Listeners introduced to Sammy Hagar on band’s 1973 debut LP
In 1973, the California-based band Montrose unleashed its fierce, self-titled debut to not much fanfare. Furthermore, it received little mainstream airplay and was largely ignored by Warner Bros, the record company that released it.
The label already had on its roster Deep Purple (a British art/prog/metal band, which at least had a cult following) and the Doobie Brothers (who were a pop/rock hit making machine that dominated the charts for nearly a decade). As such, Warner wasn’t sure how to market Montrose, a hard rock band that was clearly before its time.
Including namesake guitarist Ronnie Montrose, Bill Church on bass and Denny Carmassi on drums, the group was fronted by a brash, young lead vocalist, Sam Hagar. Hagar would later go by Sammy and achieve worldwide success as a solo artist in the ‘70s and ‘80s before replacing David Lee Roth as the lead singer of Van Halen.
At the time of its release, “Montrose” was a commercial flop despite the band having a stellar vocalist in Hagar and a fine guitarist in Montrose, a longtime session man who earned his reputation playing with Van Morrison, Edgar Winter and new-wave jazz man Herbie Hancock. Although it entered the American Billboard charts at just 133, the album steadily built a cult following. Eventually, it would get its due in subsequent years and go platinum.
Montrose stands as one of the U.S.’s first heavy-metal groups, with many critics feeling that the band was this country’s answer to Led Zeppelin (England) and Steppenwolf (Canada) – that is, derivative of those groups’ particular styles. Those points remain cause for debate. But without question, Montrose was a legitimate rock band, and their debut album is a must-have for classic-rock fans. Produced by Ted Templeman, it was engineered by Don Landee, who would go on to work with Van Halen during both the Roth and Hagar eras.
All of the LP’s songs are solid, though “Rock Candy,” “Bad Motor Scooter,” “Make it Last” and “Space Station #5” are its top tracks. These alone make the album one that would be a welcomed addition to any fan’s collection. The fact that it marked the debut of one of rock’s greatest vocalists and one of music’s most endearing personalities only adds to its lasting impact.
