Montana by jmjiloveyou

jmjiloveyou - Montana

jmjiloveyou

Jun 13, 2026 11:20am

"Montana" is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">song</a> composed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Zappa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Frank Zappa</a> for his 1973 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Album" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LP</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over-Nite_Sensation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Over-Nite Sensation</a>. The last track on the album is one of Zappa's most famous and renowned compositions.[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">by whom?</a>] It features backing vocals by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Turner" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tina Turner</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikettes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ikettes</a> throughout the entire track, notably on the middle and ending sections.The single version of this track was released as the B-side of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_the_Slime" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">I'm the Slime</a>" in 1973. Both songs are different mixes and edits than the album versions. The single version of "Montana" later appeared on the compilation <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strictly_Commercial" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Strictly Commercial</a>.<h2>Song structure</h2>The structure of "Montana" is intro–verses–chorus–solo–middle section–verses–outro. The lyrics, sung by Zappa in a humorous manner, talk about a person who decides to go to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Montana</a> to grow "a crop of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_floss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dental floss</a>," mounting a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pony</a> named "Mighty Little". He dreams of becoming a dental floss tycoon, by commercializing it. The verses are filled with pseudo-ranch pronunciation and are intended to be very lighthearted.At 1:55, right after the chorus, Zappa plays a long guitar solo. A middle section with vocals by Tina Turner & The Ikettes follows. Zappa follows singing the last verses and finally there's the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coda_(music)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">coda</a>, where the line from the chorus ("Moving to Montana soon...," sung by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Turner" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tina Turner</a> and the Ikettes) is repeated constantly and answered by a high-pitched "Yippy-Aye-O-Ty-Ay" (sung by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kin_Vassy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kin Vassy</a>). This goes on until it fades out towards the six-and-a-half <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minute" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">minute</a> mark.Of the Ikettes' harmonies, Zappa later said:”It was so difficult, that one part in the middle of the song "Montana", that the three girls rehearsed it for a couple of days. Just that one section. You know the part that goes "I'm pluckin' the ol' dennil floss..."? Right in the middle there. And one of the harmony singers got it first. She came out and sang her part and the other girls had to follow her track. Tina was so pleased that she was able to sing this that she went into the next studio where <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ike_Turner" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ike [Turner]</a> was working and dragged him into the studio to hear the result of her labor. He listened to the tape and he goes, ‘What is this shit?’ and walked out".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana_(Frank_Zappa_song)#cite_note-miles-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[2]</a><h2>Personnel</h2><ol><li data-list="bullet"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Zappa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Frank Zappa</a> – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_vocals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lead vocals</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_guitar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">electric guitar</a></li><li data-list="bullet"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Turner" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tina Turner</a> & <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ikettes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Ikettes</a> – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backing_vocals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">backing vocals</a></li><li data-list="bullet"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kin_Vassy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kin Vassy</a> – backing vocals</li><li data-list="bullet"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Underwood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ian Underwood</a> – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alto_saxophone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">alto saxophone</a></li><li data-list="bullet"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Fowler" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bruce Fowler</a> – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">trombone</a></li><li data-list="bullet">Sal Marquez – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpet" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">trumpet</a></li><li data-list="bullet"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Duke" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">George Duke</a> – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_piano" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">electric piano</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavinet" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clavinet</a></li><li data-list="bullet"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Fowler_(musician)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tom Fowler</a> – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_guitar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bass guitar</a></li><li data-list="bullet"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Underwood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ruth Underwood</a> – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marimba" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">marimba</a></li><li data-list="bullet">Ralph Humphrey – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drums" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drums</a></li></ol>