Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal6/10

Paper Money is the second studio album by the American hard rock band Montrose, released on October 11, 1974, by Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Ted Templeman and is the band's final recording with original vocalist Sammy Hagar. It marks the arrival of new bass player Alan Fitzgerald, replacing original bassist Bill Church.

History

Paper Money was the band's highest-charting release, reaching No. 65 on the Billboard 200. To promote the album, the band appeared live on The Midnight Special television show, performing "Paper Money" and "I Got the Fire".

After building acrimony between Ronnie Montrose and Sammy Hagar reached a peak during the band's 1974–75 European tour to promote Paper Money, Hagar parted ways with the band in early February 1975 and was replaced by vocalist Bob James.

Although the liner notes for the CD edition of Paper Money state that Ronnie Montrose was offered the lead guitar slot for Mott the Hoople when he left the Edgar Winter Group, the guitarist has stated that this never happened.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album liner notes.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Underground" (Lauren Wood cover)Ilene Rappaport3:33
2."Connection" (The Rolling Stones cover)Jagger–Richards5:42
3."The Dreamer"Sammy HagarRonnie Montrose3:36
4."Starliner" (Instrumental)Montrose3:36
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."I Got the Fire"Montrose3:06
6."Spaceage Sacrifice"HagarMontrose4:55
7."We're Going Home"Montrose4:52
8."Paper Money"HagarMontrose5:01
Total length:34:50

Paper Money (2017 rerelease bonus)

On October 13, 2017, Rhino Entertainment released a Deluxe Edition. The bonus disc tracks are from a session on KSAN radio from the Record Plant in Sausalito, California on December 26, 1974.

Deluxe Edition disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Intro by Phil Buchanan"0:29
2."I Got the Fire"Montrose3:13
3."Rock Candy"Denny CarmassiBill ChurchHagarMontrose5:59
4."Bad Motor Scooter"Hagar4:45
5."Spaceage Sacrifice"HagarMontrose6:58
6."One and a Half"Montrose4:31
7."Roll Over Beethoven" (Chuck Berry cover)Chuck Berry3:39
8."Trouble" (Elvis Presley cover)Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller4:56
9."Space Station #5"HagarMontrose11:40

Personnel

Montrose

Additional musicians

  • Mark Jordan – piano on "Connection"
  • Nick DeCaro – mellotron on "We're Going Home"
  • Charles Faris – special effects

Production

Charts

Chart (1974)Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)73
US Billboard 20065

Other sources

  • Montrose; Paper Money liner notes; Warner Brothers Records 1974