Guitarist and keyboardist Norman Orenstein and singer Molly Johnson met in 1979 in Toronto. They soon joined forces to form Alta Moda. The funk-style band was a duo for about three years, until drummer Steven Gelineau was invited into the circle. Bassist Etric Lyons was added a year later. Each member brought plenty of experience to the mix. The band performed through parts of Canada, receiving mostly positive reviews and drawing attention from several record labels. Some listed the group as R&B, though Alta Moda preferred being indexed more as funk rock. Fans had to wait a long time to sample an album from the band. Finally, in 1987, after landing a deal with CBS Records, Alta Moda's self-titled debut saw the light of day. The album was nominated for a Juno award -- that they refused. After that, there was one single, "Julian," released the next year and made into a video, but that was that. Before the end of the '80s, the members of Alta Moda decided to split. All of them but one, Gelineau, joined back up in 1990, this time calling their band the Infidels. ~ Charlotte Dillon