Editing Alta Moda

{{Short description|Canadian funk rock band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Alta Moda
| image           =
| caption         =
| image_size      =
| alias           =
| origin          = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| genre           = [[Funk rock]]
| years_active    = 1979-1988
| label           = [[Columbia Records|CBS Records]], [[Sony Music|CBS Records]]
| associated_acts = [[Infidels (band)|Infidels]]
| website         =
| current_members = [[Molly Johnson]]<br>[[Norman Orenstein]]<br>Steven Gelineau<br>Etric Lyons
| past_members    = 
}}

'''Alta Moda''' was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[funk rock]] band formed in 1979 in [[Toronto]].<ref>Craig MacInnis, "Alta Moda fires up audience". ''[[Toronto Star]]'', May 24, 1988.</ref> It originally consisted of singer [[Molly Johnson]] and guitarist [[Norman Orenstein]].<ref name=canenc>Jennifer Higgs, [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/molly-johnson-emc "Molly Johnson"]. ''[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]'', November 4, 2012.</ref> Drummer Steven Gelineau and bassist Etric Lyons were added in 1982 and 1983 respectively.<ref>Mark Lepage, "Alta Moda: Dance beat with lots of style". ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', November 26, 1987.</ref>

After performing for several years in Toronto and releasing the promotional single "Train" in 1986,<ref>{{cite web |title=Alta Moda – Train |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1503058-Alta-Moda-Train |website=discogs.com |publisher=Discogs |access-date=30 January 2022}}</ref> the band signed to [[Sony Music|CBS Records]] and released their debut album, ''Alta Moda'', in 1987.<ref>Craig MacInnis, "Molly gives Alta Moda the soul-pop push". ''[[Toronto Star]]'', October 9, 1987.</ref> 

The album received mixed reviews, with some critics saying it sounded too much like [[funk music|funk]] or [[disco music|disco]];<ref>Greg Burliuk, "Alta Moda: Alta Moda". ''[[Kingston Whig-Standard]]'', November 28, 1987.</ref> the band even faced some assertions that they were "[[too black]]" for the Canadian market.<ref>Mike Doherty, "Johnson goes to jazz hell and back: Canadian jazz singer 'rocks the flag' in France". ''[[National Post]]'', November 22, 2006.</ref> The album spawned the single "Julian", but the song was only a modest hit, peaking at #53 in the ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Hot 100 chart the week of January 30, 1988.<ref>[https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0929&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0929.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0929 "Top Singles - Volume 47, No. 15"]. ''RPM'', January 30, 1988.</ref> The album's other singles, "Notown (In Particular)" and "Cool Love", did not chart. 

Alta Moda contributed a non-album track, "American Chaser", to the soundtrack of the 1986 television film ''[[Popeye Doyle]]''.<ref>Liam Lacey, "Little labels can make a big mark". ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', April 4, 1986.</ref>

The band declined a [[Juno Award]] nomination in the [[Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year|R&B]] category for "Julian", because they felt it was a miscategorization of the song.<ref name=barr>Greg Barr, "Pair of musical renegades driving force with Infidels". ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'', October 3, 1991.</ref>

Although Alta Moda had originally signed a six-album deal with CBS, they were dropped from the label after the album's poor sales.<ref name=goodgolly>Greg Barr, "Good golly!; Toronto's Molly Johnson and Alta Moda band sign big U.S. record deal". ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'', July 27, 1990.</ref> The band continued to perform live, on the lookout for another deal. Orenstein wrote and produced material for other artists, and Johnson performed jazz and blues with a backing band which later became [[Big Sugar (band)|Big Sugar]].<ref>"Johnson plays the infidel". ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'', August 15, 1991.</ref>

Johnson and Orenstein signed a new deal with [[IRS Records]] in 1990,<ref name=goodgolly/> but changed the band's name to [[Infidels (band)|Infidels]] by the time of their 1991 album.<ref name=barr/>

== References ==
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[[Category:Musical groups established in 1979]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1988]]
[[Category:Rock music groups from Toronto]]
[[Category:Canadian funk rock musical groups]]
[[Category:1979 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:1988 disestablishments in Ontario]]