Montrose -

Montrose was an American hard-rock band that released the 1973–74 albums Montrose and Paper Money with original singer Sammy Hagar, a future solo star and Van Halen frontman. His replacement, Bob James, fronted the 1975–76 Montrose albums Warner Bros. Presents Montrose! and Jump on It. Their namesake guitarist, Ronnie Montrose, cut solo instrumentals and spearheaded hard-rockers Gamma.

Members: Ronnie Montrose (guitar, vocals), Denny Carmassi (drums, 1973-76), Sammy Hagar (vocals, 1973-75), Bill Church (bass, 1973-?), Alan Fitzgerald (bass, keyboards, ?-1975), Bob James (vocals, 1975-76), Jim Alcivar (keyboards, 1975-76), Randy Jo Hobbs (bass, 1975-76), Johnny Edwards (vocals, 1987), Glenn Letsch (bass, 1987), James Kottak (drums, 1987)

Background

Montrose formed in early 1973 in San Francisco when guitarist Ronnie Montrose drafted singer Sammy Hagar, drummer Denny Carmassi, and bassist Bill Church, a longtime colleague.

Ronnie Montrose (1947–2012) fled Denver for San Francisco at age 16 to pursue a life in music. His first band, Sawbuck, included Church and drummer Chuck Ruff. They signed to Fillmore Records, co-founded by Bay Area concert promoter Bill Graham. Just as sessions got underway, producer David Rubinson notified Van Morrison, a recent transplant to the area, of Ronnie’s talent. Morrison picked Montrose and Church for the backing band on his 1971 album Tupelo Honey. (Sawdust, completed and released in 1972, features Montrose on one track and Church on two.)

Just as sessions got underway for Morrison’s next album, Montrose jumped ship to the Edgar Winter Band with singer and keyboardist Dan Hartman. Montrose called Ruff into the group and this lineup recorded Winter’s third album, the 1972 Epic release They Only Come Out at Night, which spawned the hits “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride.” Meanwhile, Church backed Morrison on his 1972 album Saint Dominic’s Preview, which features Montrose on the track “Listen to the Lion.”

In early 1973, Montrose left Winter and formed a new band with Church and drummer Denny Carmassi, formerly of soul-rockers Sweet Linda Devine, an Al Kooper project fronted by ex-Loading Zone singer Linda Tillery. Montrose picked Sammy Hagar, then singing in a Bay Area covers band, to front the new project, initially called Ronnie Montrose and Friends. Morrison’s producer, Ted Templeman, liked the Montrose demos and secured the band a contract with Warner Bros.

Montrose

Montrose released their self-titled debut album on October 17, 1973, on Warner Bros.

The album contains eight blistering rockers, including the power-riffed “Rock the Nation,” a Ronnie Montose showcase followed by the biker anthem “Bad Motor Scooter,” one of two tracks (along with “Make It Last”) written by Sammy Hagar. They co-wrote “I Don’t Want It” and the sci-fi epic “Space Station #5.”

Side B includes the group-credited “Rock Candy” and the Roy Brown chestnut “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” which Montrose reimagines as a proto-metal stomper.

Montrose remained the sole album by the original lineup with Hagar, bassist Bill Church, and drummer Denny Carmassi.

A1. “Rock the Nation” (2:57)
A2. “Bad Motor Scooter” (3:43)
A3. “Space Station #5” (5:17)
A4. “I Don’t Want It” (3:02)

B1. “Good Rockin’ Tonight” (2:57) originated as a November 1947 Deluxe Records a-side by New Orleans R&B singer Ray Brown. It entered the rock canon through early covers by Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins, which inspired Sixties soul versions by James Brown and Jimmy Witherspoon.
B2. “Rock Candy” (5:17)
B3. “One Thing on My Mind” (3:40) is a Montrose/Hagar number third-credited to one J. Sanchez.
B4. “Make It Last” (5:29)

Ronnie Montrose produced the album with Ted Templeman, who concurrently helmed titles by Captain Beefheart, the Doobie Brothers, Van Morrison, and Little Feat. Donn Landee engineered the sessions, held at Warner Bros. Studios in North Hollywood and Sunset Sound in Hollywood, with guitar overdubs tracked at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco. Landee worked in tandem on Maria Muldaur’s chart-topping debut.

Norman Seeff photographed the cover, which appears on the Burbank label with art direction by Dave Bhang. The shirtless band appear zoom-clustered in sepia (front) and tinted side-to-side (back).

Montrose flew under the radar but later gained cult status as a blueprint for American hard rock and achieved Platinum status decades after its release. This was their only release with Church, who cleared for Alan Fitzgerald.

Paper Money

Montrose released their second album, Paper Money, on October 11, 1974, on Warner Bros.

The album marks the arrival of bassist Alan Fitzgerald and stands as the final Montrose release with vocalist Sammy Hagar. The set opens with a pounding cover of “Underground,” originally by Lauren Wood (as Ilene Rappaport) of Chunky, Novi & Ernie. It also includes a moody, slow-burning take on the Rolling Stones‘ “Connection.”

Hagar and Montrose co-wrote “The Dreamer,” the proto-thrash standout “I Got the Fire,” the space epic “Spaceage Sacrifice,” and the yearning title track. Montrose authored three additional numbers, including the instrumental “Starliner” and the closing “We’re Going Home,” sung by Montrose himself.

A1. “Underground” (3:33) originated on Chunky, Novi & Ernie, the 1973 self-titled debut by the Templeman-produced trio fronted by Lauren Wood under her birth name Ilene Rappaport.
A2. “Connection” (5:42) is a midtempo ballad originally cut by the Rolling Stones on their 1967 album Between the Buttons.
A3. “The Dreamer” (4:05)
A4. “Starliner” (3:36)

B1. “I Got the Fire” (3:06)
B2. “Spaceage Sacrifice” (4:55)
B3. “We’re Going Home” (4:52)
B4. “Paper Money” (5:01)

Ronnie Montrose produced Paper Money in partnership with Ted Templeman, who also helmed the debut. Donn Landee engineered the sessions at Warner Bros. Recording Studios in North Hollywood. Montrose enlisted keyboardist Mark Jordan (piano on “Connection”) and arranger Nick DeCaro (Mellotron on B3). Charles Faris added special effects. Cal Schenkel designed the simple red-on-gray cover.

Paper Money became Montrose’s highest-charting release, reaching No. 65 on the Billboard 200 and No. 73 in Canada. Montrose promoted the album with a performance of the title track and “I Got the Fire” on The Midnight Special. However, growing tensions between Ronnie Montrose and Hagar led to the singer’s departure in early 1975.

Warner Bros. Presents Montrose!

Montrose released their third album, Warner Bros. Presents Montrose!, on September 26, 1975, on Warner Bros.

The album marks a new chapter for Montrose with the arrival of vocalist Bob James, a South Bay native who’d previously fronted a Montrose cover band, and keyboardist Jim Alcivar, whose presence widened the band’s sonic scope. It is also the first Montrose album self-produced by guitarist Ronnie Montrose, following his split with longtime producer Ted Templeman.

The band composed most of the album collectively, including the space-funk opener “Matriarch” and the soul-stirring ballad “All I Need.” They also revive the 1956 Eddie Cochran rockabilly classic “Twenty Flight Rock” and Alan Price’s title theme to Lindsay Anderson’s O Lucky Man! (1973).

Side two includes two instrumentals by Montrose — “One and a Half” and “Clown Woman” — as well as the fiery standout “Dancin’ Feet,” co-written with James. The album closes with a hard-rocking reworking of “Black Train,” originally an unreleased track by singer-songwriter Kendell Kardt (ex-Rig), featuring Montrose on the 1971 demo with Jerry Garcia. Montrose’s aggressive reinterpretation reflects his personal anti-drug stance, which he imposed on his bandmates during this era.

A1. “Matriarch” (4:33)
A2. “All I Need” (4:18)
A3. “Twenty Flight Rock” (2:42) was originally written by Ned Fairchild and popularized by Eddie Cochran in 1956.
A4. “Whaler” (6:54) features guest violist Novi (Ilene Novog), cousin of Lauren Wood and fellow alum of the Templeman-produced trio Chunky, Novi & Ernie.

B1. “Dancin’ Feet” (4:03)
B2. “O Lucky Man” (3:14), originally composed by Alan Price (ex-The Animals) for the British film O Lucky Man!
B3. “One and a Half” (1:39)
B4. “Clown Woman” (4:20)
B5. “Black Train” (4:36), originally written by Kardt/Richards/Fried, recounts the heroin overdose of a friend of Rig guitarist Arthur Richards.

Ronnie Montrose produced the album with Charles Faris engineering and John Henning assisting at the Record Plant studios in Los Angeles and Sausalito. Bob James handled vocals throughout, with Montrose on guitar, Alcivar on keys, Alan Fitzgerald on bass, and Denny Carmassi on drums.

The cover—designed as a faux movie poster—features a pulp-style illustration by Harry Rossit with inner and back photos by Ron Hugo and Norman Seeff. The packaging hinted at a blockbuster, theatrical scale to match the band’s renewed ambition.

Warner Bros. Presents Montrose! peaked at No. 79 on the Billboard 200—their second-highest chart placement.

Jump on It

Montrose released their fourth album, Jump on It, on August 27, 1976, on Warner Bros.

The album continues the lineup introduced on Warner Bros. Presents with vocalist Bob James, keyboardist Jim Alcivar, and drummer Denny Carmassi, but features no full-time bassist. Randy Jo Hobbs plays bass on three tracks, while Alcivar handles the remaining low end via keybass. Jump on It is also the band’s sole album produced by Jack Douglas, known for his work with Aerosmith and Cheap Trick.

Side one opens with “Let’s Go,” a group composition driven by Alcivar’s wiry synth-bass and Hobbs’ bottom-heavy drive. It’s followed by two Ronnie Montrose originals—the instrumental “Tuft-Sedge” and the moody “Music Man”—and the first of two Dan Hartman contributions, the rollicking “What Are You Waitin’ For?”

Side two begins with the title track, another group number powered by Hobbs’ bass. Hartman’s “Rich Man” follows, then “Crazy for You,” co-written by Ilene “Chunky” Rappaport, formerly of Chunky, Novi & Ernie. The album closes with the swirling, expansive “Merry-Go-Round.”

A1. “Let’s Go” (4:15)
A2. “What Are You Waitin’ For?” (3:48) was written by Dan Hartman, then known for his work with Edgar Winter and his own Who Is Dan Hartman? solo debut.
A3. “Tuft-Sedge” (2:50)
A4. “Music Man” (4:16)

B1. “Jump on It” (3:37)
B2. “Rich Man” (4:24)
B3. “Crazy for You” (3:26)
B4. “Merry-Go-Round” (5:38)

Jack Douglas produced the album with Jay Messina engineering and Rod O’Brien assisting. Bob Alcivar arranged strings on select tracks. The cover, designed and photographed by Hipgnosis, features a tinted silver close-up of a woman’s bejeweled torso—a stylized glam-rock contrast to the pulp movie aesthetic of the previous release. Norman Seeff provided the interior headshots.

Jump on It reached No. 118 on the Billboard 200 in October 1976, making it the band’s third highest-charting release. It remains notable for its keyboard-forward sound and high-gloss production.

Post-Montrose

After Montrose disbanded in early 1977, Ronnie Montrose resurfaced with a solo album, followed by the formation of Gamma, a new project that featured several ex-Montrose members.

Ronnie’s instrumental solo debut, Open Fire, appeared in 1978 on Warner Bros. The album showcased his guitar prowess across jazz-fusion and atmospheric rock textures, a sharp stylistic turn from Montrose’s riff-driven hard rock. The album featured session greats such as Edgar Winter, Tony Williams, and Rick Shlosser, reflecting Montrose’s growing interest in fusion and sonic experimentation.

In 1979, he formed Gamma, a more progressive and keyboard-laden hard rock band. Gamma’s lineups included two fellow Montrose alumni: drummer Denny Carmassi and late-period keyboardist Jim Alcivar. Gamma released three numerically titled hard-rock albums between 1979 and 1982, fronted by Scottish singer Davey Pattison, a noted caterwauler.

Meanwhile, Sammy Hagar launched a successful solo career that culminated with the 1983–85 hits “Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy” and “I Can’t Drive 55.” His 1979 song “I’ve Done Everything for You” became a 1981 hit for Rick Springfield. In 1985, Hagar replaced David Lee Roth in Van Halen. The Hagar-led iteration (colloquially dubbed “Van Hagar”) launched with the 1986 release 5150 and yielded three further albums. Elsewhere, Denny Carmassi did stints with Heart, Whitesnake, and Coverdale/Page.

Ronnie Montrose kept the Gamma name alive intermittently over the years while also releasing further solo works and performing live until his passing in 2012.

Discography: