The classic-era lineup of the group was Leslie West on guitar, Felix Pappalardi on bass, Corky Laing on drums (the original drummer was N. D. Smart), and Steve Knight on piano and organ. West's raw vocals, Laing's flowing drumming, and Pappalardi's heavy but not overly imposing bass lines were the elements of Mountain's distinctive sound.
Mountain played at the Woodstock Festival but the band did not appear in the film of the event nor was it included on the first album. The group's first album, Climbing! was released in 1970 and featured the band's best-known song, "Mississippi Queen"; the song reached the middle of the top-40 charts and the album reached the top 20 on the US album charts.
The follow-up album Nantucket Sleighride (1971) also reached the top 20 on the US albums chart but failed to yield a hit single. (The title track from Nantucket Sleighride was used as the theme tune to the UK political and current affairs television program Weekend World, which was aired between 1972 and 1986). After these early releases the band continued to receive a certain measure of critical acclaim but never achieved great commercial success.
The band was inspired by legendary power trio Cream, which Pappalardi was an "unofficial" member of; he was featured heavily on Cream's second LP, Disraeli Gears. Following Mountain's initial breakup in 1972, West and Laing formed West, Bruce and Laing with Cream bassist Jack Bruce. They produced three albums.
In 1974 West and Pappalardi reformed Mountain with Allan Schwartzberg on drums and Robert Mann on keyboards. A tour yielded the live Twin Peaks followed by the studio album Avalanche, with Laing and rhythm guitarist David Perry, who as an African American was also credited for "added color." It was the last heard of from Mountain until the mid 1980s when West, sometimes with and sometimes without Laing, has worked under the name Mountain, New Mountain or the Leslie West Band.
On April 17, 1983 Gail Collins Pappalardi, Felix's wife and songwriting partner, shot him once in the neck in their fifth-floor East Side Manhattan apartment. He was pronounced dead at the scene and Gail was charged with second-degree murder, but acquitted. Richie Scarlet has taken over as bass player on the band's recent tours.
Mountain is ranked number 98 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".
There are other artists with the same name:
2. Romanian electronic producer; an alias of candlestickmaker.
check out: http://asiluum.com/site/2010/11/08/mountain-contorsionist-split/
3. Møuntain - post-rock from Austria
https://www.last.fm/music/M%C3%B8untain
4. Mountain is a Nigerian musician based in Lagos.
5. Kamiyama Shigeta – better known to you or I as Mountain, is a drum & bass producer from the hustling hub of activity that is Osaka, Japan.
Born into a musical family Kamiyama grew up immersed in various forms of music. At age 18 he finds Dance music and after picking the basics of a DAW, he starts producing Drum and Bass under this alias. He begins DJing in his hometown too – racking up support slots for the likes of: Sigma, Netsky, London Electricity, Metrik & the beast that is Andy C.
Introduction
Mountain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The opening line of the song "Introduction" by Mountain is a typical phrase used by emcees when beginning a live music performance. The song was actually recorded live at the Fillmore East in 1971, and as such, this opening line sets the tone for the performance. The phrase is meant to be welcoming and inclusive, designed to make the audience feel like part of the show. The use of the term "ladies and gentlemen" is also a nod to the formal language and etiquette of the time, emphasizing the classiness of the event.
Beyond just protocol, however, the opening line can be seen as a metaphor for the power of music to bring people together. Mountain's performances were known for attracting a diverse audience, from hippies to hard rock fans, and the opening line acknowledges and celebrates this unity amidst diversity. As the song progresses, the high energy guitar riffs and heavy drum beats build to a climax, creating an almost transcendent experience that unites the performers and the audience in a shared sense of euphoria. Thus, "Introduction" serves not just as an opening number, but as a symbolic representation of the communal power of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Well good evening ladies and gentlemen
Greetings and salutations to all present attendees, both male and female, for this musical performance.
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CLIVE HENRY COCKBURN, Y DUDER GEORGIA, PAUL STEPHEN DUNNINGHAM, ROBIN KIRA P GALLEY, MICHAEL ROBERT HALL, NEIL GARWOOD HANNAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dave Butcher
on One Last Cold Kiss
This is not 'Two Island Swans' by Christ Moore, but it is the original version by Mountain Man
Dave Butcher
on You Better Believe It
Mountain at their best