| The Left Banke Too | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | the Left Banke |
| Cover: | LeftBankeTwo.jpg |
| Recorded: | September1967October 1968[1] |
| Studio: | Capitol and Olmstead, |
| Genre: | |
| Label: | Smash |
| Producer: |
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| Prev Title: | Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina |
| Prev Year: | 1967 |
| Next Title: | Strangers on a Train |
| Next Year: | 1986 |
The Left Banke Too is the second studio album by American baroque pop band the Left Banke, released by Smash Records in 1968. It would be the final album of the band's initial lifespan, with their next album not appearing until 1986.
In between the release of the Left Banke's debut album Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina and the making of this album, the original five-piece band had been whittled down to a trio after the departures of songwriter and keyboardist Michael Brown and guitarist Rick Brand.[2] To replace them, the band brought in guitarist Tom Feher, who had written songs with Brown for the group's first album.
Half of the album, consisted tracks that had been issued as singles in the period since the release of the band's debut album in February 1967. "Desirée", released as a single in June 1967, barely scraped into the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 98. The band's next two singles, "Dark is the Bark", released in the summer of 1968, and "Goodbye Holly" following in November 1968, both failed to chart. Following the release of the album in November 1968, a fourth and fifth single were issued, "Bryant Hotel" b/w "Give The Man A Hand" and "Nice To See You" b/w "There's Gonna Be A Storm" respectively, but they also failed to chart.
Unlike its predecessor, The Left Banke Too contains a wide range of musical styles, including incorporations of psychedelic pop, sunshine pop, rock music, and arrangements influenced by baroque music.[3] For recording, several additional contributions were made, including a pre-Aerosmith Steven Tyler, then known as Steve Tallarico, providing backing vocals to several songs on the album such as "My Friend Today" and "Dark is the Bark".[4]
The entire album was at one time available on the 1992 compact disc , but that compilation went out of print in the mid-1990s. On June 28, 2011, The Left Banke Too was reissued on Sundazed Records, remastered by Bob Irwin.
Details are taken from the 1968 Smash Records release and might differ from other releases.[5]
The Left Banke
Additional personnel
Singles