Alta Moda was created by chanteuse Molly Johnson and guitarist Norman Orenstein (Michael Jordana, Toby Lark) in 1979 after Orenstein saw Johnson performing in a Toronto club. Ex-Nails drummer Steven Gelineau was added in 1982 and bassist Etric Lyons (Liberty Silver) in 1983. They performed for 6 years and held off record company suitors for three of those before signing with Gerry Young's Current Management (Parachute Club, M + M). When Johnson decided to break away from her career as a jazz/lounge singer (with Aaron Davis of Manteca and David Pilch of the Holly Cole Trio) she was more than delighted to sign a seven album record deal with CBS Records. Their self-titled album, produced by Colin Thurston (Duran Duran, Human League), was released in December 1987 and took a lot of flack for being 'generic American funk' and some radio stations even went as far as refusing to play the material because it sounded 'too black'. They even declined a Juno nomination for the song "Julian" (a song written about the son of the owner of Toronto's Cameron House) in the R & B category which they felt was a mislabel. After it's demise Johnson and Orenstein continued writing together as Molly returned to her jazz roots with a new band (who would later become stars in their own right as Big Sugar). Johnson, Orenstein and Etric Lyons would eventually get signed in July 1990 to IRS Records as The Infidels. In 1987, Billboard Magazine wrote regarding this song: “Radio has lapped it up, making Julian a major chart crossover” - “The name Alta Moda means High Style and that is precisely what vocalist Molly Johnson helps create with this Canadian band. Perhaps her training at the National Ballet School helped mould this sizzling style of breath control! The band's drummer, Steven Gelineau, is said to have evolved his interest in music from his uncles, Ray Davies and Dave Davies of Kinks fame. Bassist Etric Lyons previously was part of a support band to BB King, Wilson Pickett and the Temptations. The single was produced by Colin Thurston, whose prior production credits included David Bowie's "Heroes" and Duran Duran's "Girls on Film"

Singles

1988 Julian (Current/Epic/CBS)

LPs

1987 Alta Moda (Current/Epic/CBS)

Video clips

1988 Julian Other

1988 "Julian" on 'Indie-Can '88' (Intrepid)

Julian Lyrics

Chorus:

LIGHT O DAY

HE'S AN EARLY RISER

I TRY TO CATCH HIM AT PLAY

HE'LL TRY TO HIDE FROM YA

HE'LL TRY TO RUN AWAY

MY BEST FRIEND, NEW FRIEND

HIS NAME IS JULIAN

WE GO SLEEP EARLY

EARLY TO RISE

'CAUSE I CAN TALK TO HIM

Repeat Chorus Repeat Verse