Biography
Norman Orenstein, who handled guitar and keyboards, first crossed paths with vocalist Molly Johnson in Toronto in 1979. The two promptly established Alta Moda as their joint venture. Operating strictly as a duo for nearly three years, the funk-driven project later extended an invitation to Steven Gelineau to join on drums. Bassist Etric Lyons came aboard twelve months after that. Every participant arrived with considerable prior background. Alta Moda played across multiple Canadian regions, collecting largely favorable notices that in turn drew interest from several record labels. While some observers tagged the act as R&B, the band itself leaned toward a funk-rock designation.
A lengthy interval passed before any album reached listeners. In 1987, following a contract with CBS Records, the self-titled debut finally appeared. Although it earned a Juno Award nomination, the members declined the honor. The sole follow-up release, the single “Julian,” surfaced the next year with an accompanying video and then nothing further. Alta Moda disbanded before the decade closed. In 1990 the surviving members, minus Gelineau, regrouped under the name the Infidels.
A lengthy interval passed before any album reached listeners. In 1987, following a contract with CBS Records, the self-titled debut finally appeared. Although it earned a Juno Award nomination, the members declined the honor. The sole follow-up release, the single “Julian,” surfaced the next year with an accompanying video and then nothing further. Alta Moda disbanded before the decade closed. In 1990 the surviving members, minus Gelineau, regrouped under the name the Infidels.