The Montanas hailed from Wolverhampton, England and released a myriad of largely forgettable records in their lengthy career. We feature today, their best recording. In fact, in my opinion, their only release of note. The song in question is the Don and Dick Addrisi composed
That's When Happiness Began which was their first release in the US and their second in their homeland. In the US it was released on Warner Brothers in November of 1966.
That's When Happiness Began was originally recorded by the Los Angeles garage band, The Grains of Sand and released earlier that year in the US. The Montanas picked it up and added a heavy dose of fuzz. You can compare the two releases back to back by
clicking here.
The Montanas were Will Howard, Graham Crew, Ralph Oakley and John Jones.
Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!
This is a real strong performance. The refrain definitely has a mersey feel to it that suits a UK take. If I were seeking perfection I'd redo the corny UK pronunciation of "lovely" and maybe consider a proper ending. Otherwise quite great! Also speaking of the fadeout do you notice the guitar go all Blackmore on us?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if that was indeed Blackmore.
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