felix pappalardi

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From Wikipedia (partial): ""Mississippi Queen" is a song by the American rock band Mountain. Considered a rock classic,[1] it was their most successful single, reaching #21 in the Billboard Hot 100 record chart in 1970.[2] "Mississippi Queen" was also a hit for Ozzy Osbourne in 2005 and has appeared in several soundtracks. "Mississippi Queen" was recorded during the sessions for Mountain's 1970 debut album Climbing! Drummer Corky Laing recalled that he had developed some of the lyrics and the drum part prior to his joining the band.[3] Later, when guitarist Leslie West was looking for lyrics for a guitar part he had written, Laing pulled out "The Queen" and the two worked out the song together.[3] When the group[4] proceeded to record "Mississippi Queen", bassist and producer Felix Pappalardi insisted on numerous takes. Growing weary, Laing started using the cowbell to count off the song. Pappalardi liked it so much he left it in the mix, creating the instantly recognizable intro to the song.[3]" "Mountain is an American hard rock band that formed in Long Island, New York in 1969.[1] Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Leslie West, bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer N. D. Smart, the band broke up in 1972 before reuniting in 1974 and remaining active until today.[2] Best known for the song "Mississippi Queen", Mountain is one of many bands to be commonly credited as having influenced the development of heavy metal music in the 1970s.[3] The band was formed shortly after Leslie West, formerly of the Long Island R&B band The Vagrants, recorded a solo album titled Mountain (a reference to West's one-time physical bulk) with bassist and former Cream collaborator Felix Pappalardi producing.[2] The album also featured former Remains drummer N.D. Smart. The album spotlighted West's raw vocals and melodic, bluesy guitar style, and Pappalardi's heavy and elegant bass lines were prominent throughout, and according to West when Pappalardi asked what would be next West suggested the pair go on the road. Though heavily inspired by seminal British blues-rock band Cream (with which Pappalardi had been a frequent collaborator: he produced Disraeli Gears, Goodbye and Wheels of Fire, also contributing viola, brass, bells and organ to the latter), keyboardist Steve Knight was added. Naming themselves after West's album, West, Pappalardi, Smart, and Knight played shows on the West Coast before getting to play their fourth concert as a working band at the 1969 Woodstock Festival in Bethel, New York. Mountain was received enthusiastically by the festival audience but the band did not appear in the film of the event, nor was their performance included on volume 1 of the festival's live album, though their performances of "Blood of the Sun" (from West's album) and "Theme for an Imaginary Western" (a song they planned to record for Climbing and co-written by former Cream bassist Jack Bruce) appeared on the second volume of Woodstock performances. Soon after Woodstock, Smart was replaced by Laurence "Corky" Laing.[2] who was the drummer on the classic Climbing!, which was released in March 1970.[1] It led off with what became the band's signature song, "Mississippi Queen", which reached #21 in the Billboard Hot 100, and being featured in the 1971 cult film Vanishing Point, while the album reached #17 in the Billboard 200.[2] Mountain's video game debut came in 2007 on RedOctane's Guitar Hero III, featuring "Mississippi Queen" as a playable track. The song is also featured in the Harmonix video game Rock Band, although the version featured is a cover of the studio recording. Fellow Long Island native Howard Stern has called Mountain one of his favourite bands and has occasionally played their music on his show. Other Mountain fans included Johnny Ramone, Karma to Burn, and John Frusciante (the Red Hot Chili Peppers track "Readymade" off 2006's Stadium Arcadium features a Mountain-influenced riff). The band headed out on the road during Oc...