"Novella is the seventh" studio album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1977. It marks the first album since Illusion where the songs are written entirely by the band members themselves, with bassist Jon Camp contributing as a lyricist.
Renaissance returned to De Lane Lea Studios for recording, wanting to work again with engineer Dick Plant. Although credited as producers, the band members noted that Plant played a significant co-producing role.
Jon Camp began writing lyrics for the band, often collaborating with guitarist Michael Dunford on the music. The band did little pre-production or rehearsals before entering the studio, resulting in a two-month recording process.
To create unique sounds, drummer Terence Sullivan used a gong processed through a flanger for "Can You Hear Me?" and shook a bag of coins for "Midas Man." During the recording of "Touching Once (Is so Hard to Keep)," a saxophone solo was suggested by string arranger Richard Hewson, but the soloist was not credited.
Due to the bankruptcy of their UK label BTM, Renaissance had no UK record deal when Novella was completed. In the USA, they were still under contract with Sire Records, which commissioned a cover painted by Pamela Brown for the album's release in January 1977. The band was unhappy with the cover art, as they felt it resembled a nun, which was misleading.
Securing a UK release proved challenging. CBS Records showed interest but ultimately, Warner Bros. signed the band. The UK release came in September, and Renaissance requested an alternate cover to address their concerns about the original art. The revised UK cover, still by Pamela Brown, was produced, and later, the US cover was changed to match this design.
The album initially charted at No. 46 on the Billboard 200 in the USA. "Can You Hear Me?" was sampled in tracks by Deep Puddle Dynamics and Blockheads. Esoteric Recordings released a remastered, three-CD expanded edition on July 5, 2019.
