Gamma

Although more exploratory and ambitious than his eponymous first band, incendiary guitar genius <a href="spotify:artist:7vhcXfb0WFF4k1Ek75jFFJ">Ronnie Montrose</a>'s second group, Gamma, forever dwelt in the shadow of the landmark Montrose debut. In the early '70s, <a href="spotify:artist:7vhcXfb0WFF4k1Ek75jFFJ">Ronnie Montrose</a> left Colorado for California, and became known for his session work with <a href="spotify:artist:44NX2ffIYHr6D4n7RaZF7A">Van Morrison</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:46njgd2Rq9tZc4ZjeQMgbh">Boz Scaggs</a>. He then rose to fame as <a href="spotify:artist:3UNrI3SG1l2ezKikxQ2zuk">Edgar Winter</a>'s axeman on the legendary They Only Come Out at Night.

Wanting to call his own shots, <a href="spotify:artist:7vhcXfb0WFF4k1Ek75jFFJ">Ronnie Montrose</a> turned down an invitation from <a href="spotify:artist:6ysQi6NI88X627t2srsWz6">Mott the Hoople</a> and brought together <a href="spotify:artist:0VdoLGGpWcDZnzep6SSTdP">Montrose</a>. The self-titled debut remains a metal masterpiece, featuring a young <a href="spotify:artist:1hXjTjJzZTXDZ75AclOo6N">Sammy Hagar</a> belting out sizzlers like "Bad Motor Scooter," "Space Station No. 5," and "Rock the Nation." Hardly an overnight success,Montrose subtly set a standard that many hard rock bands, particularly <a href="spotify:artist:2cnMpRsOVqtPMfq7YiFE6K">Van Halen</a>, would strive to achieve. But <a href="spotify:artist:1hXjTjJzZTXDZ75AclOo6N">Hagar</a> was fired after the disjointed sophomore effort, Paper Money, and the band slowly disintegrated while still squeezing out two more meandering LPs. Open Fire was credited solely to <a href="spotify:artist:7vhcXfb0WFF4k1Ek75jFFJ">Ronnie Montrose</a>, and the guitarist became a hired gun again (playing the "agony of defeat" solo in the Wide World of Sports theme).

He then formed Gamma in 1979, reuniting with latter-<a href="spotify:artist:0VdoLGGpWcDZnzep6SSTdP">Montrose</a> personnel Jim Alcivar (keyboards) and pre-<a href="spotify:artist:1Ha0Fz4i0d4gu5fZbhBCtH">Night Ranger</a> Alan Fitzgerald (bass), plus <a href="spotify:artist:690QGzLGbccV5qSTU9WO6p">Davey Pattison</a> on vocals and Skip Gillette on drums. Numerous lineup changes began immediately with the first record, the imaginatively titled Gamma 1, as another old bandmate, Denny Carmassi, replaced <a href="spotify:artist:20ldWECcOHmOWwKwAwvn4y">Gillette</a> and Glenn Letsch took over bass duties. "Voyager" off Gamma 2 made some waves, and the band toured America and Europe. <a href="spotify:artist:6nEsI2S68MX6T0dVdLtido">Mitchell Froom</a> (late of Bruzer) replaced Alcivar for the keyboard-focused Gamma 3, another intriguing record, with "No Destination" and especially "Right the First Time" garnering some FM airtime.

<a href="spotify:artist:7vhcXfb0WFF4k1Ek75jFFJ">Ronnie Montrose</a> abruptly ditched the band mid-tour with <a href="spotify:artist:6IRouO5mvvfcyxtPDKMYFN">Foreigner</a>. Fed up with label pressures, the guitarist kept a low profile, periodically recorded and produced, and he briefly reunited the original <a href="spotify:artist:0VdoLGGpWcDZnzep6SSTdP">Montrose</a>. His life ended with a self-inflicted gun shot in 2012. Carmassi joined <a href="spotify:artist:34jw2BbxjoYalTp8cJFCPv">Heart</a> in time for the <a href="spotify:artist:4lPDIYPFDs5gpcToUczJDs">Wilson</a> sisters' '80s revival, and also drummed for Coverdale/Page. ~ Whitney Z. Gomes, Rovi