Thelen Creative

Montrose (featuring Sammy Hagar)  
Live from the Record Plant, Sausalito 1973
   Label: Friday Music
   Format: 33RPM, 180g Red Rocker Vinyl
   Limited Edition: 1,500 copies worldwide
   Release Date: Record Store Day Black Friday – November 28, 2025
 

   Before the world knew them as Montrose, Ronnie Montrose, Sammy Hagar, Bill Church, and Denny Carmassi stepped into the legendary Record Plant in Sausalito, California on April 21, 1973, billed simply as “Ronnie Montrose and Friends.” When Van Morrison canceled his scheduled KSAN-FM broadcast at the last minute, these four unknowns seized the moment and delivered one of the most electrifying debut performances ever aired on Bay Area radio.

   Hosted by the iconic Tom Donahue, the 45-minute set featured raw, hard-hitting versions of soon-to-be classics “Rock Candy,” “Bad Motor Scooter,” and “Rock the Nation,” plus unreleased gems “Roll Me Nice,” “You’re Out of Time,” and a blistering cover of “Roll Over Beethoven.” Essentially the entire first Montrose album (minus “Space Station #5”) performed months before its official release.

   Mastered from the original Warner Bros. analog tapes, this long-awaited standalone vinyl edition of Montrose Live! finally gives this historic broadcast the treatment it deserves. Pressed on stunning translucent Red Rocker red vinyl by Friday Music in memory of the late, great Ronnie Montrose, it captures every searing guitar riff and Sammy Hagar’s sky-high screams exactly as KSAN listeners heard them in 1973.

Why This Release Matters
First official standalone vinyl release of the complete KSAN 1973 performance
Previously only available on the 2017 deluxe CD reissue of the debut album
One of the most legendary “pre-debut” live recordings in hard rock history
Produced by Ted Templeman (Van Halen, Doobie Brothers)
The spark that helped land Montrose their Warner Bros. deal and launch a platinum-selling career
The self-titled Montrose album arrived later in 1973 and, despite peaking at a modest #133 on Billboard, eventually went platinum and influenced everyone from Van Halen to Metallica and beyond.

Tracklist (as broadcast)
Rock Candy
Bad Motor Scooter
Rock the Nation
Roll Me Nice (unreleased)
You’re Out of Time (unreleased)
Roll Over Beethoven

Don’t sleep on this one – only 1,500 copies will ever exist. Head to your local independent record store on Record Store Day Black Friday, November 28, 2025 and grab a piece of Bay Area hard rock history.

📙 Read more about the historic #RecordPlant and the countless recordings made there in "Tales From Your Record Collection" – available now on Amazon and at independent record stores across the San Francisco Bay Area!

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