Renaissance (band)

Renaissance are an English progressive rock band, best known for their 1978 UK top 10 hit "Northern Lights" and progressive rock classics like "Carpet of the Sun", "Mother Russia", and "Ashes Are Burning". They developed a unique sound, combining a female lead vocal with a fusion of classical, folk, rock, and jazz influences. Lyricist Betty Thatcher attributed the classical influence specifically to Keith Relf: " I think it was mainly Keith. He always loved classical music, Keith, it was Canon [by] Pachelbel that was his favourite piece of music. He played it all the time, and he always thought that we should merge everything… and he did." Renaissance released their self-titled debut album in 1969, but fell apart during the sessions for their follow-up, Illusion (1971). New musicians were brought in to complete the record, and Renaissance was kept active through a period of fluctuating personnel until none of the original lineup remained, although McCarty continued providing compositions for the band to record for several more years. By 1972, a stable lineup consisting of Annie Haslam, Michael Dunford, John Tout, Jon Camp, and Terry Sullivan solidified. Aside from McCarty, they were assisted with lyrics on many songs from Cornish poet Betty Thatcher-Newsinger. From 1972 to 1979 Renaissance released seven studio albums, toured extensively, and sold out three nights in a row at Carnegie Hall with Tony Cox conducting the New York Philharmonic. The band's success was largely concentrated in the United States, where they built a cult following.

Renaissance struggled through the 1980s with personnel changes and two relatively unsuccessful studio albums, leading to disbandment in 1987. Two different offshoots of the band existed at the same time at one period in the mid-1990s. The band re-formed in 1998 to record Tuscany, which was eventually released in 2001; however, they broke up again the next year. A new iteration of Renaissance, led by Haslam and Dunford, debuted in 2009, and since then the band has continued to record and tour. Dunford died in November 2012. Later, Haslam stated that the band would continue touring. In 2013, they released the studio album Grandine il Vento, re-released the following year under the title Symphony of Light.

The band performed a farewell tour in October 2024. They released "Henry's Coming Home" b/w "Love Mum and Dad" as a single on Columbia Records in November 1968 without chart success.

In January 1969, Relf and McCarty organized a new group devoted to experimentation with rock, folk, and classical forms. In his book Mountains Come Out of the Sky: An Illustrated History of Prog Rock, Will Romano quoted McCarty: "Toward the end of the Yardbirds we wanted to do something a bit more poetic, if you like, not so heavy. A bit more folky... We had had enough of heavy rock."

The band had begun performing in May 1969, before recording had commenced for the debut LP, mostly in the UK, but with occasional forays abroad, including festivals in Belgium (Amougies, October 1969) and France (Operation 666 at the Olympia in January 1970, and Le Bourget in March 1970, both in Paris). In February 1970, they embarked on a North American tour, but that month-long trek proved only marginally successful. Because of their Yardbirds credentials, they found themselves paired with bands such as the Kinks and their new classically-oriented direction did not always go down well because audiences were expecting rock/blues-based material.

Beginning in the late spring of 1970 as touring began to grind on them, the original band gradually dissolved. Keith Relf and McCarty decided to quit performing, and Cennamo joined Colosseum. There is an extant video (released on the DVD "Kings & Queens" in 2010) of that line-up performing five songs on a German TV program (Muzik-Kanal). The plan at the time was that Relf and McCarty would remain involved as non-performing members – Relf as a producer and McCarty as a songwriter. Both were present when singer Annie Haslam successfully auditioned in January 1971 It was also decided that Dunford would now concentrate on composing, and a new guitar player, Mick Parsons, was brought in for live work. In 1972, shortly before recording sessions for the new band's debut LP, drummer Terence Sullivan joined after Slade's initial replacement, Ginger Dixon, was deemed unsuitable following a European tour. Parsons died in a car accident and was replaced at short notice by Rob Hendry. The resulting line-up entered the studio having played only a dozen gigs together.

Prologue was released later in 1972 on EMI-Sovereign Records in the UK and on Capitol-Sovereign in North America. Prologues music was, except for two songs by McCarty, composed by Dunford, with all lyrics by Thatcher-Newsinger. Rock radio stations (particularly in the northeast US and Cleveland) gave the song "Spare Some Love" significant airplay for a few months after the album's release, and fans of Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer in particular, took notice of the band. Francis Monkman, of the group Curved Air (another group managed by Copeland), was a guest on VCS3 synthesizer on the final track "Rajah Khan". Shortly after the album's release, Michael Dunford returned as (acoustic) guitarist, completing what most fans regard as the classic five-piece line-up, which would remain together through five studio albums. The band played their first US concerts during this period,

A double live album, Live at Carnegie Hall, followed in 1976. Despite criticisms that much of the album was little more than a note for note reproduction of highlights from their previous four studio albums, the album reached No. 55 in the US. As a result, the band's fan base began to lose interest and the album only reached No. 125.

In 1988 Sire issued a two-part compilation, Tales of 1001 Nights, focusing on the band's 1972–79 period. In the 1990s most of their catalogue appeared on CD from reissue record labels such as Repertoire Records (Germany). In 2006 Repertoire issued remastered versions of Ashes are Burning, Turn of the Cards and Scheherezade and Other Stories.

In the mid-1990s, both Haslam (who had released a self-titled solo album in 1989) and Dunford (who had been working on a proposed musical based on the Scheherazade storyline) formed their own bands, each using the name Renaissance and releasing albums with different line-ups.

Third incarnation

Renaissance partially re-formed in 1998 around a nucleus of Haslam, Dunford and Sullivan, plus Tout and several new musicians, most notably Roy Wood and Mickey Simmonds, to record the CD Tuscany. In 1999, Haslam, Dunford and Simmonds played a one-off trio concert at London's Astoria supporting Caravan.

In March 2001, following the delayed release of Tuscany, a full band tour was organised, with a line-up of Haslam, Dunford, Sullivan, Simmonds, Rave Tesar (keyboards) and David J. Keyes (bass and vocals), who played one London concert on 9 March (again at the Astoria) and three dates in Japan – Osaka on the 13th, Nagoya on the 14th and Tokyo on the 16th. The Tokyo concert was recorded and released as In the Land of the Rising Sun: Live in Japan 2001. (Tout, although in the audience at the Astoria, did not perform on this tour.) Haslam, who had become the band's spokesperson, said that several factors made further touring and recording impractical. The band's short third incarnation was soon over.

Terry Sullivan recorded an album called South of Winter in 2004, with a studio group he named Renaissant. It is evocative of Renaissance's music, with lyrics by Thatcher-Newsinger and keyboard contributions by John Tout.

On 20 September 2008, John Tout made his first public appearance in the US in over 25 years, with Annie Haslam and the Jann Klose band, at the Sellersville Theatre 1894 in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. In 2009, Tout suffered a heart attack.

In August 2009, Haslam announced that she and Dunford were commemorating the 40th anniversary of Renaissance with a re-formed band, called Renaissance 2009 (including no other members of the "classic" line-up, but with musicians from the 2001 incarnation of the band), and a concert tour.

A tour in Eastern North America and Japan was undertaken in 2010, together with a three-song EP release and a new official website. Renaissance headlined the sold-out final edition of the North East Art Rock Festival, entitled NEARfest Apocalypse, on 23 June 2012.

In 2019 the band played its 50th Anniversary tour, joined onstage by founder Jim McCarty at their performance at Keswick Theater in Glenside, Pennsylvania on 12 October 2019.

In 2024 the group announced its farewell tour, called "In Gratitude".

But then, bowing to a special request, Annie and the group returned in the fall of 2025, bringing back Jim McCarty for a special tour presenting the History of Renaissance. This show featured a talk of the group's beginnings by Annie and Jim, followed by performances with Jim, then Annie with the rest of the Renaissance band Rave Tesar (keyboards), Mark Lambert (guitars, backing vocals), Geoffrey Langley (keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals), John Galgano (bass, backing vocals) and Frank Pagano (drums, percussion, backing vocals).

Deaths of former members

Keith Relf (born 22 March 1943), the band's original lead singer, died on 12 May 1976, electrocuted while playing a poorly-earthed guitar.

Betty Thatcher (born 16 February 1944), the band's non-performing lyricist who wrote most of the lyrics for the band (mostly for the second 'classic' lineup, but starting with the original Relf-led version), died on 15 August 2011.

Michael Dunford (born 8 July 1944) died from a cerebral hemorrhage on 20 November 2012 at his home in Surrey, England. A few weeks later, Haslam stated that the band would continue touring in the future, despite losing "her guiding light". In February 2013, it was announced that Ryche Chlanda would be the guitarist on their 2013 tour.

John Tout (born 2 September 1944) died of lung failure on 1 May 2015 at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London. The band paid tribute to their former keyboardist on their Facebook page, saying "He was an amazing musician, highly contributing to the unique sound of the band from 1970–1980."

John Hawken (born 9 May 1940), the band's original keyboardist, died on May 15, 2024, at the age of 84.

Jon Camp (born 9 October 1949) died on December 13, 2024, at the age of 75. Annie Haslam paid tribute to the band's former bassist on the RenaissanceTouring Facebook page, saying "It is with great sadness that Jon Camp our incomparable bass player has passed away. Jon played a huge role in the band with his unique powerful yet emotional bass playing, occasional acoustic guitar parts, singing and of course songwriting. Terence Sullivan and I had a long conversation, both of us stunned by the news. We talked about the early days in the band, the fun we had together but more importantly creating unique, dramatic and the most beautiful music one could ever wish for. Then we had all the excitement of touring especially performing at Carnegie Hall and then at the Royal Albert Hall with all our parents having their own 'boxes', our hit single Northern Lights! many priceless memories with Jon.

His favourite song was Ashes are Burning which Terry and I have chosen as a tribute. AMAZING bass solo !!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1ULz9nLgaE

Jon we will see you again somewhere out there and make more heavenly music.

Love, Annie Haslam and Terry"

Terry Sullivan (born 22 July 1938) died in January 2026, at the age of 87.

Symphony of Light

In April 2013 a new Renaissance album, Grandine il Vento, was released. It was dedicated on the inside sleeve to Dunford. This album was reissued as Symphony of Light in April 2014 with three bonus tracks.

Symphony of Light follows a similar path to the band's early work with a combination of shorter songs, and longer, more progressive tracks such as the title track, and "The Mystic and the Muse". The band were joined by well-known guest musicians Ian Anderson playing the flute on "Cry to the World", and John Wetton performing a duet with Haslam on "Blood Silver Like Moonlight". All the music was written by Dunford, except "Renaissance Man" (dedicated to Dunford) which was written by Rave Tesar. All the lyrics were written by Haslam, and the artwork featured a painting 'Symphony of Light' also by Haslam.

Ralph Greco, Jr. in vintagerock.com observed that "Symphony of Light thrives on lush production, evocative lyrics, excellent playing and that superlative voice that could only belong to Annie Haslam."

The current line-up is not as English as the band's early period with five U.S. born members, and one English born member who lives in the U.S.

Personnel

Current members

Annie Haslam – vocals, percussion (1971–1987, 1998–2002, 2009–present)
Rave Tesar – keyboards, piano (2001–2002, 2009–present)
Mark Lambert – guitar, backing vocals (2015–present); bass (1985–1987)
Frank Pagano – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2009–2017, 2018–present)
John Galgano – bass, backing vocals (2023–present)
Geoffrey Langley – keyboards, backing vocals (2016–present)

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable"

! width="25" rowspan="2" | Year

! width="270" rowspan="2" | Title

! colspan="4" | Chart positions

! width="220" rowspan="2" | Comments

|- bgcolor="#dddddd"

!width="30"|UK

!width="30"|US

!width="30"|CAN

| 1969

| Renaissance

|align="center" | 60

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | 10

|align="center" | ―

| 1971

| Illusion

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|1977 (UK)

| 1972

| Prologue

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

| 1973

| Ashes Are Burning

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | 171

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

| 1974

| Turn of the Cards

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | 94

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | 95

| 1975

| Scheherazade and Other Stories

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | 48

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

| 1977

| Novella

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | 46

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

| 1978

| A Song for All Seasons

|align="center" | 35

|align="center" | 58

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | 45

BPI: Silver

| 1979

| Azure d'Or

|align="center" | 73

|align="center" | 125

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

| 1981

| Camera Camera

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | 196

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

| 1983

| Time-Line

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | 207

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

| 2001

| Tuscany

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

| 2013

| Grandine il vento

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|Reissued in 2014 as Symphony of Light with bonus tracks

| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "―" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Live albums

{| class="wikitable"

! width="25" rowspan="2" | Year

! width="270" rowspan="2" | Title

! colspan="3" | Chart positions

! width="220" rowspan="2" | Comments

|- bgcolor="#dddddd"

!width="30"|UK

| 1976

| Live at Carnegie Hall

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | 55

|align="center" | 44

| 2002

| In the Land of the Rising Sun: Live in Japan 2001

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

| 2011

| Renaissance Tour 2011 – Turn of the Cards and Scheherazade & Other Stories Live in Concert (DVD and double CD set)

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

| 2016

| Renaissance 2012 (recorded April 16, 2015) – Renaissance Live at the Union Chapel (DVD and digital only audio set)

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|2016

|Renaissance Live at the BBC Sight & Sound (DVD and 3-CD set)

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|Contains radio/television broadcasts of three live concerts, one each from the years 1975-77. The DVD contains the video of the televised concert in London on 8 January 1977.

| 2018

| A Symphonic Journey (recorded October 27, 2017) – Live In Concert (DVD and double CD set)

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|2021

|Renaissance 50th Anniversary: Ashes Are Burning - An Anthology - Live in Concert (Blu-ray/DVD/2CD Box)

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|2019 lineup performing 12 October 2019 in Glenside, PA.

|2023

|The Legacy Tour 2022 (2CD)

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|Recorded on 21 October 2022, at the Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA.

|2025

| Renaissance In Gratitude Farewell Tour Live (2CD)

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|align="center" | ―

|Recorded in October 2024 at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, Collingswood, NJ.

| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "―" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Other releases

In the Beginning (compilation double-album of Prologue and Ashes are Burning), 1978
Tales of 1001 Nights (compilation in two volumes), 1990
Da Capo (Repertoire Germany compilation), 1995 (2 CDs) (Limited Edition in tall digipak with a much more concise, detailed booklet)
Live at the Royal Albert Hall: King Biscuit Flower Hour, 1997 (live performance recorded 1977; two volumes)
Songs from Renaissance Days, 1997 (compilation of out-takes, including one B-side and two Haslam solo tracks, 1979–88)
The BBC Sessions 1975–1978, 1999 (2 CDs)
Day of the Dreamer, 2000 (live performance recorded 1978)
Live at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia, 2000 (live performance recorded 1985)
Live + Direct, 2002 (edited 1970 live recording plus demos and miscellany, by Renaissance and related artists, from 1968 to 1976)
Innocents and Illusions, 2004 (compilation double CD of Renaissance and Illusion from the original incarnation)
Dreams & Omens, 2008 (live performance recorded 1978)
Live in Chicago, 2010 (live performance recorded 1983)
The Mystic and the Muse (three-track EP of new songs), 2010
Past Orbits of Dust, 2012 (live performances, plus one remastered studio track, from 1969 to 1970)
Symphony of Light, 2014 (includes all songs from Grandine il vento and The Mystic and the Muse plus one new track)
DeLane Lea Studios 1973, 2015 (live performance recorded 1973)
Academy of Music, 2015 (live performance recorded 1974)
Can You Hear Me? Broadcasts 1974-1978, 2024 (2 CDs, 1 Blu-ray)

Singles

{| class="wikitable"

! Year

! Title

! style="width:30px;"| UK

| rowspan="2"| 1979

| "The Winter Tree" / "Island of Avalon"

| align=center | ―

| "Jekyll and Hyde" / "Forever Changing"

| align=center | ―

| rowspan="2"| 1981

| "Faeries (Living at the Bottom of My Garden)" / "Bonjour Swansong"

| align=center | ―

| "Bonjour Swansong"

| align=center | ―

| rowspan="1"| 1983

| "Richard IX"

| align=center | ―

| rowspan="1"| 2010

| "The Mystic and the Muse" (EP)

| align=center | ―

| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "–" denotes releases that did not chart.

Michael Dunford's Renaissance

These albums were essentially collaborations between Dunford and singer Stephanie Adlington.

The Other Woman, 1994 (originally issued as by "Renaissance")
Ocean Gypsy, 1997 (mostly new versions of past Renaissance songs)
Trip to the Fair, 1998 (compilation of tracks from the previous two releases)

Annie Haslam's Renaissance

This album was essentially an Annie Haslam solo release (one of several).

Blessing in Disguise, 1994.

Renaissant

This album was essentially a Terry Sullivan solo release with lyrics by Betty Thatcher-Newsinger and keyboards by John Tout. Terry's wife Christine did most of the vocals, with Terry himself taking lead on two songs.

South of Winter (2005)

Major television appearances

Don Kirshner's Rock Concert

Multi-artist television programme with Renaissance performing "Can You Understand" and "Black Flame". Syndicated (USA), 1974. 11 minutes, original running time unknown.

The Midnight Special

Multi-artist television programme with Renaissance performing "Carpet of the Sun" and "Midas Man". NBC (USA), 1976. 5 minutes, original running time unknown.

Sight and Sound in Concert

First in a series of programmes consisting of artists performing live with the first performance broadcast simultaneously on BBC TV and FM radio, hosted by DJ Alan Black. Songs performed were: "Carpet of the Sun", "Mother Russia", "Can You Hear Me?", "Ocean Gypsy", "Running Hard", "Touching Once" and "Prologue". Originally broadcast on 8 January 1977. BBC (UK), 1977. Approximately 50–55 minutes.

The Mike Douglas Show

Television talk show features Renaissance performing "Northern Lights" and "Day of the Dreamer" on 4 May 1978.

MTV Interview

Interview by J.J. Jackson with Annie Haslam and Jon Camp on the Time Line album Tour. MTV (USA), April 1983. 10 minutes.

Illusion

Shortly prior to his death (May 1976), Keith Relf wanted to try to reform the original Renaissance. Since the name Renaissance was now firmly in the hands of the Haslam lineup, he chose the tentative band name "Now". Jim McCarty was not involved at this point. After Relf's death (May 1976), the surviving four formed a new band (along with two new musicians) and named it Illusion after Renaissance's second album. Illusion released two albums for Island Records before splitting, while a third made up of unreleased demos appeared years later. The demos were recorded in 1979 but no label was interested in them which caused Illusion to break up. The original four reformed again for the production of Through the Fire which was released under the bandname of Renaissance-Illusion. There are two second albums entitled Illusion: the second album of the original Renaissance (1971); and the eponymous second album of their reunion band, Illusion (1978).

Out of the Mist (1977) produced by Paul Samwell-Smith (original bass player of the Yardbirds)
Illusion (1978) produced by Douglas Bogie (recording engineer)
Enchanted Caress: Previously Unreleased Material (1990) produced by Jim McCarty
Illusion: The Island Years (2003) 2-CD compilation of Out of the Mist/Illusion with unreleased track by Keith Relf

Renaissance-Illusion

Through the Fire (2001) produced by Jim McCarty

Covers of Renaissance songs

This list does not include Renaissance songs performed by individual former members of the band.

"Ashes Are Burning" on the Faith & Disease albums Fortune His Sleep (1995) and Livesongs: Third Body (1996).
"Ocean Gypsy" on the Blackmore's Night album Shadow of the Moon (1997 – a ballad version).
"Northern Lights" on the Judith Durham album Mona Lisas (1996)
In the Mists of Time, a 2020 Renaissance tribute album by the Brazilian crossover duo Fleesh.

Notes

References

External links

Official band website www.RenaissanceTouring.com
Annie Haslam's official site www.AnnieHaslam.com
Renaissance biography by Bruce Eder, discography and album reviews, credits & releases at AllMusic
Renaissance biography, discography, album credits & user reviews at ProgArchives.com