Quite inexplicably, Sommer could not land another chart appearance with the many harmonious gems on his follow-up self-titled record. "Someone Like Me" is a perfect song from the era that should have given him a higher profile. He passed away from illness in 1990 at only 41 years of age.
Showing posts with label Left Banke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Left Banke. Show all posts
Thursday, February 6, 2020
"Someone Like Me" by Bert Sommer
Bert Sommer, who played Claude in the musical Hair, became a one-hit wonder in 1970. His lone chart appearance was "We're All Playing In The Same Band," which managed to reach #48. Before that, he spent a little time as lead singer for The Left Banke.
Quite inexplicably, Sommer could not land another chart appearance with the many harmonious gems on his follow-up self-titled record. "Someone Like Me" is a perfect song from the era that should have given him a higher profile. He passed away from illness in 1990 at only 41 years of age.
Quite inexplicably, Sommer could not land another chart appearance with the many harmonious gems on his follow-up self-titled record. "Someone Like Me" is a perfect song from the era that should have given him a higher profile. He passed away from illness in 1990 at only 41 years of age.
Monday, July 9, 2018
"She May Call You Up Tonight" by The Left Banke
The Left Banke was a baroque pop band from Manhattan that made their debut on the charts in 1966 with the sweet classic, "Walk Away Renee," which hit #5 and became a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame song. Their follow-up, "Pretty Ballerina," also did well, landing at #15. Outside of a blip on the chart at #98 with "Desiree" in 1967, the band was never heard from again.
Going through some of their other songs, I can understand why. While nothing is horrible, nothing particularly stands out. Perhaps they set too high a bar with the magical harmonies in "Walk Away Renee." There is one track, however, that I stumbled across that deserved chart action, the infectious "She May Call You Up Tonight."
The band broke up in 1969 after releasing just two albums, although they did release an attempted comeback LP in 1986. Primary songwriter and pianist Michael Brown would later join a band called The Stories. He passed away in 2015.
Going through some of their other songs, I can understand why. While nothing is horrible, nothing particularly stands out. Perhaps they set too high a bar with the magical harmonies in "Walk Away Renee." There is one track, however, that I stumbled across that deserved chart action, the infectious "She May Call You Up Tonight."
The band broke up in 1969 after releasing just two albums, although they did release an attempted comeback LP in 1986. Primary songwriter and pianist Michael Brown would later join a band called The Stories. He passed away in 2015.
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