Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label founded in 1955. It is owned by Warner Music Group and operates as an imprint of Atlantic Records. After several decades of dormancy and infrequent activity under alternating Warner Music labels, the comp ...
catalog no. D33-244; originally available in both mono and stereo) is the third album by rock band
Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band known predominantly for their slow extended heavy rock arrangements of contemporary hit songs, such as their hit cover of The Supremes' " You Keep Me Hangin' On".
The band's original line–up—vocalist ...
, released in June 1968. It was their first album to feature mostly original material, with five of its seven tracks penned by band members.
In addition to the band's original songs, ''Renaissance'' also included "The Spell That Comes After" (written by Frank Zappa's and
Herb Cohen
Herbert Cohen (December 30, 1932 – March 16, 2010) was an American personal manager, record company executive, and music publisher, best known as the manager of Judy Henske, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, Odetta, Tom Waits, Geo ...
's protege
Essra Mohawk
Essra Mohawk (born Sandra Elayne Hurvitz on April 23, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter who has recorded a dozen albums, many receiving critical acclaim.
Her best-known songs include "Sufferin' Til Suffrage" and "Interjections!" (both from ...
, but erroneously credited on original pressings of the LP to Zappa's art director
Cal Schenkel
Calvin "Cal" Schenkel (born January 27, 1947, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania) is an American illustrator, graphic designer, animator and comics artist, specializing in album cover design.
He was the main graphic arts collaborator for rock musician F ...
), and a
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of "Season of the Witch", originally written and performed by Scottish folk singer Donovan. The band also interpolates lyrics from a second Essra Mohawk song, "We Never Learn", into their rendition of "Season of the Witch".
CD reissues of ''Renaissance'' include three additional songs that were originally released as non-LP singles concurrently with the album.
''Renaissance'' peaked at #20 on the Billboard album charts in July 1968. It also reached #8 in Finland.
The single, ''Season Of The Witch, PT. 1'', reached #52 in Canada.
Track listing
Charts
Personnel
*
Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice ( , born December 15, 1946) is an American rock drummer. He is best known for his associations with Vanilla Fudge; Cactus; the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice; Rod Stewart; King Kobra; and Blue Murder. He is also Vinny Appice's ...
Tim Bogert
John Voorhis "Tim" Bogert III (August 27, 1944 – January 13, 2021) was an American musician. He graduated in 1963 from Ridgefield Memorial High School in his hometown of Ridgefield, New Jersey. As a bass guitarist and vocalist he was best ...
-
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
, backing vocals, co-lead vocal (track 1)
*
Vince Martell
Vince Martell (born Vincent James Martellucci on November 11, 1945 from the
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
, backing vocals, co-lead vocal (track 2), lead vocal (track 7)
* Mark Stein - keyboards, lead vocals (tracks 3, 4 & 5), co-lead vocals (tracks 1 & 2)