Category Archives: Marion Montgomery

Treasure of Las Flores del Vicio

Carrol Baker as Treasure in Las Flores del Vicio

After their success with “Summer House”, Mother and Marian Montgomery kept working together and wrote music and songs for Silvio Narizzano’s Las Flores del Vicio (released in the US as Bloodbath).  It’s an insane phantasmagoria of sex and surreal indulgence set (and shot) in Spain that was locked up in a vault by the Spanish censors under General Franco.  It’s kind of Bunuel meets Hammer Horror and stars  Dennis Hopper at his craziest and most drugged out.  Carrol Baker’s character, Treasure, sings Mother and Marian’s final song as she dies in a fountain at the end.  It became a straight to drive-in and then video release in the US. in 1979 after the reels were finally freed.  You can see a clip by clicking on the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHQN_X2y8Dc

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Marion Montgomery & Mother

Mother’s friend, singer Marion Montgomery doing “Close Your Eyes” with Dudley Moore on piano.

In London Mother turned from writing poetry to writing songs with her new friend and fellow expat Marian (later changed to Marion) Montgomery.  Marion knew where Mother was coming from.  She’d been born Maud Runnells in Natchez, Mississippi, and got the hell out of there as soon as she could and started singing in clubs in Atlanta.  Later, at a gig in Chicago, Peggy Lee saw her and convinced Capitol Records to sign her.  In 1965 she went to London to sing with John Dankworth (later Cleo Laine’s husband) and fell in love with English pianist, musical director, (and arranger for Englebert Humperdink)  Laurie Holloway.  The two married and became well known in the British jazz and caberet scene.  Mother met Marian at a party and the two began writing songs together.  One, “The Summer House”, Marion sang live on the BBC.  Another was used in Silvio Narizzano’s (Georgy Girl) film Bloodbath.  More on that tomorrow!
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