Annie Haslam is a vocalist, songwriter and painter who was originally from Lancashire, England and now resides in Bucks County Pennsylvania. As a young girl, she used to listen to her father and brother sing around the house, and before long, she realized she had this wonderful talent within herself as well. Her original artistic aspirations were to become a fashion designer. She worked on Savile Row as an apprentice, creating clothing designs. During this time she would also sing with local groups on the side. Always wanting to enhance her vocal talents, Annie studied with opera singer Sybil Knight and this helped develop her five octave range.
Looking to advance her career as a singer, she answered an ad in the local music paper "Melody Maker" for a singer. An audition was arranged and on New Year's Day 1971, Annie Haslam was now the lead singer of Renaissance. Within three weeks, she was on tour with them commencing in Germany. The chemistry and talent of Renaissance produced many visionary albums and top notch performances in some of the world's finest venues. They appeared at Carnegie Hall with The New York Philharmonic as well as the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Choral Society. Annie still leads the band today.
In 2002, Annie began a new journey of her artistic life. A new chapter in visual arts opened as she took to oil painting. Since then she has created countless imaginative works on various mediums: canvas, wood, guitars, electric violins and more. I recently asked Annie questions about her storied career in the arts.
R.V.B. - When you were a young girl, what music did you like and what drew you into being a singer yourself?
A.H. - I remember hearing the beautiful voice of Doris Day on the radio, a unique voice full of laughter and joy. I also remember my Father learning songs like Nature Boy, and Frankie Lane, songs that he sang himself as an amateur comedian singer. As a child I had no idea how good my Father's voice was, it wasn't until I was much older that I heard in him a strong 'tenor' voice. But he looked at as a hobby and nothing more, I am convinced he could have been a big star himself, instead he was 'our Dad' and a great one too...Being a singer was never in my mind at all until many years later. It was my brother Michael Haslam who was to be discovered and managed by the Beatles manager Brian Epstein.
It would seem that with my Dad, Michael and myself were born with a musical gift and for that I am truly grateful!
R.V.B. - Did you experiment with singing in public prior to Renaissance? If so what kind of engagements were they and how did they go?
A.H. - Before joining Renaissance I was in a cabaret group called The Gentle People, and we performed a regular show 6 days a week (I think) at a dinner theatre in the west end of London called 'The Showboat in the Strand'. I loved the experience and singing some great songs like "By the time I get to Phoenix', 'Dancing in the Street', 'Yesterday', 'Desifinado' amongst many other wonderful songs. We were the band that played while people ate their dinner before the main show of the night and then we played for the people to dance to... it was fun and a great beginning for me.. the other three members of our little quartet were really nice guys. In fact the guitarist David Gardner was the one who came to me one day to show me an 'ad' in the Melody Maker Music Magazine saying, " Annie your talent is wasted here why don't you try for this position".... so I called up and had an audition on New Years Eve 1970 in Weybridge, Surrey.. the next day New Years Day 1971, I got the call to say welcome to the band !!!! and so my life changed forever !
R.V.B - You studied opera singing with Sybil Knight. What did she teach you that may have benefited your singing career?
A.H. - Sybil was the catalyst for the rest of my singing career, she taught me the most important practice all singers need to learn which is to sing from the diaphragm. By doing this I found out that I had 5 octaves!!! and of course Renaissance was a perfect vehicle in which to use all those octaves.
R.V.B. - Tell me a little bit about your experiences working in the fashion industry. Was it an eclectic happening area?
A.H. - In 1966 I moved up to London to pursue my dream of becoming a fashion designer… I worked for a Savile Row tailor, which was a great experience, and worked for several fashion houses in the pattern cutting room as an apprentice. Then I had some fashion designs stolen by a well-known clothing company in London and it broke my heart! I went to Canada for a month with Mum and Dad and when I got back that is when I started to pursue music, fashion was over for me…
R.V.B. - How did the audition for Renaissance go? Were you nervous? Did they give you a heads up on what you might sing or was it - just show up and see what happens?
A.H. - I prepared myself for the audition by buying their 'first' album 'Kings and Queens', and proceeded to learn every song that was on it. When I arrived at the audition I was greeted by Jim McCarty and Keith Relf (x- Yardbirds who founded Renaissance. They were still involved in the band and wanted to make sure the right singer was chosen !!! Also there was Michael Dunford and John Tout from the present band at that time. It was a little daunting and they asked me if I knew 'Island' and that I did and loved singing it for them ! They seemed to be excited listening to me sing it and I was equally excited as I got a feeling that I would fit well into this band. I was right and next day I got the call!
R.V.B. - How long did it take after joining the band to be ready to go out and hit the road?
A.H. - Three weeks! and the first stop was a tour of Germany!!!
R.V.B. - What kind of bands were you teamed up with you on tour? How was your experience on the first tour of America?
A.H. - First tour was unreal !!!!! but wonderful... I remember the guys in the band had a day at the famous music store in NYC called Manny's to buy strings and magical musical sound toys/like pedals etc.. I of course loved the shopping :) but I digress...the audiences were fantastic so receptive... we could feel that our band was going to do great things in the US, something very special in the 'air'.
We played some unusual band pair-ups! The first American show we did was at Brooklyn NY in a theatre opening up for a band called 'Stories' and then in 1974 at the Academy of Music, NYC w/orchestra, Fairport Convention with the late great Sand Denny opened the show, they were fabulous... amazing to think we had only been playing in the US for a year before we started playing with an orchestra... then of course we played Carnegie Hall in NYC with New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1975... still amazes me we rose so quickly..
Some unusual pair ups were with... ZZ TOP and Peter Frampton (not really compatible) but really perfect ones were with YES, Chick Corea, Al Dimeola, Weather Report and some wonderful giant festivals with the likes of Joni Mitchell, The Eagles, CSN&Y, The Beach Boys... list goes on.
R.V.B. - You recorded many albums with Renaissance... did you find that your participation in the writing process matured as albums progress?
A.H. - I was not involved in the early writing process for the band but was very much involved in vocal arrangements and song arrangements. I did co-write songs with record producer Tony Visconti, Michael Dunford and Rave Tesar for my solo albums and for the most recent Renaissance album, 'Symphony of Light' I co wrote all the songs with the late Michael Dunford.
R.V.B. - Was there any difference in preparation from doing a live show as opposed to singing when the red recording light comes on?
A.H. - Yes of course, singing 'live' is very different from recording in a studio. When we went into the studio, we were always very prepared after several weeks of rehearsals, and of course if there was something wrong you could just go over it and do it again. 'Live' is different in that if you make a mistake it's there for all to hear and see... but there is nothing like the magic of performing to an audience and vice versa, the thrill for the audience too.
10 - What are some of your favorite songs that you recorded or performed?
Carpet of the Sun
Song for all Seasons
Ocean Gypsy
Mother Russia
Can you hear me
Trip to the Fair
The Song of Scheherazade
Symphony of Light
Grandine il Vento
The Mystic and the Muse
Blood Silver Like Moonlight duet with John Wetton
BUT there are many more... and then there is:
YES song - Turn of the Century
Genesis song - Ripples
R.V.B. - What are you proud about with your tenure with Renaissance?
A.H. - Gosh I think that the music of this band even now is timeless and just so beautiful. In 1975 we performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC with the New York Philharmonic, and then in 1977 at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Choral Society in 1977 and played in countries worldwide and to many loyal fans who still keep us going with their support and love of the music. My most proudest moment was to see my Mum and Dad in their own 'box' at the Royal Albert Hall!!
R.V.B. - You practice arts other than just music. You began to do painting later on. Was that pent up in you since childhood and just happen to come out when it did?
A.H. - Yes, I believe it was there when I was born, and lay dormant until the right time in my life came around. It was in 2002 and I was winding down my solo band as I couldn't get enough shows to keep it altogether, and I couldn't get an agent interested. I had a manager for five minutes who let me down and I decided I had to do something else. This was a difficult and scary time for me; I wasn’t prepared for such a big change in my life after singing for so many years. Then completely out of the blue a voice in my head said it was time to start oil painting. Where did that come from? But it was strong enough for me to take notice. I went and bought an easel, ‘oil’ paint and canvases. I bought a book on oil painting, read only one page and thought I can't be bothered with this. I have never been one for reading and so didn’t have the patience. It was a couple of months later, before I started to paint, the time had to be right. So I picked a Tiger Lily from the garden and brought it in and then realized I didn’t know where to begin! Well, I guess the advantage of ‘not’ reading the book, especially when you are creative already, is that whatever you do will be your own unique style and original. I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing and that painting became 'Lily in The Field' - I felt like someone was holding my hand during that first painting because something was going on in the textures of the grass I was creating without me thinking about it. My next painting, felt like someone was holding my hand, guiding me. Then I felt like I was plugged into ‘somewhere or something’ and the paintings just kept coming and coming, every one different from the one before.
It was so new and exciting and I am still in love with it. I feel like I am channeling my art. In the majority of work, I have no preconceived ideas unless it’s a commission that can be a pet portrait, a painted song, and the ‘spirit’ of a family member who has passed over. I paint guitars and also electric violins.
I feel blessed that I was given another creative outlet; many people that are now collectors of my Art say it has healing qualities like the music of Renaissance. On my recent tours with Renaissance, I wore an outfit I designed and the dress part was one of my paintings printed on silk. Also this past Fall, I painted 11 paintings to represent each song we performed and we enlarged them on to a 12’x24’ backdrop behind the orchestra, another dream come true!
R.V.B. - Do you feel different emotions when you begin to paint, whether on canvas or on an object... and deciding what to paint?
A.H. - I do indeed, but a feeling of 'plugging' in to something larger than myself... if that makes sense :)
R.V.B. - Did overcoming some serious health issues change your attitude in the arts in any way?
A.H. - Going through several health problems made me a lot stronger in my spiritual beliefs, they were all 'Blessings in Disguise'.
R.V.B. - In your solo music years, did you approach your music differently than you did with Renaissance?
A.H. - I think I was more open to experimenting with styles of singing, this was due to working with Roy Wood and then later Tony Visconti, both masters in the world of music. Then my songwriting blossomed as well, and then I learned a lot from Rave Tesar who I co write with now. Rave is also the pianist and musical director in Renaissance now.
R.V.B. - How do you enjoy living in Pennsylvania?
A.H. - I LOVE it in PA, it reminds me a bit of England, a very beautiful state.
R.V.B. - What are your current projects?
A.H. - Right now I am editing our upcoming DVD that we recorded last October 27th 2017 with The Renaissance Chamber Orchestra at the Keswick Theater, Glenside, PA.
We performed 4 shows with the orchestra. The last time we performed with an orchestra was at the Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Coral Society. It was quite emotional to do this again! We will be doing a Spring tour this year and have added one more orchestra show on May 11th at NJPAC in Newark NJ, so I am very happy to be performing once again with the orchestra. There are other projects under wraps right now.
As long as I am able to sing with passion and strength I will keep the band alive with touring and recording.
Interview conducted by Robert von Bernewitz
This interview may not be reproduced in any part or form without permission from this site.
For more information on Annie Haslam and Renaissance visit her website. anniehaslam.com
Special thanks to Billy James at Glass Onyon PR
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