I had wanted to share a great Renaissance song, and wasn’t sure I had before. I looked back in the archives and couldn’t find any indication that I had.

The only video of this particular version was sort of screwed up as it appeared on some British TV show called DAVE, who is evidently a tacky “bloke” who specializes in stupid, uninformed comments.

Luckily, I found the same video without Dave’s commentary near the end. It’s lip synched, a TV production, but excellent nonetheless and is called Northern Lights.

This is it.

From 1975, this is Gentle Giant.

Enjoy…

“Who,” many will ask, “was Peter Banks?”

He was an exceptional guitarist who was featured as a member of YES, one of Seth’s 2 or 3 favorite rock bands, {one he introduced to Wolf and I years ago and whose music we came to love as well}, when the band first recorded in 1968 (they are still together today, though they’ve had a number of member changes over the years, and boy, are they ever aging with the rest of us!)

With YES….

After leaving YES, he went on to record with a several other groups, such as FLASH…

…Empire and a few other, lesser known bands as well as a few solo recordings.

Rest in peace, Peter.

The woman singing in the tribute video below is Annie Haslam, the great vocalist who fronted Renaissance.

From the Seth Archives, this is a short and sweet one by Focus, called “Tommy”:

Enjoy.

Just because this one’s kinda cute, not live but the video for one of their bigger songs, guest starring Little Richard for an amusing finish.

Enjoy…

I’ve always thought this song was kind of absurd, but the audience response hints that it’s got a cult following all its own.

After watching (and of course listening to this one), I can understand why Renaissance, though disbanded years ago, has long been at the top of Seth’s list of favorite groups.

I found this one on You Tube, and between the composition, musicianship and the great Annie Haslam’s vocals (and use of her voice, also, as an instrument with the keyboards, drums and strings during instrumentals), I can understand why Seth went to so many of their concerts, they are divine. This one is quality enough to take to full screen, also.

Going through the Seth archives, I find and enjoy a lot of music from the 1970s (his favorite era for contemporary material) and have fun tracking some of it down on YouTube to watch the various groups performing it.

One of his three or four favorites was Focus, a Dutch group the Wolf and I also liked a lot that featured a great guitarist named Jan Ackerman.

Another was the aptly named Renaissance, which was fronted by the beautiful voice of Annie Haslam.

Still another, also among my favorites was, of course, the Moody Blues, and one song by that band with which I was (and am) particularly enamored, sung by Ray Thomas, was and is For My Lady.

America is this blog’s first love.

Over two centuries ago, we took this great piece of real estate away from the Brits, who have since then become not only the cousins they were, but the friends they are.

What better tribute than a live video of a 1970s song from a British rock band, a version its original composer, American Paul Simon, complimented guitarist Steve Howe on this version of?

So,

AMERICA.

…my friend Jeff sent me this awesome video.

It needs to be shared with all.

Enjoy the music and the fireworks!