=-> Quoting Gary Smith to Stuart Dubois re: Renaissance:
 GS> Well, after some brief research, I seem to remember that a couple
 GS> of the ex-Yardbirds actually formed the first version of Renaissance.
 GS> The NEXT album was "Prologue," which happens to be my favorite.
   The original Renaissance featured ex-Yardbirds Keith Relf (vocals,
 guitar, harmonica) and Jim McCarty (drums, percussion, vocals).  The
 band also featured Keith's sister Jane Relf (vocals, percussion);
 Louis Cennamo (bass guitar); and John Hawken (keyboards).
   I have two albums by this incarnation of the group.  The first (which
 presumably is their debut) is simply titled, _Renaissance_ (1969), and
 was produced by another ex-Yardbird, Paul Samwell-Smith.  Jim McCarty and
 Keith Relf wrote all the material.  The second, produced by Keith Relf is
 called, _Illusion_ (1970).  The line-up is the same, but this album
 features the first appearance of writers Mick Dunford and Betty Thatcher.
 Dunford plays guitar on one of his compositions as well.
   Both these albums are interesting.  They show the musical direction
 leaning towards the classical-rock sounds that would become familiar to
 Renaissance fans, but over all, they are not quite as technically skilled
 as the later records.
  1) Renaissance (1969)
  2) Illusion (1970)
   FWIW, most of the original members that made these two albums re-grouped
 in the late 1970s calling themselves, Illusion.  I have one album of theirs
 called, _Out of the Mist_ (1977) which is very similar to what Renaissance
 was doing at the same time.  It's a good album, but IMO they're not quite
 as strong writers as the Dunford/Thatcher/Camp triumvirate.
   Anyway, back to Renaissance...
   There was obviously a complete turnover of personnel over the next year
 and a half.  You've got _Prologue_ (1972), so you know the line-up there.
 Guitarist Rob Hendry left after that album and was essentially replaced by
 Mick Dunford.  After that the personnel remained the same for several
 years: Annie Haslam (vocals); John Tout (keyboards); Mick Dunford (guitars,
 vocals); Jon Camp (bass, vocals); Terence Sullivan (drums, percussion).
  3) Prologue (1972)
  4) Ashes Are Burning (1973)
  5) Turn of the Cards (1974)
  6) Scheherazade & Other Stories (1975)
  7) Live at Carnegie Hall (1976)
  8) Novella (1977)
  9) A Song for All Seasons (1978)
 10) Azure D'Or (1979)
   These last two releases of the 70s (_A Song for All Seasons_ and
 _Azure d'Or_, saw Renaissance moving in a more pop-oriented direction.
 They were still classically influenced and fairly progressive in their
 sound, but the songs were shorter and more concise and often contained
 repeated choruses with catchy, melodic hooks.
   In 1980, classically trained keyboardist John Tout, and percussionist
 Terence Sullivan both left the band.  Annie Haslam, Mick Dunford, and
 Jon Camp carried on though, releasing _Camera Camera_ in 1981 with
 Peter Gosling filling in on keyboards and vocals, and Peter Barron on
 drums and vocals.
 11) Camera Camera (1981)
   This was the last Renaissance album I bought.  It was not at all the
 same sound as what I had loved in the 70s.  There may have been one more
 after that - I'm not sure.   But if it exists, I'd only have a passing
 interest in it anyway - just to complete a collection.  ;-)
 GS> A friend of mine taped several songs from "Camera Camera" .... and
 GS> another guy gave me a tape with some other songs...one of which is
 GS> "Jekyll and Hyde."  I don't know what album it's from...but if it's
 GS> any indication of the rest of the album, I'm rather glad I don't own it.
   Hehehe.... I don't blame you.  IMO, the best work they did is on the
 albums from 1972 to 1977 inclusive, on the above discography.
 GS> I borrowed "Live" and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I can confirm that
 GS> Annie was better live than in the studio.  Isn't that odd?
   It seems odd, but I can confirm that, too.  I saw Renaissance perform
 live five times from 1973 to 1978.  Obviously they didn't often tour with
 an orchestra like they had on the `Carnegie Hall' album, but I think they
 actually sounded just as good or better without that `burden'.  They were
 a superb live band.
    Cheers,
             Martin
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