From 'Walk Away Renée' to 'More Than a Feeling': The Legacy of The Left Banke
The band Boston's hit song "More Than a Feeling" was inspired by The Left Banke's "Walk Away Renée". The original Left Banke was a New York City band formed in 1965 by teenagers Tom Finn and Steve Martin Caro. Michael Brown, a classically trained musician, joined the band and wrote "Walk Away Renée" about Finn's girlfriend, Renée Fladen. The song became a hit, but Brown eventually left the band. Despite some success, internal conflicts and lineup changes led to the band's dissolution in the late 1960s. The Left Banke's influence on pop music endured, with recognition in the 2000s and 2010s leading to reunion shows. Tragically, most of the original members passed away between 2015 and 2020, marking the end of the band's story.