Vincent Montana Jr. (February 12, 1928 – April 13, 2013), known as Vince Montana, was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestrat ...

vibraphonist The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vib ...

, and

percussionist A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

. He is best known as a member of

MFSB MFSB, officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom ...

and as the founder of the

Salsoul Orchestra The Salsoul Orchestra was the backing Band (music), band of session musicians for many acts on the New York City label Salsoul Records and, under its own name, recorded several hit singles and albums between 1975 and 1982. History The orchestr ...

. He has been called "the Godfather of

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

". Montana was inducted into the

Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum Mission Statement The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is a 501(c)(3) charity organization. The mission of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is to honor all great musicians regardless of genre or instruments. This is done by exhibiting t ...

in 2016.

Life and career

Montana was born in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in an

Italian-American Italian Americans () are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and industrial Midwestern United States, Midwestern ...

neighborhood. He began playing drums as a child and soon took up other

percussion instrument A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

s, including the

glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( ; or , : bells and : play) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a Musical keyboard, keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the v ...

and

marimba The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the mari ...

. By the late 1940s, he regularly played in

nightclubs A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and ...

with

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

musicians such as

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car crash, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Sprin ...

and

Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz ...

. He then spent time as a musician in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

hotels, accompanying and arranging for

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...

Louis Prima Louis Leo Prima (; December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American trumpeter, singer, entertainer, and bandleader. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he ...

and others. He returned to Philadelphia in the late 1950s, playing

vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...

Frankie Avalon Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American singer, actor and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including Record ...

's 1959 hit "

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

", as well as recordings by

Chubby Checker Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including the Twist, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighters' R&B song " The Twis ...

Bobby Rydell Robert Louis Ridarelli (April 26, 1942 – April 5, 2022), known by the stage name Bobby Rydell (), was an American singer and actor who mainly performed rock and roll and traditional pop music. In the early 1960s, he was considered a teen idol. ...

and others. Around the same time, he started to be featured regularly on the nationally syndicated TV talk show, ''

The Mike Douglas Show ''The Mike Douglas Show'' is an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland in 1961 before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went i ...

''. He helped to set up

Sigma Sound Studios Sigma Sound Studios was an American independent recording studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1968 by recording engineer Joseph Tarsia. Located at 212 North 12th Street in Philadelphia, Sigma Sound is closely associated with Philade ...

, owned by Joe Tarsia in Philadelphia in 1967 and began working there with

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

s Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and

Thom Bell Thomas Randolph Bell (January 26, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American record producer, arranger, and songwriter known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. Hailed as one of the most prolific R&B songwriters and prod ...

. He was a founding member of

and recorded several albums with the orchestra, including the international hit track, "

TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" is a 1974 recording by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. It was written by Gamble and Huff as the theme for the American musical television program ''Soul Train'', which specialized in African American ...

", a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

winner released in 1973. He played on and arranged many tracks by The Intruders,

The Delfonics The Delfonics were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Philadelphia. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include " La-La (Means I Love You)", " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)", "Bre ...

, The Spinners, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes,

The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American Rhythm and blues, R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in summer 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appea ...

The Trammps The Trammps are an American disco and soul band, who were based in Philadelphia and were one of the first disco bands. The band's first major success was their 1972 cover version of " Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", while the first disc ...

Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American tenor singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temp ...

William DeVaughn William Edward DeVaughn Jr. (born November 28, 1947) is an American R&B/soul singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known for the million-selling hit song " Be Thankful for What You Got" in 1974. Biography DeVaughn was a salaried government e ...

Billy Paul Paul Williams (December 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016), known professionally as Billy Paul, was an American soul music, soul singer, known for his 1972 Record chart, No. 1 single "Me and Mrs. Jones". His 1973 album and single ''War of the Gods (alb ...

Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American baritone singer. He released 61 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably the song " You'll Never Find Another Love like Min ...

The Stylistics The Stylistics are an American Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All ...

Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American Soul music, soul and R&B singer and songwriter. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pendergrass lived most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initial ...

, and many others. However, he fell out with Gamble and Huff over financial issues and in 1974, after being introduced by

Joe Bataan Bataan Nitollano, also known as Joe Bataan (born 5 November 1942) is a Filipino and American Latin soul singer, songwriter and musician best known world-wide and in the Hispanic and Latino music scene as the "King of Latin Soul". Early life Bat ...

, joined with the Cayre brothers, Kenneth, Stanley, and

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

- owners of Caytronics, a

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

-based distributor of

Latin music Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and ) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America, which encompasses Music of Latin America, Latin America, Music of Spain, Spain, Mu ...

- to set up the

Salsoul Salsoul Records is an American New York City based record label, founded by three brothers, Joseph Cayre, Kenneth Cayre, and Stanley Cayre (the Cayre brothers). Salsoul issued about 300 singles, including many disco/post-disco 12-inch releases ...

label. Several of the Philadelphia musicians, including Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker and Earl Young, left MFSB to join him for sessions and production work. Montana established The Salsoul Orchestra and their first record for the label, "Salsoul Hustle" was a commercial success. The orchestra recorded six albums for the label over the next three years, including a 'gold' Christmas album, with Montana producing, arranging and conducting most tracks. Ken Cayre praised Montana's skill at scoring strings, brass and diverse percussion in such a way that it all worked within a dance recording. The Salsoul Orchestra has been credited as "the first disco orchestra". Montana also worked at Salsoul with other musicians and singers, including First Choice and

Loleatta Holloway Loleatta Holloway (, ; November 5, 1946 – March 21, 2011) was an American singer known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and " Love Sensation". In December 2016, ''Billboard'' named her the 95th-most successful dance artist of all time. Acc ...

. His most notable solos include "Runaway" by The

featuring Loleatta Holloway, "

Be Thankful for What You Got "Be Thankful for What You Got" (also noted in some publications as "Be Thankful for What You've Got") is a soul song written and first performed by William DeVaughn. The record sold nearly two million copies on its release in spring of 1974, r ...

" by

and "I'm In Heaven" by Touch of Class. Montana left Salsoul in 1978 to join

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

for several albums before launching his own Philly Sound Works label. His recording of "Heavy Vibes", a reworking of part of MFSB's "Love Is the Message" credited to the Montana Sextet, reached #59 on the UK singles chart in 1983. In later years, Montana worked with house music duo

Masters at Work Masters at Work is the American garage house production and remix team of "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. The duo has produced music together under the names MAW, KenLou, Sole Fusion, Hardrive, and Nuyorican Soul. They have bee ...

, which rekindled interest in his work. Most recently, Montana worked on "

New York City Boy "New York City Boy" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 22 September 1999 as the second single from their seventh studio album, ''Nightlife'' (1999). In the UK, the single peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. ...

" by the

Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...

. He died in

Cherry Hill, New Jersey Cherry Hill is a Township (New Jersey), township within Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As a suburb of Philadelphia, the township is part of the South Jersey and Delaware Valley regions. Cherry Hill ...

, on April 13, 2013, at the age of 85.

Discography

KEY: PL = Played on recording as Vibraharpist or Percussionist, Tympani, Marimba, Orchestra Bells and Chimes AC = Arranged musical composition and conducted recording session P = Produced recording session and booked all musicians. WC = As Writer and Publisher of the composition recorded. *PL Frankie Avalon Solid Gold Single "Venus" (Single) 1959 *PL Soul Survivors "Expressway To Your Heart" (Single) 1967 *PL Cliff Nobles hit Instrumental "The Horse" (Single) 1968 *PL Eddie Holman "Hey There Lonely Girl" (Single) 1969 *PL Delfonics (LP) I'm Sorry, "La La Means I Love You" (Single) 1969 *PL The Intruders "Save The Children" including the hit song *"I’ll Always Love My Mama" *"When We Get Married"(LP) *"Cowboys to Girls", their first album, "The Energy of Love"(LP) *"The Intruders Greatest Hits", including "Together and United" 1969-1972 *PL Jerry Butler Five LP's - "You and Me" "The Ice Man Cometh" *"Soul Goes On" "The Spice of Life" "Ice on Ice" 1969-1972 *PL The O’Jays "The O’Jays in Philadelphia" (LP) including *"

One Night Affair "One Night Affair" is a 1969 song by the O'Jays. It was released on the Neptune Records label. It is cited as one of the first disco songs. Chart performance Jerry Butler version In 1972, Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (December 8, 1939 ...

" "Backstabber"(LP)including: "Love Train" *"992 Arguments", and the title cut, "Backstabbers" *"Family Reunion"(LP) including "I Love Music" 1969-1975 *PL Wilson Pickett "Wilson Pickett In Philadelphia"(LP) 1970 *PL Dusty Springfield "A Brand New Me" (LP) 1970 *PL The Assembled Multitude (LP) "Overture For Tommy" 1970 *PL The Philly Ambassadors "The Ambassadors" (LP) 1970 *PL/AC The Electric Indians "The Electric Indians" (LP) "Keem-o-Sabe" *WC was Vincent's first gold single 1970 *PL/AC Cissie Houston (Whitney Mother) Cissy Houston on Janice Records 1971 *PL The Family "Family Affair" (LP) *PL The Stylistics (LP) "You are Everything", " Betcha By Golly Wow" *"Stop, Look, Listen To Your Heart", "People Make The World Go Round" 1971 *PL The Stylistics "Round 2" (LP) "I’m Stone in Love With You" *"Break Up To Make Up" 1972 *PL Joe Simon "Drowning in the Sea of Love: (LP) 1972 *PL Ronny Dyson "One Man Band" (LP) 1972 *PL Dick Jenson "Dick Jenson" (LP) 1973 *PL/AC The True Reflections "Where I’m Coming From", "Helpless Man" *"Look at all the Lonely People" 1973 *PL Johnny Mathis "I’m Coming Home" (LP) including such hits as "Foolish" "Stone In Love With You" "Stop Look and Listen to Your Heart" 1973 *PL Billy Paul, "Ebony Woman" (LP) "Going East(LP) "The 360 Degrees of Billy Paul" (LP) including the Gold single, "Me and Mrs. Jones" *"Feeling Good at the Cadillac Club"(LP) 1972-73 *PL Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes "I Miss You" (LP) "If You Don’t Know Me By Now" and "I Miss You" *All Things Happen in Time (LP) *PL Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, "Black and Blue" *AC "Is There A Place For Me" "Caberet" "The Love I Lost" 1973 *PL The Spinners, "The Spinners"(LP) including the One Million Sellers "Could It Be I’m Falling in Love" and "I’ll Be Around" 1973 *PL/AC The First Choice (LP) "Armed and Extremely Dangerous" and 1974 The Player LP) "Guilty", "Guilty Instrumental"(Single) *PL/AC The Whispers "Bingo" (LP) "The True Reflection"(LP) 1973/74 *PL/AC The Ebonys "The Ebonys"(LP) 1973 *PL/AC The Jacksons 5 Third Album (LP) 1973 *PL/AC Brenda and The Tabulations "Brenda and The Tabulations"(LP) 1973 *PL Patty La Belle "La Belle"(LP) 1973 *PL/AC The Tramps "Disco Inferno"(single) and (LP) 1973 *PL Lou Rawls "Lou Rawls" (LP) 1973 *PL/AC Eddie Kendricks "Eddie Kendricks"(LP) 1973 *PL/AC Vic Damone "Vic Damone"(LP) 1973 *PL/AC Jean Carne "Jean Carne"(LP) 1973 *PL Barbara Mason "Give Me Your Love" (LP) including the hits *AC "

Yes, I'm Ready "Yes, I'm Ready" is a song by Barbara Mason from her album '' Yes, I'm Ready'' (1965). It has been covered by numerous artists, and was a hit single for Teri DeSario and K.C. when they recorded a duet version in 1980. Barbara Mason Mason, a s ...

", "When I Fall In Love", "Everything I Own" *"Let Me in Your Life" and "Bed and Board" 1973 *PL/AC First Choice (LP) "Armed and Extremely Dangerous" *"Running Out of Fools" "A Boy Named Junior" *"Smarty Pants" 1973 *PL Laura Nyro and LaBelle "Gonna Take A Miracle" 1973 *PL Billy Paul "War of The Gods" (LP) 1973 *PL The O’Jays "Ship Ahoy"(LP) 1973 *PL The Stylistics "Rock and Roll Baby" (LP) 1973 *PL/AC Blue Magic "The Magic of The Blue" (LP) *"Let Me Be The One"(Single)"Looking For a Friend"(Single) 1974 *PL/AC Blue Magic "Blue Magic (LP) "Look Me Up" "Side Show" "I Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely" "Answer To My Prayer" "Tear It Down" 1974 *PL/AC The Delfonics "Alive and Kicking" (LP) "Think It Over" "I Don’t Want To Make You Wait", "I Told You So" "Start All Over" 1974 *PL Billy Paul "Live in Europe"(LP) 1974 *PL William DeVaughn "Be Thankful For What You Got" (LP) 1974 *PL Nancy Wilson "Now I’m a Woman" (LP) 1974 *PL/AC Blue Magic, Major Harris, Margie Joseph, "Live" "Musical Extravaganza Lights Up The Latin Casino Arranged and Conducted Live on Stage Production 1975 *PL The Three Degrees "International"(LP) 1975 *PL Disco Pak "Get Down With The Philly Sound" (LP) 1975 *PL/AC The Sal Soul Orchestra "The Sal Soul Orchestra"(LP) 1975 *WC/P "Sal Soul Hustle" "Chicago Bus Stop"(Ooh I Love It)"You’re Just The Right Size, "Sal Soul Rainbow" "Tangerine" "Love Letters" *PL/AC The Sal Soul Orchestra "The Sal Soul Strings"(LP) 1975 -1978 *WC/P "How Deep is Your Love" (LP) *PL/AC Sal Soul Orchestra, "Electric Lady"(LP) Featuring *WC/P Artist Carol Williams 1976 *PL/AC The Sal Soul Orchestra "Christmas Jollies"(LP) 1976 *WC/P Sold over 6 Million 1976 to 1997 *PL/AC The Sal Soul Orchestra "Nice N’ Nasty"(LP) 1976 *WC/P "It’s Good For the Soul" "NIce ‘N’ Nasty" "Ritzy Mambo *PL/AC Fat Larry’s Band(LP) "Feel It" and "Center City" 1976 *PL/AC Astrud Gilberto (LP) "That Girl From Ipanema" 1976 *PL/AC Grace Jones "Portfolio" "Tomorrow" "Send in The Clowns" "What I Did For Love" 1977 *PL/AC The Sal Soul Orchestra "Magic Journey"(LP) 1977 *WC including the Grammy nominated single "Getaway" "Magic Bird of Fire" "Runaway" *PL/AC The Sal Soul Orchestra (LP) *WC "Disco Boogie " Super Hits For Nonstop Dancing " 1977 *PL/AC The Sal Soul Orchestra’s Greatest Hits"(LP) *WC "Music For Nonstop Dancing" Rereleased 1975, 1976, & 1978. *PL/AC "Charo and The Sal Soul Orchestra" (LP) 1977 *WC "Dance A Little Bit Closer" *PL/AC The Sal Soul Saturday Night Disco Party (LP) 1978 *PL Gordon Lowe "Follow The Sound" *PL Monk Montgomery: "Reality" (LP) 1974 *PL William DeVaughn's 1974 album 'Be Thankful For What You Got' *PL/AC M.F.S.B. "M.F.S.B." "Poinciana" "My One And Only Love" *All M.F.S.B. (LP's) = Freddies Dead" "Philadelphia Freedom" "M.F.S.B. Summertime" "M.F.S.B. Universal Love" "Love is The Message" *PL Dee Dee Sharp "Happy ‘bout The Whole Thing" *N.B. All Sal Soul Orchestra Albums including any 1973 to Present compilations or variations. *PL/AC The Sal Soul Orchestra "Anthology" (LP) 1995 *WC which including 15 original releases by Montana *PL Teddy Pendegrass "This One’s For You" (LP) 1980 *PL/AC Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (LP) 1981 "All Things Happen in Time" PRODUCED FOR ATLANTIC RECORDS: 3 (LP's) *PL/AC Montana "I Love Music" 1978 *WC/P "A Dance Fantasy Inspired By Close Encounters of The Third Kind" 1978 *Goody Goody (singles): "#1 Dee Jay" (US ''Billboard'' #82, 1978) and "It Looks Like Love" (1979) *PL/AC Tito Puente and India (LP) Count Basie Orchestra 1996 *WC "To Be In Love" and "Love Me" *PL/AC Mondo Groso (LP) "Closer" (Single) 1997 *PL/AC The Braxtons (LP) "The Boss" 1997 *PL/AC Randy Crawford (LP) "Wishing On a Star" 1997 "Bye Bye" "Johnny" "Changes" "Almaz" *PL/AC Nuyorican Soul (LP) "Runaway", "Nautilus" *WC "Sweet Tears" "I Am the Black Gold of the Sun" 1997 "Its Allright" vocals by Jocelyn Brown *PL/AC Incognito (LP) Jocelyn Brown "Always There" 1997

Collaborations

* '' A Brand New Me'' -

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop mus ...

(Atlantic Records, 1970) * '' Wilson Pickett in Philadelphia'' -

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded more than 50 songs that made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the '' ...

(Atlantic Records, 1970) * ''Sweet Sweet Soul'' -

The Sweet Inspirations The Sweet Inspirations are an American R&B girl group from Newark, New Jersey, founded by Cissy Houston who are mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists but who are also a Grammy-nominat ...

(Atlantic Records, 1970) * '' Gonna Take a Miracle'' -

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter and singer. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968) and ''Ne ...

(Columbia Records, 1971) * '' I Miss You'' -

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American soul and R&B vocal group. One of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s, the group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in ...

(Philadelphia, 1972) * '' Drowning in the Sea of Love'' -

Joe Simon Joseph Henry Simon (born Hymie Simon; October 11, 1913 – December 14, 2011) was an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s–1940s Golden Age of Comic Books ...

(Spring Records, 1972) * '' Back Stabbers'' -

(Epic Records, 1972) * '' To Know You Is to Love You'' -

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...

(ABC Records, 1973) * '' Spinners'' - The Spinners (Atlantic Records, 1973) * ''Jimmy Ruffin'' -

Jimmy Ruffin Jimmy Lee RuffinRibowsky, Mark (2010), ''Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Enduring Soul of the Temptations'', Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, p. 89. . (May 7, 1936 – November 17, 2014) was an American soul singer, and ...

(Polydor Records, 1973) * ''

My Way "My Way" is Paul Anka's English-language lyrical adaptation of the French song " Comme d'habitude", released by Frank Sinatra in 1969. The original song was written by Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibaut, and Claude François, and was first recor ...

'' - Major Harris (Atlantic Records, 1974) * ''

Bingo Bingo or B-I-N-G-O may refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * Bingo, a game using a printed card of numbers ** Bingo (British version), a game using a printed card of 15 numbers on three lines; most commonly played in the UK and Ireland ** B ...

'' -

The Whispers The Whispers are an American vocal group from Los Angeles, California. Scoring hit records since the late 1960s, they are best known for their two number-one R&B singles, " And the Beat Goes On" in 1979 and " Rock Steady" in 1987. The Whispers ...

(Janus, 1974) * ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...

'' - B.B. King (ABC Records, 1974) * '' Mighty Love'' - The Spinners (Atlantic Records, 1974) * '' Blue Magic'' - Blue Magic (Atco, 1974) * '' The Magic of the Blue'' - Blue Magic (Atco, 1974) * ''Tears on My Pillow'' -

Johnny Nash John Lester Nash Jr. (August 19, 1940October 6, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter, best known in the United States for his 1972 hit " I Can See Clearly Now". Primarily a reggae and pop singer, he was one of the first non-Jamaican art ...

(CBS Records, 1975) * '' Thirteen Blue Magic Lane'' - Blue Magic (Atco, 1975) * ''Jealousy'' - Major Harris (Atlantic Records, 1976) * '' He's a Friend'' -

(Tamla, 1976) * ''Mystic Dragons'' - Blue Magic (Atco, 1976) * '' Goin' Up in Smoke'' - Eddie Kendricks (Tamla, 1976) * ''

Portfolio Portfolio may refer to: Objects * Portfolio (briefcase), a type of briefcase Collections * Portfolio (finance), a collection of assets held by an institution or a private individual * Artist's portfolio, a sample of an artist's work or a ...

'' -

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress. She began her Model (person), modelling career in New York State, then in Paris, working for fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves St ...

(Island Records, 1977) * '' Loleatta'' -

(Gold Mind Records, 1977) * ''France Joli'' -

France Joli France Joli (; née Joly; born February 2, 1963) is a Canadian singer, best known for the disco classics " Come to Me" and "Gonna Get Over You". Teen stardom Born France Joly in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Joli grew up in Dorion. Her father wa ...

(VMC, 1979) * ''The Best Love'' -

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (December 8, 1939 – February 20, 2025) was an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, who were inducted into the Rock and ...

(Philadelphia, 1980) * '' The Spirit's in It'' -

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

(Philadelphia, 1981) * ''All Things Happen in Time'' - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes (MCA Records, 1981) * ''

Changes Changes may refer to: Books * '' Changes: A Love Story'', 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo * ''Changes'' (The Dresden Files) (2010), the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a 1983 novel by Danielle Steel * ''Chan ...

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Keni Burke Kenneth M. "Keni" Burke (born September 28, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He began his career with four siblings in the 1970s band the Five Stairsteps. Biography Five Stairsteps As a membe ...

(RCA Victor, 1982) * ''Let Me Touch You'' - The O'Jays (Philadelphia, 1987) * '' This Christmas'' - Patti LaBelle (MCA Records, 1990) * ''Every Kind of Mood: Randy, Randi, Randee'' -

Randy Crawford Veronica "Randy" Crawford (born February 18, 1952) is an American retired jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as a solo artist. However, sh ...

(WEA, 1997) * '' Fresh Outta 'P' University'' -

Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s before joining the Parliament-Funkadelic collective, Collins established himse ...

(Private, 1997) * ''

Nicole Renée Nicole Renée, also sometimes known as Nicole Renée Harris, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and former '' Teen Summit'' host, who is currently signed to Melodious Fool Records. Her latest single release is "You Don't Have To B ...

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(Atlantic Records, 1998) * ''Together We Are One'' - The O'Jays (Philadelphia, 2004)

References

External links

Official Vince Montana Jr. Website At Philly Sound Works

Interview with Vince Montana Jr.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montana, Vincent Jr. 1928 births 2013 deaths American bandleaders American soul musicians American disco musicians American music arrangers American people of Italian descent Musicians from Philadelphia Philadelphia International Records artists American session musicians MFSB members Salsoul Orchestra members American jazz vibraphonists