Azure d'Or

"Azure d'Or" is the ninth studio album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, released in May 1979.

With this album, the band moved away from using an orchestra, opting to overdub multiple instruments to create an orchestral sound. It was also the first Renaissance album to exclusively feature short songs, without any long "epic" pieces.

"Forever Changing" was the only song on which drummer Terry Sullivan wrote all the music. His previous writing credit with the band was on the title track of the preceding album, A Song for All Seasons.

A pre-release track listing had included the song "Island of Avalon," which was ultimately omitted from the album because the band members were not satisfied with it. Instead, it was released as the non-album B-side to "The Winter Tree" in April 1979, marking the only B-side of the Haslam era. This track later appeared on the 1997 compilation Songs from Renaissance Days.

Following the album's release, Renaissance faced significant changes, leading to an uncertain future. In 1980, after a brief tour of Israel, both John Tout and Terry Sullivan left the band. Tout, dealing with personal stress after a family tragedy, walked offstage during a concert, prompting a mutual decision for him to depart. Sullivan, a longtime friend of Tout, also left on principle. Additionally, the band's label, Warner Brothers/Sire, dropped them due to disappointing sales of Azure d'Or.