Walk Away Renée
| "Walk Away Renée" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
One of label variants of the US single | ||||
| Single by the Left Banke | ||||
| from the album Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina | ||||
| B-side | "I Haven't Got the Nerve" | |||
| Released | July 1966 | |||
| Recorded | March 1966 | |||
| Studio | World United, New York City | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:43 | |||
| Label | Smash | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| The Left Banke singles chronology | ||||
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"Walk Away Renée" is a song written by Michael Brown, Bob Calilli, and Tony Sansone for the band the Left Banke, released as a single in July 1966. Steve Martin Caro is featured on lead vocals. It spent 13 weeks on the US charts, with a top spot of No. 5. The song has been widely considered a quintessence of the baroque pop genre. As musician Marshall Crenshaw explained, "There's something about 'Walk Away Renee' that's one of the most powerful songs I've ever heard, just in terms of provoking an emotional reaction."
In 2005, Rolling Stone placed it at No. 220 in the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The track returned to nationwide charts with cover versions by The Four Tops (1967), Southside Johnny and the Jukes (1986) and Rick Price (1993).