Ronnie Montrose
April 21, 1973 · Record Plant Sausalito
On April 21, 1973, Tom Donahue put an unnamed band on KSAN from the Record Plant, billed only as Ronnie Montrose and Friends. It was the group's first live performance and Sammy Hagar's public debut, months before they took the name Montrose and released their self-titled debut album. The show predates the sound that would define arena rock for the rest of the decade, caught while the band was still finding its name. Rhino and Cherry Red have both since drawn on this broadcast for official reissues, making it one of the best-documented Record Plant sessions from the KSAN era.
- Type
- Live Broadcast
- Date Recorded
- April 21, 1973
- Date Broadcast
- April 21, 1973
KSAN 95 FM broadcast. Tom Donahue series. CENSUS 2026-05-30, enriched 2026-05-31: Recording CONFIRMED. Best source (URL1): Internet Archive (archive.org/details/Montrose-KSAN1973BroadcastRecordPlantSausalitoCA). Alt (URL2, removed 2026-07-03): redrocker.com (Sammy Hagar official) with full track list; video at Wolfgang's Vault. Donahue introduced it as Montrose's FIRST live performance, billed 'Ronnie Montrose & Friends,' weeks before the band was even named Montrose. PERSONNEL: Ronnie Montrose (guitar), Sammy Hagar (vocals), Bill Church (bass), Denny Carmassi (drums). FULL SETLIST: Intro (Donahue) / Good Rockin' Tonight / Rock Candy / Bad Motor Scooter / Shoot Us Down / One Thing On My Mind / Rock the Nation / Make It Last / You're Out of Time / Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry) / I Don't Want It. OFFICIAL RELEASES: Bonus disc on Montrose: Deluxe Edition (Rhino/Warner, 2017); standalone Friday Music vinyl 'Live 1973 - KSAN Radio Session'; also on Cherry Red 'I Got the Fire: Complete Recordings 1973-1976' box set (2022), Disc 2; on Spotify. Daily Vault notes prior bootlegs all came from secondary sources — the 2017 official release is the first clean, professional transfer. One of the most widely bootlegged sets in American hard rock history. CONTEXT: debut LP 'Montrose' (Warner Bros, Oct 1973, prod. Ted Templeman) was Sammy Hagar's career debut. The session took place weeks before the band had a name, before a single track was recorded. Ted Templeman heard the demos and secured the Warner Bros deal. Hagar and Carmassi were recruited from local SF-area cover bands; Montrose and Church had previously worked together on Van Morrison sessions with Templeman. ENRICHMENT 2026-06-26: Wikipedia (Montrose band article) confirms billed as 'Ronnie Montrose and Friends' for this April 21, 1973 broadcast. Full setlist cross-checked against redrocker.com official track listing. DISCOVERY FLAG (resolved): Second Montrose KSAN Record Plant broadcast December 26, 1974 now has its own row (). Recording Type: FM Broadcast + Official Release. Quality: Lossless. Audio: Yes. Confidence: High. ARTICLE: see Articles table (Researching). URL CLEANUP 2026-07-03: Recording URL2 (https://www.redrocker.com/band/montrose/) removed per Tom's approval — not an approved audio host. Reference preserved above (Sammy Hagar official site, full track list) and via the Wolfgang's Vault video mention.
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