Vince Montana Jr
Related: Salsoul Orchestra - Philly soul - MFSB - "Love Is The Message" (1973) - Salsoul - disco - Nuyorican Soul
Vince Montana Jr
Introduction
meta vibes recommends: Dance Fantasy/Close Encounters of Every Kind/1978/Atlantic records, not available on CD
Medio 1997 till medio 1998, was the height of my fondness for Vince's production work and vibe playing. His extreme tackiness and smooth style are very loveable. His work for the Philly and Salsoul labels are a must hear for any serious disco fan. His fantasy work on 'Close Encounters' is really quite over the top, you have got to hear it, and his 'Heavy Vibes' releases were garage classics. 1997 saw the collaboration of Vince and Roy Ayers on the seminal MAW Nuyorican soul release.
Biography
Vincent Montana Jr. is an American musician who has recorded several albums since the 1960s.
He is the spiritual father of the Salsoul Orchestra, the backing band for the many acts on Salsoul Records. The personnel of MFSB and the Salsoul orchestra overlapped substantially. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Montana_Jr [Oct 2005]
Tom Moulton
Tom Moulton in an interview with Claes Widlund :And, if you listen to Vince you would think that Gamble & Huff kept stealing from him. Look at this, it has been so many times where I have tried to help out Vince and I just don't understand him.
But at Salsoul... He got mad at me when I produced the album the... Oh, what the hell was it called now - "Street sense". And I was only asked to do it because Vince was being so difficult with Salsoul. He was giving Salsoul such a hard time. And then I remixed the Christmas album, he knows that."
"You know, Vince can not say someone else does anything good. I wish I could understand him, I just don't. I just try and try and try, but I just don't understand him, so... 'Cause he didn't tell you that his album "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" - this is after he starts mixing his own records "A Vince Montana Mix". I mean, that's about as close to copying me as anybody can. And then he begs me to mix his album because Atlantic rejected it. He called me the day before Christmas and begged me. I said "Vince, I can't do this." He said "You're a shit" and then "Oh Tom, I'm sorry and bla bla bla bla bla" I mean, I couldn't believe it - no one else could either.
And I said "Vince, I'll do it on two conditions...". He said "What's that?". I said "You are not there and if you say one word to me other then Hello or Goodbye - I'm leaving!". And he did, and no one would believe it. Well I ended up mixing it, then they accepted it."
This is just a piece of an interview Claes Widlund had with Tom Moulton at the end of 1999. Full Interview
Selected discography
- With the Salsoul Orchestra
- Salsoul Orchestra/1975/SZS-5501
- Nice 'n' Nasty/1976/SZS-5502
- Christmas Jollies/SZS-5507
- Magic Journey/SZS-5515
- Up the Yellow Brick Road/1978/Salsoul SA-8500
- with Charo
- Cuchi-Cuchi/Charo & The Salsoul Orchestra/SZS-5519
- with the Montana Sextet
- Dance Fantasy/Close Encounters of Every Kind/1978
- I love Music/1978
- with Goody Goody
- Goody Goody/1978, tunes arranged by Vince Montana of the the Salsoul Orchestra and label. The LP extended version of "#1 DJ" is an all-time dance-your-ass-off disco bass classic; the single was in the US charts. From the same album, the best song is "Super Jock", which is absolutely brilliant - you've gotta hear it! Listen also for "The look of love" written by http://www-gcsu.cai.cam.ac.uk/~pmh21
- Electric Indian -- Keem-O-Sabe
Late 60's goofy mix of groovy instrumental sounds, plus a weird "Apache"-esque instrumentation. Sort of funky in parts, with arrangements by Vince Montana that were recorded at Sigma Sound.
- LP 36109/Fania All Stars/Crossover/1979
Side two is produced by Vince, and it sounds just like pre-1978 Salsoul Orchestra. I found this record in Brussels. Side 1 features a classic latin sound, with the strings arranged by Montana. The "Isadora" track begins with waltz (as in Johan Strauss) strings and continues in a a latin vein with the sweet vocals of Celia Cruz. The album has a nice cover and is a must for Montana fans.
- The Anvil Band: inlcuding Nice Vibes, a Montana composition and a couple of Bataan tracks (The Tunnel, Sadie, instrumental version of 'Continental Square Dance) plus Let'Dance which is accredited to Bataan but which actually a remake of Charo's 'Dance A Little Bit Closser'
- MFSB 1973
- T S O P 1974
- Love Is the Message 1975
- Universal Love 1975
- Philadelphia Freedom 1975
- Summertime 1976
- End of Phase One 1978 (compilation)
- M F S B & Gamble Huff Orchestra 1978
- Mysteries of the World 1980
- Black Ivory headed for Philly where. they recorded the single "What Goes Around Comes Around" with it's funky flute solo and marvellous Wukka-Wukka guitars. This track was arranged by the legendary Vince Montana Jr, and was enough to earn Black Ivory a deal with the mighty Buddah label.
- PSW-12481 Philly Society Philly Medley 1981
- PSW-10482 Montana Sextet Heavy Vibes 1982
- PSW-12-777 Montana Sextet Who Needs Enemies With Friends Like You? 1983
- PSW-12-782 Montana Orchestra South Soul Party Mix 1987
- PSW-12-783 Montana Sextet Some Kind Of Wonderful 1988
- PSW-778 Trammps What Happened To The Music 1983
-
side a:What Happened To The Music 5:15
side b:What Happened To The Music (dub) 5:49 / Tramp A Pella To The Music (a Paul Simpson Mix) 2:45
Produced, arranged and conducted by Vince Montana Jr.
- MC-3115 The Montana Concept The Montana Christmas Medley 1980
- MJS 202 The Montana Orchestra The Montana Christmas Medley 19??