Paper Money is the second studio album by the American hard rock band Montrose, released on October 11, 1974, by Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Ted Templeman and is the band's final recording with original vocalist Sammy Hagar. It marks the arrival of new bass player Alan Fitzgerald, replacing original bassist Bill Church.

Paper Money
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 11, 1974
StudioWarner Bros. Recording Studios, North Hollywood, California
GenreRock, hard rock
Length34:50
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerTed Templeman, Ronnie Montrose
Montrose chronology
Montrose
(1973)
Paper Money
(1974)
Warner Bros. Presents Montrose!
(1975)
Sammy Hagar chronology
Montrose
(1973)
Paper Money
(1974)
Nine on a Ten Scale
(1976)
Singles from Paper Money
  1. "Paper Money"
    Released: September 1974[1]
  2. "Connection"
    Released: November 1974
  3. "I Got the Fire"
    Released: March 1975 (Japan)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal6/10[3]

History edit

Paper Money was the band's highest-charting release, reaching No. 65 on the Billboard 200.[4] To promote the album, the band appeared live on The Midnight Special television show, performing "Paper Money" and "I Got the Fire".

After building acrimony between Ronnie Montrose and Sammy Hagar reached a peak during the band's 1974–75 European tour to promote Paper Money, Hagar parted ways with the band in early February 1975 and was replaced by vocalist Bob James.

Although the liner notes for the CD edition of Paper Money state that Ronnie Montrose was offered the lead guitar slot for Mott the Hoople when he left the Edgar Winter Group, the guitarist has stated that this never happened.

Track listing edit

Credits adapted from the album liner notes.[5]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Underground"Ilene Rappaport3:33
2."Connection"Mick Jagger, Keith Richards5:42
3."The Dreamer"Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Montrose3:36
4."Starliner" (instrumental)Montrose3:36
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."I Got the Fire"Montrose3:06
6."Spaceage Sacrifice"Hagar, Montrose4:55
7."We're Going Home"Montrose4:52
8."Paper Money"Hagar, Montrose5:01

Paper Money (2017 rerelease bonus) edit

On October 13, 2017, Rhino Entertainment released a Deluxe Edition. The bonus disc tracks are from a session on KSAN radio from the Record Plant in Sausalito, California on December 26, 1974.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Intro by Phil Buchanan" 0:29
2."I Got the Fire"Montrose3:13
3."Rock Candy"Carmassi, Church, Hagar, Montrose5:59
4."Bad Motor Scooter"Hagar4:45
5."Spaceage Sacrifice"Hagar, Montrose6:58
6."One and a Half"Montrose4:31
7."Roll Over Beethoven"Chuck Berry3:39
8."Trouble"Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller4:56
9."Space Station #5"Hagar, Montrose11:40

Personnel edit

Montrose
Additional musicians
  • Mark Jordan – piano on "Connection"
  • Nick DeCaro – mellotron on "We're Going Home"
  • Charles Faris – special effects
Production

Charts edit

Chart (1974) Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] 73
US Billboard 200[7] 65

References edit

  1. ^ "Great Rock discography". p. 559.
  2. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Montrose - Paper Money review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  3. ^ Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 187. ISBN 978-1894959025.
  4. ^ "Montrose". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  5. ^ Montrose (1974). Paper Money (LP sleeve). Warner Bros. Records. BS 2823.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3951b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  7. ^ "Montrose Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

Other sources edit

  • Montrose; Paper Money liner notes; Warner Brothers Records 1974