Alta Moda
Encyclopedia
Alta Moda were a Canadian funk
-rock
band in the 1980s.
Formed in 1979 in Toronto
, Ontario
, the band originally consisted of singer Molly Johnson
and guitarist Norman Orenstein
. Drummer Steven Gelineau and bassist Etric Lyons were added in 1982 and 1983 respectively.
The band eventually signed to CBS Records
and released their debut album in 1987. Although the album spawned the single "Julian", radio stations criticized them for sounding like "generic American funk" and going as far as saying they sounded "too black", with the result that the song was only a modest hit, peaking at #53 in the RPM
Hot 100 chart the week of January 30, 1988.
The band were quickly dropped from their label. The band also declined a Juno Award
nomination in the R&B
category, because they felt it was a mislabelling of the song.
The band continued to perform live, on the lookout for another deal, Orenstein writing and producing and Johnson performing as well with a band who later became known as Big Sugar
.
Johnson and Orenstein reunited in 1990 as Infidels
, who had a similar sound to Alta Moda's but were somewhat more successful on the charts.
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
-rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band in the 1980s.
Formed in 1979 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the band originally consisted of singer Molly Johnson
Molly Johnson
Molly Johnson, OC is a Canadian Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter of pop and jazz.-Biography:Johnson began as a child performer, receiving formal training from the National Ballet School and the Banff School of Fine Arts...
and guitarist Norman Orenstein
Norman Orenstein
Norman Orenstein is a Canadian composer, record producer, and musician.He is the cofounder of the rock / soul band Infidels, and Alta Moda, and was previously associated with the bands Michaele Jordana and the Poles, among others....
. Drummer Steven Gelineau and bassist Etric Lyons were added in 1982 and 1983 respectively.
The band eventually signed to CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
and released their debut album in 1987. Although the album spawned the single "Julian", radio stations criticized them for sounding like "generic American funk" and going as far as saying they sounded "too black", with the result that the song was only a modest hit, peaking at #53 in the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Hot 100 chart the week of January 30, 1988.
The band were quickly dropped from their label. The band also declined a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
nomination in the R&B
Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
The Juno Award for "R&B/Soul Recording of the Year" has been awarded since 1985, as recognition each year for the best rhythm and blues/soul album in Canada.-Best R&B/Soul Recording :*1985 - Liberty Silver, Lost Somewhere Inside Your Love...
category, because they felt it was a mislabelling of the song.
The band continued to perform live, on the lookout for another deal, Orenstein writing and producing and Johnson performing as well with a band who later became known as Big Sugar
Big Sugar
Big Sugar is a Canadian blues-rock band, they were active from 1991 to 2004 and again since April 2010. The band has sold more than half a million albums in Canada.-History:...
.
Johnson and Orenstein reunited in 1990 as Infidels
Infidels (band)
Infidels were a Canadian funk-rock band in the 1990s.The band formed in 1990 when Molly Johnson reunited with Norman Orenstein, her partner in the short-lived 1980s band Alta Moda. They added Washington Savage, Jeff Jones and Owen Tennyson to the lineup, and released a self-titled album in 1991 on...
, who had a similar sound to Alta Moda's but were somewhat more successful on the charts.