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 = CBS Records, CBS Records
| associated_acts = Infidels
| website =
| current_members = Molly Johnson
Norman Orenstein
Steven Gelineau
Etric Lyons
| past_members =
}}
Alta Moda was a Canadian funk rock band formed in 1979 in Toronto.Craig MacInnis, "Alta Moda fires up audience". Toronto Star, May 24, 1988. It originally consisted of singer Molly Johnson and guitarist Norman Orenstein.Jennifer Higgs, [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/molly-johnson-emc "Molly Johnson"]. The Canadian Encyclopedia, November 4, 2012. Drummer Steven Gelineau and bassist Etric Lyons were added in 1982 and 1983 respectively.Mark Lepage, "Alta Moda: Dance beat with lots of style". Montreal Gazette, November 26, 1987.
After performing for several years in Toronto and releasing the promotional single "Train" in 1986,{{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}} the band signed to CBS Records and released their debut album, Alta Moda, in 1987.Craig MacInnis, "Molly gives Alta Moda the soul-pop push". Toronto Star, October 9, 1987.
The album received mixed reviews, with some critics saying it sounded too much like funk or disco;Greg Burliuk, "Alta Moda: Alta Moda". Kingston Whig-Standard, November 28, 1987. the band even faced some assertions that they were "too black" for the Canadian market.Mike Doherty, "Johnson goes to jazz hell and back: Canadian jazz singer 'rocks the flag' in France". National Post, November 22, 2006. The album spawned the single "Julian", but the song was only a modest hit, peaking at #53 in the RPM Hot 100 chart the week of January 30, 1988.[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. 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.Liam Lacey, "Little labels can make a big mark". The Globe and Mail, April 4, 1986.
The band declined a Juno Award nomination in the R&B category for "Julian", because they felt it was a miscategorization of the song.Greg Barr, "Pair of musical renegades driving force with Infidels". Ottawa Citizen, October 3, 1991.
Although Alta Moda had originally signed a six-album deal with CBS, they were dropped from the label after the album's poor sales.Greg Barr, "Good golly!; Toronto's Molly Johnson and Alta Moda band sign big U.S. record deal". Ottawa Citizen, July 27, 1990. 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."Johnson plays the infidel". Ottawa Citizen, August 15, 1991.
Johnson and Orenstein signed a new deal with IRS Records in 1990, but changed the band's name to Infidels by the time of their 1991 album.