RIP - Ronnie Montrose

One of the greats to join Hendrix, SRV, Rhoads, and many others that I can't think of at the moment. 8)

Man! I saw that today too. Another kick a$$ guitar player gone.
When I was a high school kid I played the hell out of that first album with a young Sammy Hagar on vocals.

"Frankenstein"

Discography


[edit]Solo albums

Open Fire (1978)
Territory (1986)
The Speed Of Sound (1988)
The Diva Station (1990)
Mutatis Mutandis (1991)
Music From Here (1994)
Mr. Bones (1996)
Roll Over And Play Live (1999)
Bearings (1999)


[edit]With Montrose
Montrose (1973)
Paper Money (1974)
Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose! (1975)
Jump On It (1976)
Mean (1987)
The Very Best of Montrose (2000)

[edit]With Gamma
Gamma 1 (1979)
Gamma 2 (1980)
Gamma 3 (1982)
Gamma 4 (2000)
The Best of Gamma (1992)


[edit]Session work
Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey (1971)
Herbie Hancock - Mwandishi (1971) "Ostinato (Suite For Angela)"
Beaver & Krause - Gandharva (1971) "Saga Of The Blue Beaver"
Kendall Kardt - Buddy Bolden (unreleased solo LP 1971) "Buddy Bolden"[1] & "Black Train" [2] with Jerry Garcia
Boz Scaggs - Unreleased Muscle Shoals tapes (1971)
Edgar Winter Group - They Only Come Out at Night (1972)
Sawbuck - Sawbuck (1972) "Believe" and "Lovin' Man"
Van Morrison - Saint Dominic's Preview (1972) "Listen to the Lion"
Van Morrison - The Philosopher's Stone (1971/1972) "Ordinary People" & "Wonderful Remark" [compilation released 1999]
Kathi McDonald - Insane Asylum (1973) "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave", "Heartbreak Hotel" & "If You Need Me"
Gary Wright - The Dream Weaver (1975) "Power Of Love"
The Beau Brummels - The Beau Brummels (1975) "Down To The Bottom"
Dan Hartman - Images (1976) "The Party's In The Back Room" & "High Sign"
Tony Williams - The Joy of Flying (1978) "Open Fire"
Nicolette Larson - In the Nick of Time (1979) "Just In The Nick Of Time"
Lauren Wood - Lauren Wood (1979) "Dirty Work" (Steely Dan cover)
Jamie Sheriff - No Heroes (1980) "Soldier"
Paul Kantner - Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra (1983) "(She Is A) Telepath"
The Neville Brothers - Uptown (1987) "Whatever It Takes"
Various Artists - Guitar Speak (1988) "Blood Alley 152"
Various Artists - Born To Ski soundtrack (1991) "Born To Ski"
Marc Bonilla - EE Ticket (1991) "Razorback"
Marc Bonilla - American Matador (1993) "I Am The Walrus" (instrumental cover)
Anti-m - Positively Negative (1995) "Security", "Television", "Lonely" and "Iniki"
Edgar Winter - The Real Deal (1996) "Eye Of The Storm"
Sammy Hagar - Marching To Mars (1997) "Leaving the Warmth of the Womb"
CJ Hutchins - Out Of These Hands (1998) "Cannonball" (bass), "Cross-Leg", "Rock Me To Sleep", "Out Of These Hands", "What Went Wrong" (bass) & "Circus Song"
David Culiner - Implode (1999) "Human Shield"
Bruce Turgon - Outside Looking In (2005) "Outside Looking In"
Various Artists - The Songs Of Pink Floyd (2002) & Back Against the Wall (2005) "Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. 2)"
Various Artists - Secondhand Smoke - A Tribute to Frank Marino (2005) "Try for Freedom"
Kevin Crider - Signatures (2006) "Stratosphere"


[edit]Production
Mitchell Froom - Key of Cool (1984)
Jeff Berlin/Vox Humana - Champion (1985) Background vocals
Wrath - Nothing to Fear (1987)
Heathen - Breaking the Silence (1987)
CJ Hutchins - Out Of These Hands (1998) Guitar, bass
Y&T - Unearthed, Vol. 2 (2005) Composer
Jerry Jennings - Shortcut to the Center (2006)

****...didn't know he had cancer
last time I read about Ronnie,it was about the Les Paul controversy between him and Gary Moore(someone stole Montrose's LP,which supposedly was later bought by Moore,who wasn't aware it was Ronnie's,but nontheless wasn't about to give it back..)
sadly,both are gone now
RIP-he was smokin'
..wow,what a career!

It was sad to hear this. I went down to the Bay Area to hear Joe Walsh with Sons Of Chaplin on the same bill. Our drummer was really into unknown groups and was explaining we had to see if all the hype around this group called Montrose was worth it. Well, we got in early and was at front stage when you could just stand there and not get squished. The first song started with Sammy Hagar doing a hi kick while this mop topped guitar play did some "weird" things with this post sticking out of his guitar. Sammy then said they was going to be releasing their first album within a few months, the name of the starting song was "Space Station #5" and for all the harley riders ... then they broke into Bad Motor Scooter. We were floored and became immediate fans. The day their album came out the first cover we did was Bad Motor Scooter.

Several years later I was working in LA at Mars Recording Studio when in comes Mr Montrose and after some session work he was doing took me & some of the other in-house people out for a drink and some "insight and personal lessons". Very nice AND real guy.

RIP - Ronnie

Dennis

A legendary guitarist for sure and a huge influence for many. Glad I was able to see him play. Long remember the Razor King!!

There was a man
Came from my home town
Didn't have no money
He was always down
Johnny Stark that was his name
In a few short years
He was gonna rise to fame
When he was young
He'd have to steal to eat
In my shakedown bed
Shared his sleep
Late at night his papa
Would come home drunk
Shouting at his ma
And calling him a punk

I'm the Razor King
That's what I'll be
You can look out for me now
My weapons will be sharp
I'll get you in the dark again

Some years later
He'd grown up fast
He got right down to it
Didn't wanna be last
He became the leader
Of the local gang
Was singing as he went
And this is what he sang

I'm the Razor King
Oh, you can look out for me now
Johnny Stark's my name
My weapons will be sharp
I'll get you in the dark again

Some years later
His reputation spread
A man with no fear
Or so it was said
Leader of a gang
Now two thousand strong
Johnny didn't realize
That he was doing wrong
Then came the night
He was to lose his crown
Marching down main street
He was going way down
Weapons aflashing
Grit in his eye
Johnny didn't realize
He was gonna die

I'm a Razor King
Ahh, that's what I am
You can look up to me now
Ohhh

La la la la la la la la (etc.)

:-(

We most definitely lost a pioneer of rock guitar with Ronnie's passing. So many were influenced by that first Montrose album...no one more than I.

RIP Ronnie, you'll be missed.