, “Prologue”. Formed in 1969 by former Yardbirds members Jim McCarty and Keith Relf, Renaissance had by 1971 undergone a series of line-up changes and had evolved into a completely different band from the one that had recorded the albums “Renaissance” and “Illusion”.
By June 1972 Renaissance had settled into a line-up featuring the highly gifted vocalist Annie Haslam, John Tout (keyboards, vocals), Jon Camp (bass, vocals), Terry Sullivan (drums, percussion) and Rob Hendry (guitar, mandolin, vocals). The album “Prologue” was recorded in June and July 1972 and featured material written by Michael Dunford (a member of the group who had decided to eschew performing with the band to concentrate on song writing) and lyricist Betty Thatcher. Featuring such classic material as the album title track, ‘Kiev’, ‘Spare Some Love’ and the epic ‘Rajah Kahn’, “Prologue” was also notable for the presence of guest musician Francis Monkman (of Curved Air) who would play VCS 3 synthesiser on ‘Rajah Khan’. The album would pave the way for the future success of Renaissance and would effectively be regarded as the band’s first true album.
This Esoteric Recordings edition has been re-mastered from the original Sovereign Records master tapes and adds the rare single version of ‘Spare Some Love’ as a bonus track (appearing on CD for the very first time). The booklet features a new essay and exclusive interviews with Annie Haslam and Terry Sullivan and fully restores the original album artwork.”
- LabelEsoteric
- UPC5013929474444