Artist: RENAISSANCE
Album: ILLUSION REMASTERED (CD)

Year: 1971/ 1995
Media type: CD

The original Renaissance lineup fell apart during the recording of this, their second album. Jim McCarty was the first to leave; he departed in 1970, when the band was about to start a European tour, because he hated to fly. Keith Relf and Louis Cennamo left next, soon forming the new group Armageddon. McCarty continued to be associated with Renaissance as a songwriter, however, until 1974.

John Hawken kept the band going by recruiting new members, including Michael Dunford and Terry Crowe, former bandmates of his from The Nashville Teens. New bassist Neil Korner had previously been part of The New Vaudeville Band (though he did not appear on their big hit, "Winchester Cathedral".) This new lineup, which recorded "Mr. Pine", was one of several short-lived transitional lineups that existed between the original one and the classic Annie Haslam band.

"Mr. Pine" is the only released Renaissance track in which members of the original lineup (Hawken, Jane Relf) are heard together with a member of the classic lineup (Dunford). It includes a theme that was later used in the far better-known Renaissance song "Running Hard" (from Turn Of The Cards, 1974).

In order to complete the album, the (already disbanded) original lineup got back together—minus Hawken and plus guest keyboardist Don Shin—to record "Past Orbits Of Dust".

One track recorded during the Illusion sessions, a fairly short song called "Statues", was not used on the album. It was eventually released in 2002 on the album Live + Direct.

Illusion is notable for being the first Renaissance album to feature lyrics by Betty Thatcher, who would work with the band throughout its entire "classic" period (1972-79) and beyond. Thatcher was brought to the band by her friend Jane Relf.

The title of this album became the name of a band formed by the four surviving members of the original Renaissance in 1976 after the death of Keith Relf. Their second album was also called Illusion.

TRACKLIST:

1 Love Goes On
02:49

2 Golden Thread
08:12

3 Love Is All
03:38

4 Mr. Pine
06:59

5 Face Of Yesterday
06:04

6 Past Orbits Of Dust
14:40


LINE-UP:

Keith Relf - guitar, vocals, lead vocal on "Love Is All"
Jim McCarty - drums, vocals, lead vocal on "Golden Thread"
John Hawken - keyboards
Louis Cennamo - bass
Jane Relf - vocals, percussion, lead vocals on "Love Goes On", "Face Of Yesterday", "Past Orbits Of Dust"
John Hawken - keyboards
Jane Relf - vocals
Michael Dunford - guitars
Terry Crowe - lead vocal
Neil Korner - bass
Terry Slade - drums