NOT ONLY ONE OF THE BEST ROCK BLUES GUITAR PLAYERS OF HIS TIME… AND STILL STANDS THE TEST OF TIME… BUT ALSO, ONE OF THE BEST ROCK BLUES SINGERS THERE WAS! WHAT A POWERHOUSE… AND ONE HECK OF A NICE GUY AS WELL !
Leslie west is a legend. When Hendrix was in NYC he used to regularly jam with Leslie ...one played guitar the other bass....yup,Leslie played guitar ..Jimi bass.
Me, too. Those bands and Jeff Beck, Doors, Stones, Deep Purple, Savoy Brown, Climax Blues Band, Led Zep, Traffic, Cream, Blodwyn Pig, Tull, Jefferson Airplane on and on…. Only wish I had listened to Lynyrd Skynyrd.. Sure I knew Home Sweet Alabama.. but man oh man.. I had no idea how freakin’ Amazing they were in the studio and live!! I did not know their others music.. Making up for lost time.
Leslie West was simply INCREDIBLE. As a Blues guitar player, I would fu*king KILL to have the "Pipes" that this man had....AHH...that VOICE! And he was one of the most DECENT people you would ever want to meet. He suffered a LOT in his last few years which was tragic. God Bless You brother...wherever you are.
Mountain not being in the rock and roll hall of fame is fucking ridiculous. In my opinion, half of the motherfuckersd in there .should not be. You leave Mountain out, and you completely de-legitimize the whole thing !!!
Mr.Mountain West 9:58 is still alive in a lot of hearts and we listen i believe he hears and even tho is unfair not in RRHF think it bothers the fans more than Mr. Mountain he played from his heart and soul and for hiself. If you loved it great if not too bad He was his own gallo of fame every time he picked up a guitar and with every note he grunted out and every sideway snile and shifted eye look he gave his band commrades he was a one of a kind atar from the start King of genius Distortion dont RIP PLAY LOUD AND LONG so we can hear you from the Mangic Mountain in the heavens
Got to see them in this era because they were an unknown band still doing the high school and bar circuit within an hour's drive of where Lesslie lived. I still have a bootleg tape of that show, which is now on YT via someone else who was at the same show. Search YT with "Mountain at New Cannan High School" and you will hear what I heard back then. It was recorded with a Tandberg open real machine and a pair of Shure Unidine mics which I personally signed out of another HS AV department, without knowing where it was going. I got a copy for doing that favor.
It's cool Steve ,as long as you got the Memory you haven't lost anything , I give thanks for You Tube for stepping up to replace the loss of Independent Progressive FM Radio
Yep, I’ve found that the longer you live the more friends, family, and idols from your youth just fade away. Sometimes I feel like I left here with Taylor Swift and maybe TH-cam to bring back the memories
@@dr.barrycohn5461 I was a little too young to see Mountain in their heyday. Fortunately, I saw the re-formed band with Leslie & Corky on several occasions. I'm very grateful since LW was a big influence on my playing 😀
I opened for mountain one time in the 80,s . Leslie west used my amps that day cause they flew up to Toronto , needless to say I am still thrilled 35 yrs later , see ya on the other side Leslie .
A band that was meant to play live. All their albums should have been live like Twin Peeks. They just always seem to hit the mark live. Even a wrong note now and then from Leslies guitar which must have always been out of tune the way he attacked that thing, but even that would somehow fit like a glove. Gone are the days a band plays live with no tech help like there is today, where they're just out there playing and let what will happen happen. It was that rawness this band captured like few others. RIP Leslie and Felix, thanks for music that saw me through rough times.
The Woodstock film should have had more performances instead of so much crowd nonsense. Leslie West and Mountain were so underappreciated. Amazing musicians. RIP
Leslie said the producers of the movie approached Mountain's manager about appearing in the movie. Each act was offered scale for the appearance but their manager insisted on a larger fee so they passed. He always attributed this to Mountain not getting the acclaim they deserved, especially with groups like Ten Years After, Santana, and Sly and the Family Stone gaining popularity from their visibility in the movie.
Hey you're right. I forgot Felix passed....well, he was actually murdered. Sad. But then in the other hand we can't be too down with the music they left us.
He sure was, along with the Sunn PA rig he originally used, but he could make any rig sound like him. He played Dennis Miller’s talk show in ‘92 with a Steinberger Series P with the H-S-S pickup combo through a couple of Marshal stacks. He sounded a little different, but you could still tell it was him. th-cam.com/video/Mwql7NyQI4k/w-d-xo.html
Leslie West, the man that made Motorhead’s Wurzel snort coke off his boot in a toilet stall. At least that is what Lemmy says in his book Whiteline Fever.
Besides Hendrix, my favorite guitarists of that time were, Leslie West, and Ritchie Blackmore.. However, I would have to give Terry Kath a serious Honorable Mention...
seen him with West Bruce and Laing was7th heaven Mountain and Cream No's and of course there own w.b.l.music as well I was influenced by him Clapton Hendrix and Santana
I don't think that Mountain had any radio hits from the first album, which was a Leslie West album, called Mountain initially. I wonder how popular they were before Woodstock. They sound so good here.
My favorite album is”Mountain Climbing”& let’s not forget about his later group of West,Bruce,&Laing!The album rock station WPLJ in NYC used “Mississippi Queen”as their opening promo song at one time.
I saw Mountain at the Santa Monica Civic and what a presence Leslie West was on stage. What a sound, and what a dimension he added to the guitar. Not to mention he was the size of a double wide Fridgidair!
I feel fortunate to have seen Mountain once in 1974, Incredible band! and Leslie West is one of a kind!! Rock on with all the other guitarist in Heaven.
Omg!! I can’t believe they cut this out of the movie. Leslie west is amazing! I discovered him at 14 along with Jimi Hendrix in my brothers record collection. on the back of the Mountain album in small print it says “this record was meant to be played LOUD!!” I thought that was the coolest thing at 14 I’m now 57 and still crank my stereo UP! Rip Leslie
Bobby Caldwell did the best 5/4 rock I know of. Second best was Cream's "White Room" intro. We should do more 5/4 Rock because that bass line gets sick, and nicely out front.
I knew they were at Woodstock, but have always wondered why some of this footage wasn't included in the movie. Under appreciated band, and Leslie West one of the best guitarists of the era.
@@seesaw1969 ... many of the bands didn't make the movie at all. Some of that was due to contractual issues of not getting paid for the actual performance (Woodstock Ventures went broke) and some was about it not being a good enough recording to release. (technical issues) Woodstock Ventures didn't dig out of their financial hole till they sold the movie rights a year later, although the album release did help a little. Even that didn't have all the bands on it. Decades later I would actually work with the guy who did sound for this festival. (Bill Hanley) He told all the dark secrets of how bad the working conditions were on that stormy weekend. It's amazing anything electric related worked at all!
This is The first time I see this performance Leslie West had this charisma and persona that made him a great frontman and legend beside his abillities in guitar playing and singing and songwriting Rip Leslie West
@@thewkovacs316 Mountain was only on the Woodstock II album, not the original Woodstock 3 record, too! That's when my friends and I were turned on to them. Hell for the opportunity Mountain would've had from the movie exposure they should have appeared for free! I'm surprised Felix didn't figure that out? Sometimes less is more. It's like I've always been a huge Johnny Winter fan. Johnny was on the road to recovery thanks to Paul Nelson his manager and Johnny's wife Susan. Prior to Johnny's Crossroads Guitar Festival appearance in '07 his gigs were small club's at $10-15 per ticket. After he got exposure from the '07 Crossroads dvd there was renewed interest. Johnny's tix were $40-50 and the gigs were sold out!
@@brianwells4507 santana were pretty much only playing small gigs in the bay area before woodstock...the appearance in the movie turned them into "overnight" superstars. shanana were a college group doing oldies and 2 minutes of them in the film gave them a career definitely hurt the beach boys when they turned down the offer to appear. why certain groups and performers didnt see the impact the festival could have on their careers, knowing what happened to a lot of performers after monterey pop to people like janice, is beyond me. the mysteries of life.
@@thewkovacs316 Tommy James and the Shondells also had a chance to play Woodstock, and their manager dropped the ball. Called Tommy on the phone and said "some farmer in upstate New York wants you to play a show in his cornfield" or something to that order, without explaining what the event truly was. Tommy turned it down, thinking it was a joke, or some private event instead of the big thing it turned out to be. He still had hits after 1969, but regretted not playing Woodstock. And it was all due to the way his manager described the coming event.
@@chriscampbell9191 some people just didnt see the forest for the trees. the only person who really had a good excuse for not being there after being asked was joni mitchell, because she had already been booked on cavett...and she ended up writing one of the greatest songs about the event, and wasnt even there to see it.
Mountain playing on the CU campus in Boulder, often... That's the mem they left us with, with the Rockies as a backdrop? Pappalardi bouncing all around the stage....It worked
I played with a guy in High School and he had one of those Jr. Les Paul's and it was badass! He would get such a great sound with it! But he insisted on playing his lame post CBS buyout Strat. I used to tell him, burn that thing and pick up that baby Paul. He was a "Clapton man" so he would always want to use it. Those things had KILLER tone and sustain. West sure did get his too sing!
Gary Rossington from Lynyrd Skynyrd used to get similar sustain from his Les Paul as well, listen to the intro of “That Smell” by Lynyrd Skynyrd for some wicked sustain 🔥
saw mountain in their hayday i think my ears are still ringing.. at one point in the show felix said to the crowd ladies and gentlemen mr leslie west and everyone left the stage except leslie as he then payed homage to his guitar hero's and contemporaries launching into little wing, badge, and a combo of jeff beck songs. what a show.
It certainly wouldn’t have been the 60’s without Leslie West and Mountain. A mountain a man with those gigantic hands and bombastic lyrics and singing style. Subtle and clean, he ranks up there with Clapton. His famous tone, melodic leads, and heavy chord work makes him unequalled. Notice too, not too many fuzz boxes to step on, or not using a wah-wah completes his greatness! Pappalardi, Cream’s producer; reproduces Jack Bruce’s playing style and sound, with Corky Laing, the foundation of Mountain. Terry Knight on keyboards blends perfectly and compliments Leslie’s sound.
Weren’t they using those Sunn coliseum PA amps? They were some of the first amps with the gain stage in them. But I don’t know how they got them to Woodstock.
@@georgeredhawk1996 Owned & used a Sunn Coliseum in the early 70s, it gave up the ghost after we moved to Missouri, in a bar near St Louis with " country current". Bought a '75-76 SVT, 16x10s, never looked back, still have the amp & cabs. It wasn't cheap at the time, but still cookin' after decades of torture.😁 As for me, modern day musicians get caught up with all the hype pushed by manufacturers. If you can't sound good on " a good rig" you probably can't sound good on an expensive rig, IMHO. Hype is king today. I've heard recordings get a great, solid sound from a Shure SM 57 on vocals, & others absolutely crucify vocals with a $3000 mic. In the early days, it's said Brian Wilson loved the 57 for lead vocals in the studio, so, who can fault that?
@@chiefline7084 You're not comprehending what I'm saying. Page played a Tele through a 10 watt Supro on the first album, he also used a Danelectro, as Hendrix did occasionally. Burns, Univox, Ibanez, Aria, Epiphone, Teisco, Tokai, etc, etc, etc....., could all be used to make great music if set up properly played by a gifted musician, along with inexpensive amps if a player used them right. Today inexpensive imports are of much better quality than many way overpriced USA made guitars, amps. If you can't get good tone out of these guitars, you probably can't get good tone with ANY hyped, overpriced axe. Yeah, I know very well about Les Pauls & Marshall's, Ampegs, we used them exclusively in the 70s & early 80s. I still have my '76 SVT & 2 cabs, along with original Eden, Yorkville & Hartke combos. In the early 2000s I worked for about 8 years in a fairly large music store, normally around 5 to 6 hundred guitars & a couple hundred amps, including Marshall, Sunn, Ampeg, Trace Elliot, Crate, Fender, etc. As a bassist I normally used Gibsons(Thunderbird, EBO) Rickenbacker, Fenders, but I now have an assortment of imports too, some as good as any USA models I've ever played. I was totally amazed at the quality of some of the imports, particularly at their price point compared to overpriced, ego hyping brand names. I love 'em myself! The Beatles loved Epiphones in the 60s-70s, didn't they, you know, the "cheap Gibsons"! No guitar is worth the money people pay for vintage, once affordable guitars & music gear, except those who need their ego boosted. That's what I'm talking about, as you asked. Just like a WW2 fighter pilot, it wasn't so much the aircraft as it was in him utilizing it properly.
West favored Gibson Les Paul Juniors (with the single P90 in the bridge position) and those were the cheaper “student” models, but they were still expensive, as they were Gibsons. Still though - guitarists back then tended to use simpler setups with fewer pedals, which I definitely prefer.
Great guitar player. He had a real feel for music. At Woodstock, he sort of looks like Andre the Giant... a shorter version. But man he could play. RIP
That's so true, a Rock'n'roll Andre the Giant, Check out the documentary"Festival Express " about the 1970 Canadian Railroad trip across Canada with various groups including Mountain and shows a scene of Leslie West looking out of the train window while practicing his guitar while watching the scenery roll by
The man was given a Sunn PA head to play that evening. That's all they had. So he walked up to it, dimed everything and that was Leslie's sound. Through a Les Paul Jr with a P90... you can see the sweat cascading as the day was ending at a sweltering 85 degrees and humidity. The sweaty fingerprints on the guitar body and neck tells you everything you needed to know about the conditions yet he still made everything sound like nothing you've ever heard before. Leslie was one of a kind, true talent, no gimmicks. RIP
No doubt and it really does lend credence to the fact that, you can have the most expensive amplifier, head, guitar, and whatever other effects gimmick you'd like, raw talent is going to win 10/10. All that sht gets you only so far. In the end, it still needs to be played. A great player with mediocre equipment will win over a bad player with the best equipment every single time. Having good band members to compliment you obviously plays a great deal as well. I'm sure those guitar strings rusted off by the next day because of the ounces of sweat they became saturated in.
He didn't just play. He made the guitar speak. I've noticed players like Leslie, Duane Allman and other greats, used the guitar as another vocalist. They made it sing everytime.
TU - RIP LESLIE! He was facking possessed this nite. 5:25 Leslie barks to Felix "CMON"! LOL. Only had the Woodstock Vol 1 & 2 LPs. So thanks 2020 for all the video!
Felix (God rest his soul) apparently fumble Theme for an Imaginary Western at Woodstock. Woodstock II (album) had a substitute flawless performance. Felix was a very good producer (and writer and performer). Two more live cuts from Woodstock are found on The Road Goes Ever On (Long Red and Waiting to Take You Away). Great Music.
@@christophercouch7116 Many bands were cut. But as evident from this clip, and those other two mentioned, room could have been made (indeed, the live sound Mountain produced was tighter, richer, fuller, better than many that made the cut).
Now you're talking! I idolize Felix Pappalardi as a Bassist and Composer. I became a Bass Player after listening to Mountain's "Live" version of Stormy Monday" off the triple album "The First Great Rock Festivals Of The Seventies". I was thirteen years old in 1970 and attending Pacoima Junior High School in Pacoima, California. My late brother Anthony , who was a Guitarist, once brought hone a Gibson catalog from "Cassell's Music " in San Fernando, California and there was Felix Pappalardi's Gibson EB1 Violin Bass! It was still being made and sold but was too expensive for my parents to buy me one! My first ever Rock Concert was seeing WEST, BRUCE & LAING at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California in April, 1973. I was only 15 years old But, I really wanted to see Felix Pappalardi and Mountain but they broke up in 1972! Seeing West, Bruce & Laing gave me a taste of Pop/Rock worship when a girl standing next to me kept flailing her arms screaming "Jack!", "Jack!" at Jack Bruce whom I also idolize as a Bass Player and Composer. Honestly, I much preferred Pappalardi's style in that he was always locked into the rhythm section whilst playing cool riffs. Also, Cream came earlier and they were innovators. Felix Pappalardi produced Cream's recordings. Mountain was more my generation. Also, I identified with Pappalardi in that he was Italian but he looked Mexican~American! Felix Pappalardi was the coolest Bass Player! REST IN ETERNAL PEACE ~ FELIX A. PAPPALARDI JR.
@@sallyadams1762 Jack Bruce for sure. Funny thing, was listening to Wings Across America & said to myself, WOW his bass player is amazing. Gotta read the liner notes. This dude rocks. Duh. Its Paul. At least I figured it out before I checked.
@@raulmacias5735 Great album that almost nobody knows about. I learned so much from that record as a kid-my first exposure to Miles i think. I had Mountain albums but it was cool to find this jam that was the whole side of a record. Did you know that one Felix's first gigs was playing in an old time ragtime band with Max Morath from Duluth MN who was also a public TV pioneer.
R.I.P. Mr. West! Thank you for giving this 20 year old bassist/acoustic guitarist an example of what kind of guitarist/vocalist I hope to play with someday !
Love Leslie West and all the appreciation for him in the Comments, but anyone else noticing how monstrous Felix Pappalardi’s bass sound is here?! Reminds me of Jack Bruce in Cream.
Leslie & Felix Pappalardi were unbelievable & lost because these these kids now days will never be exposed to their music. Also the best album covers ever!!!
Very cool! I've never seen any footage of Felix Pappalardi playing before. He was one of the cats who made me want to be a bass-player back in the early 1970s...
was watchin randy rhodes: reflections of a guitar icon on prime and randy said one of his influences, though they changed for him as he grew, was this guy. so i came to yt to see why cause the name barely rung a bell with me. the first recommendation of course was mississippi queen and i was like oh yeah. so that being pretty much my only real exposure to these guys i scrolled down a bit and found this little gem. it's clear as to why ole boy was such an influence on him. thanks for postin.
I was there too.. You probably saw me.. I was the guy who took 3 hits of acid and climbed to the top of the light tower.. They had to bring in a fire truck to get me down.. It's a miracle I didn't fall off.. I tripped so hard I didn't know who I was or where I was at for almost 36 hours..
Great footage of the band! There song: Yasgers Farm is one of the great rock and roll anthems of all time. I saw Leslie West play with the Legends tour( in Akron) in 1982. I would have loved to have seen Mountain back in the day.
Hey! Beside the sea, you and me Breaking wave, silver sea Deep in love, stars above Walk together, hand in hand We made a wall, beside the sea Dreamin dreams for, you and me Time goes by, beneath the sky Moonkissed light, silver you We played today, so many ways Two of us, share it all We take a walk, beside the sea Dream a dream for, you and me We Take a walk, beside the sea Dreaming dreams for, you and me When we're old, both cold cold Moon-kissed light, silver you We play today, so many ways Two of us, share it all We Take a walk, beside the sea Keeping dreams for, you and me
It makes me wonder what tones he would have generated on this song fo example, if he had used a different Les Paul, like one of those three pick up jobs! I get it though, because often, when I've used a guitar with two humbuckers, I use the bridge pick-up only most of the time! May as well turn up all of the knobs, and put the selector switch on "bridge" and then break off all of the knobs!
Not in the hall of fame? They should shut the thing down !! Leslie would have destroyed 95% of the guitarists in there.
hear, hear..!!
Hey Tom dont sweat.Kool Moe D is in the Rock and Roll hall of fame🙄
Styx isn’t there as well, say a lot more about the HoF than the artist themselves.
Ted Nugent isn't in there either. Look at some of the "Artists" who are and think about that. Really, think about it. F the Hall of Shame
There's no one like Leslie West- best timing ever!
NOT ONLY ONE OF THE BEST ROCK BLUES GUITAR PLAYERS OF HIS TIME… AND STILL STANDS THE TEST OF TIME… BUT ALSO, ONE OF THE BEST ROCK BLUES SINGERS THERE WAS! WHAT A POWERHOUSE… AND ONE HECK OF A NICE GUY AS WELL !
Leslie west is a legend. When Hendrix was in NYC he used to regularly jam with Leslie ...one played guitar the other bass....yup,Leslie played guitar ..Jimi bass.
ALL HAIL LESLIE WEST! That guy had sooo much power in his guitar and voice, he's truly not appreciated like he should be. RIP!
A MOUNTAIN of a man, tone, and just fucking REDICULOUS talent...R.I.P. Leslie.... TRULY one of a kind...
right on brother...
I am still missing Leslie. From his early Vagrants days, he displayed complete brilliance.
he abused those guitars, too make them wail
Love that missing tooth smile!
Truly
R.I.P Big Man TASTEY LICKS , KILLER TONE!!!
Get on the train, get on the southbound train [:] 0
I always forget that Leslie did Woodstock. Man, what a memory to have for any artist.....even though it's probably pretty blurry.
@@josephconsoli4128 I had forgotten too.
Should of had a clip in the movie
@@davidmatela9868 Yeah, that movie really butchered the concert. Many performances were overdubbed too like Canned Heat's "Going Up To The Country".
This guy should be heralded as the Godfather of American hard rock period. Total package
Considering he was doing this heavy stuff back in 1966 (check out The Vagrants live Satisfaction cover), I wholeheartedly agree
One of the forefathers of heavy metal.
He is in the rock hierarchy
Mountain, Steppenwolf, James Gang, Ten Years After, Hendrix, Allman Brothers, CCR were the bands I listened to a lot when I was growing up.
Ditto
Me too. Add Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Grand Funk, Pink Floyd, Stones, CSN&Y, Zappa/ Mothers. So many great bands back then.
And Santana, Jethro Tull, New Riders of the Purple Sage and Steve Miller Band, those years had amazing soundtrack to them
Me, too. Those bands and Jeff Beck, Doors, Stones, Deep Purple, Savoy Brown, Climax Blues Band, Led Zep, Traffic, Cream, Blodwyn Pig, Tull, Jefferson Airplane on and on…. Only wish I had listened to Lynyrd Skynyrd.. Sure I knew Home Sweet Alabama.. but man oh man.. I had no idea how freakin’ Amazing they were in the studio and live!! I did not know their others music.. Making up for lost time.
All the "stoners with boners" are representin' here!
One of the biggest gaffs in rock history that Mountain wasn't in the movie. Can you imagine how big they could've become? Shouldah, couldah ,wouldah.
El mundo aun no estaba preparado para el rock pesado.
I heard there manager told them not to be in the movie
As a Mountain fan from the 70s I can say the world needs to hear more Mountain.
Pfff... A one-hit wonder band!
Leslie West was simply INCREDIBLE. As a Blues guitar player, I would fu*king KILL to have the "Pipes" that this man had....AHH...that VOICE! And he was one of the most DECENT people you would ever want to meet. He suffered a LOT in his last few years which was tragic. God Bless You brother...wherever you are.
Yes .he suffered from diabetic complications.
Great stuff... truly that 1968-1970 phase in rock n roll was unreal.
Great Periode for music
Nice to see Felix on the Bass...poor guy RIP. Since 1983.
The wifie
That sustain just goes for days. What a beast.
I'm 57 and feel ripped off
I've really only heard Mississippi Queen until now
He was extraordinary
Glad you and maybe others discovered Mountain. What a unique sound... "if you know what I mean."
You must check out the Mountain Climbing and Nantucket Sleighride albums!
Leslie was one of the greatest talents in rock history! That Les Paul Jr spoke in his hands!
Fabulous talent. He was never recognized as much as he should. Great guy.
YEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHH [:] 0
Mountain not being in the rock and roll hall of fame is fucking ridiculous. In my opinion, half of the motherfuckersd in there .should not be. You leave Mountain out, and you completely de-legitimize the whole thing !!!
@@tomcampbell9645 omg! didn't bother to check and I didn't realize that. No Mountain, then the whole thing is a joke.
A total shredder and a beast on the strings he never really got his just due . RIP 😔
Mr.Mountain West 9:58 is still alive in a lot of hearts and we listen i believe he hears and even tho is unfair not in RRHF think it bothers the fans more than Mr. Mountain he played from his heart and soul and for hiself. If you loved it great if not too bad
He was his own gallo of fame every time he picked up a guitar and with every note he grunted out and every sideway snile and shifted eye look he gave his band commrades he was a one of a kind atar from the start King of genius Distortion dont RIP PLAY LOUD AND LONG so we can hear you from the Mangic Mountain in the heavens
Sometimes…when you hear the real thing…it’s thrilling and humbling.
This is the real shit.
His voice, guitar playing and guitar tone, it's one. Man Leslie is spot on!
Got to see them in this era because they were an unknown band still doing the high school and bar circuit within an hour's drive of where Lesslie lived. I still have a bootleg tape of that show, which is now on YT via someone else who was at the same show. Search YT with "Mountain at New Cannan High School" and you will hear what I heard back then. It was recorded with a Tandberg open real machine and a pair of Shure Unidine mics which I personally signed out of another HS AV department, without knowing where it was going. I got a copy for doing that favor.
I love your story so much!!!!!
Saddens me. Losing my youth day by day. Cheers everyone.
It's cool Steve ,as long as you got the Memory you haven't lost anything , I give thanks for You Tube for stepping up to replace the loss of Independent Progressive FM Radio
I know!!!😭 This year the world has lost MANY MANY great giants it the music industry....He was mega talented✌️💜☮️💜
It’s just the beginning we got a lot more pillars of our youth about to fall away
Yep, I’ve found that the longer you live the more friends, family, and idols from your youth just fade away. Sometimes I feel like I left here with Taylor Swift and maybe TH-cam to bring back the memories
It’s only entertainment.
I have never seen this footage! THANK YOU!
When talking about great 3 man bands,why is Mountain never included?
West is simply magnificent n incredible..maybe many rock fans still unawared of West...a genuine blues rock artist was west
This footage is incredible! Leslie's tone here is about the sweetest I've ever heard him
For sure!
I was there at Woodstock and there were much better sounding live then. But,, sheet, they were much better at my college in 1974.
@@dr.barrycohn5461 I was a little too young to see Mountain in their heyday. Fortunately, I saw the re-formed band with Leslie & Corky on several occasions. I'm very grateful since LW was a big influence on my playing 😀
I opened for mountain one time in the 80,s . Leslie west used my amps that day cause they flew up to Toronto , needless to say I am still thrilled 35 yrs later , see ya on the other side Leslie .
What a thrill that must have been, Pete. As a guitarist, I share your sentiments. If only!!!
The closest I got was playing the same venue and standing in the same spot.. how cool to have supported him... most excellent
You lucky bastard 👌
My thoughts exactly, except between the lucky and bastard I might have inserted an additional adjective! Catholic school...lol!
Somewhere pappalardi is smiling ...
Note to self: buy a Mountain CD
As a brit, it don't pain me to say, mountain are far better than cream.
Cream sounded a lot like FELIX PAPPALARDI
A band that was meant to play live. All their albums should have been live like Twin Peeks. They just always seem to hit the mark live. Even a wrong note now and then from Leslies guitar which must have always been out of tune the way he attacked that thing, but even that would somehow fit like a glove. Gone are the days a band plays live with no tech help like there is today, where they're just out there playing and let what will happen happen. It was that rawness this band captured like few others. RIP Leslie and Felix, thanks for music that saw me through rough times.
Appreciate
I'm hoping you've heard the live side of the "Flowers of Evil" LP
killer lead guitar player with a killer voice..RIP
I would match Leslie West up against anyone !!!
@@tomcampbell9645 And he was only 23 when this was recorded.
I didn't know that Mountain played Woodstock! You always hear about the same 2-3 acts. Sad news here.
The Woodstock film should have had more performances instead of so much crowd nonsense. Leslie West and Mountain were so underappreciated. Amazing musicians. RIP
Leslie said the producers of the movie approached Mountain's manager about appearing in the movie. Each act was offered scale for the appearance but their manager insisted on a larger fee so they passed. He always attributed this to Mountain not getting the acclaim they deserved, especially with groups like Ten Years After, Santana, and Sly and the Family Stone gaining popularity from their visibility in the movie.
@@spicy321 Great insight! I had no idea. What a shame for Mountain!
Some of their set is on the Woodstock 2 record. Blood of the Sun and Theme from an Imaginary western, I think.
@@rik061154 Thanks!
You've been reunited with your old buddy Felix. R.I.P. brother.
Hey you're right. I forgot Felix passed....well, he was actually murdered. Sad. But then in the other hand we can't be too down with the music they left us.
Damn
Damn
@@drillshend1 wow
Steve Knight too don't forget.
Leslie West was not an ordinary man...He was THE Mountain!
RIP Leslie, master of the LP jr.
Agreed!!!Gotta love the LP Jr. & LW. Another great player gone
When talent met a beginners guitar Les Paul Jr and made history, you know the guitar just did what the guitar master had to give.
He sure was, along with the Sunn PA rig he originally used, but he could make any rig sound like him. He played Dennis Miller’s talk show in ‘92 with a Steinberger Series P with the H-S-S pickup combo through a couple of Marshal stacks. He sounded a little different, but you could still tell it was him.
th-cam.com/video/Mwql7NyQI4k/w-d-xo.html
Two controls and a p90 pickup.
Leslie West, the man that made Motorhead’s Wurzel snort coke off his boot in a toilet stall. At least that is what Lemmy says in his book Whiteline Fever.
Nobody ever made P90 pickups sound better. Leslie was a master.
les paul jr. and sunn amps. dirtiest sound of that era.
Besides Hendrix, my favorite guitarists of that time were, Leslie West, and Ritchie Blackmore.. However, I would have to give Terry Kath a serious Honorable Mention...
Ya Buddy, Leslie and the P-90, Rules, I bought a 1958 Les Paul Junior when i was 16 years old because of Leslie, R.I.P. To The Master,
seen him with West Bruce and Laing was7th heaven Mountain and Cream No's and of course there own w.b.l.music as well I was influenced by him Clapton Hendrix and Santana
@@tomitstube Yeah, Sunn PA amps w/ master volume to overdrive that Gibby.
That bass player just kills it. Wish i was there but my dad said no.
I don't think that Mountain had any radio hits from the first album, which was a Leslie West album, called Mountain initially. I wonder how popular they were before Woodstock. They sound so good here.
Great riff, tone and voice!!! Love it!!!
RIP Leslie: monster of tone !
Monster tone!
How about some love for Felix Papalardi on bass.
Truly distinctive tone!
My favorite album is”Mountain Climbing”& let’s not forget about his later group of West,Bruce,&Laing!The album rock station WPLJ in NYC used “Mississippi Queen”as their opening promo song at one time.
Gotdamn. The algorithm suggested this. Fucking gold.
I saw Mountain at the Santa Monica Civic and what a presence Leslie West was on stage. What a sound, and what a dimension he added to the guitar. Not to mention he was the size of a double wide Fridgidair!
He had to have a big body to contain the heart and soul he had for his musical expression. Loved that man.
I feel fortunate to have seen Mountain once in 1974, Incredible band! and Leslie West is one of a kind!! Rock on with all the other guitarist in Heaven.
Should be in top 25 guitar players. Leslie always sounded great. That second song at least should have been in the movie.
Safe travels, dear friend.
One of a kind.Mountain rocks like a runaway train.
A rocky voice and a heavy guitar playing, but the result is one of the most beautiful and subtle rock musics ever made... RIP Leslie West.
Omg!! I can’t believe they cut this out of the movie. Leslie west is amazing! I discovered him at 14 along with Jimi Hendrix in my brothers record collection. on the back of the Mountain album in small print it says “this record was meant to be played LOUD!!” I thought that was the coolest thing at 14 I’m now 57 and still crank my stereo UP! Rip Leslie
I remember that, was it "Mountain, Climbing"?
hahaha oh man If you only knew how many album covers telling us to turn up the volume for best experience there were! :D Those were the days!
Does your stereo go up to 11??!
@@chrislambert5571neat, the original LP’s for Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars had this label also
Bobby Caldwell did the best 5/4 rock I know of.
Second best was Cream's "White Room" intro.
We should do more 5/4 Rock because that bass line gets sick, and nicely out front.
I knew they were at Woodstock, but have always wondered why some of this footage wasn't included in the movie. Under appreciated band, and Leslie West one of the best guitarists of the era.
money and managers , i guess
@@seesaw1969 ... many of the bands didn't make the movie at all. Some of that was due to contractual issues of not getting paid for the actual performance (Woodstock Ventures went broke) and some was about it not being a good enough recording to release. (technical issues) Woodstock Ventures didn't dig out of their financial hole till they sold the movie rights a year later, although the album release did help a little. Even that didn't have all the bands on it. Decades later I would actually work with the guy who did sound for this festival. (Bill Hanley) He told all the dark secrets of how bad the working conditions were on that stormy weekend. It's amazing anything electric related worked at all!
I agree. I'd heard of Mountain, but this is the first time I've seen this footage. What a talented band!
@@philipstein1359 ... BTW, Felix (the bass player) was pals with Jack Bruce so maybe you can hear the influence.
@@rupe53
Aah, ...... the penny's just dropped, what was it, 'Theme from an Imaginary Western'? Now I understand the connection!
Oh my I love it, I wish I cud a been there, but I was just a lil too young, but my how the music of the 60s lives on & rocks ✌️💯💖🌺😁ty for sharing!⭐
tastey, nasty and dangerous, how rock n roll should be. RIP Leslie
Just something about these old songs that were lengthy and still captivate the whole time.
R.I.P one of my guitar hero
thanks frank leslie west great licks bring back good memories
Nantucket sleigh ride! Leslie West dwarfed guitars, made them look like toys in his hands. Music of an era long gone but here in our dreams.
Lovin it. Just can't get enough of Woodstock '69 .
This is The first time I see this performance Leslie West had this charisma and persona that made him a great frontman and legend beside his abillities in guitar playing and singing and songwriting
Rip Leslie West
mountain's manager was an idiot
refused to allow this performance to be in the movie because the band wasnt offered enough money
dumb, dumb, dumb
@@thewkovacs316 Mountain was only on the Woodstock II album, not the original Woodstock 3 record, too! That's when my friends and I were turned on to them. Hell for the opportunity Mountain would've had from the movie exposure they should have appeared for free! I'm surprised Felix didn't figure that out? Sometimes less is more. It's like I've always been a huge Johnny Winter fan. Johnny was on the road to recovery thanks to Paul Nelson his manager and Johnny's wife Susan. Prior to Johnny's Crossroads Guitar Festival appearance in '07 his gigs were small club's at $10-15 per ticket. After he got exposure from the '07 Crossroads dvd there was renewed interest. Johnny's tix were $40-50 and the gigs were sold out!
@@brianwells4507 santana were pretty much only playing small gigs in the bay area before woodstock...the appearance in the movie turned them into "overnight" superstars.
shanana were a college group doing oldies and 2 minutes of them in the film gave them a career
definitely hurt the beach boys when they turned down the offer to appear.
why certain groups and performers didnt see the impact the festival could have on their careers, knowing what happened to a lot of performers after monterey pop to people like janice, is beyond me. the mysteries of life.
@@thewkovacs316 Tommy James and the Shondells also had a chance to play Woodstock, and their manager dropped the ball. Called Tommy on the phone and said "some farmer in upstate New York wants you to play a show in his cornfield" or something to that order, without explaining what the event truly was. Tommy turned it down, thinking it was a joke, or some private event instead of the big thing it turned out to be. He still had hits after 1969, but regretted not playing Woodstock. And it was all due to the way his manager described the coming event.
@@chriscampbell9191 some people just didnt see the forest for the trees. the only person who really had a good excuse for not being there after being asked was joni mitchell, because she had already been booked on cavett...and she ended up writing one of the greatest songs about the event, and wasnt even there to see it.
That fuzz bass tone is to die for 😵 ❤
No one better. Ever. Than Mountain. If you want your rock heavy. We were local rock heros just bc we covered their songs.
I promised myself I'd check out 10 seconds of this.
9 minutes 57 seconds later.......
first time hearing and seeing this...just reminded me again of his greatness.....R.I.P. big man.......
Mountain playing on the CU campus in Boulder, often... That's the mem they left us with, with the Rockies as a backdrop? Pappalardi bouncing all around the stage....It worked
TRULY ONE OF ROCKs GREATEST BANDs . NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, THEY WERE MEANT TO BE.
That sustain at 7:20 gave me chills!!! Rock on Leslie!
It's wonderful, and he looks so happy while he's doing it.
I played with a guy in High School and he had one of those Jr. Les Paul's and it was badass! He would get such a great sound with it! But he insisted on playing his lame post CBS buyout Strat. I used to tell him, burn that thing and pick up that baby Paul. He was a "Clapton man" so he would always want to use it. Those things had KILLER tone and sustain. West sure did get his too sing!
awesome!!
Gary Rossington from Lynyrd Skynyrd used to get similar sustain from his Les Paul as well, listen to the intro of “That Smell” by Lynyrd Skynyrd for some wicked sustain 🔥
Dude that sustain was long enough to give me the chills 3 times! “You can go and have a bite and still hear that one!” 😉 😂
saw mountain in their hayday i think my ears are still ringing..
at one point in the show felix said to the crowd ladies and gentlemen mr leslie west and everyone left the stage except leslie as he then payed homage to his guitar hero's and contemporaries launching into little wing, badge, and a combo of jeff beck songs.
what a show.
It certainly wouldn’t have been the 60’s without Leslie West and Mountain. A mountain a man with those gigantic hands and bombastic lyrics and singing style. Subtle and clean, he ranks up there with Clapton. His famous tone, melodic leads, and heavy chord work makes him unequalled. Notice too, not too many fuzz boxes to step on, or not using a wah-wah completes his greatness! Pappalardi, Cream’s producer; reproduces Jack Bruce’s playing style and sound, with Corky Laing, the foundation of Mountain. Terry Knight on keyboards blends perfectly and compliments Leslie’s sound.
Yep, it's true! Musicians back in the day got killer tone on really inexpensive, simple gear I remember the days!
Weren’t they using those Sunn coliseum PA amps?
They were some of the first amps with the gain stage in them.
But I don’t know how they got them to Woodstock.
@@georgeredhawk1996 Owned & used a Sunn Coliseum in the early 70s, it gave up the ghost after we moved to Missouri, in a bar near St Louis with " country current". Bought a '75-76 SVT, 16x10s, never looked back, still have the amp & cabs. It wasn't cheap at the time, but still cookin' after decades of torture.😁 As for me, modern day musicians get caught up with all the hype pushed by manufacturers. If you can't sound good on " a good rig" you probably can't sound good on an expensive rig, IMHO. Hype is king today. I've heard recordings get a great, solid sound from a Shure SM 57 on vocals, & others absolutely crucify vocals with a $3000 mic. In the early days, it's said Brian Wilson loved the 57 for lead vocals in the studio, so, who can fault that?
@@chiefline7084 You're not comprehending what I'm saying. Page played a Tele through a 10 watt Supro on the first album, he also used a Danelectro, as Hendrix did occasionally. Burns, Univox, Ibanez, Aria, Epiphone, Teisco, Tokai, etc, etc, etc....., could all be used to make great music if set up properly played by a gifted musician, along with inexpensive amps if a player used them right. Today inexpensive imports are of much better quality than many way overpriced USA made guitars, amps. If you can't get good tone out of these guitars, you probably can't get good tone with ANY hyped, overpriced axe. Yeah, I know very well about Les Pauls & Marshall's, Ampegs, we used them exclusively in the 70s & early 80s. I still have my '76 SVT & 2 cabs, along with original Eden, Yorkville & Hartke combos. In the early 2000s I worked for about 8 years in a fairly large music store, normally around 5 to 6 hundred guitars & a couple hundred amps, including Marshall, Sunn, Ampeg, Trace Elliot, Crate, Fender, etc. As a bassist I normally used Gibsons(Thunderbird, EBO) Rickenbacker, Fenders, but I now have an assortment of imports too, some as good as any USA models I've ever played. I was totally amazed at the quality of some of the imports, particularly at their price point compared to overpriced, ego hyping brand names. I love 'em myself! The Beatles loved Epiphones in the 60s-70s, didn't they, you know, the
"cheap Gibsons"! No guitar is worth the money people pay for vintage, once affordable guitars & music gear, except those who need their ego boosted. That's what I'm talking about, as you asked. Just like a WW2 fighter pilot, it wasn't so much the aircraft as it was in him utilizing it properly.
West favored Gibson Les Paul Juniors (with the single P90 in the bridge position) and those were the cheaper “student” models, but they were still expensive, as they were Gibsons. Still though - guitarists back then tended to use simpler setups with fewer pedals, which I definitely prefer.
A crime this wasn't in the movie. Better than most performances
Great guitar player. He had a real feel for music. At Woodstock, he sort of looks like Andre the Giant... a shorter version. But man he could play. RIP
That's so true, a Rock'n'roll Andre the Giant, Check out the documentary"Festival Express " about the 1970 Canadian Railroad trip across Canada with various groups including Mountain and shows a scene of Leslie West looking out of the train window while practicing his guitar while watching the scenery roll by
listen carefully to Mountain ay WOODSTOCK WAY AHEAD OF THEIR TIME EXCEPT FOR HENDRIX AND TEN YEARS AFTER IT WAS THE BEST SHOW THERE
The man was given a Sunn PA head to play that evening. That's all they had. So he walked up to it, dimed everything and that was Leslie's sound. Through a Les Paul Jr with a P90... you can see the sweat cascading as the day was ending at a sweltering 85 degrees and humidity. The sweaty fingerprints on the guitar body and neck tells you everything you needed to know about the conditions yet he still made everything sound like nothing you've ever heard before. Leslie was one of a kind, true talent, no gimmicks. RIP
No doubt and it really does lend credence to the fact that, you can have the most expensive amplifier, head, guitar, and whatever other effects gimmick you'd like, raw talent is going to win 10/10. All that sht gets you only so far. In the end, it still needs to be played. A great player with mediocre equipment will win over a bad player with the best equipment every single time. Having good band members to compliment you obviously plays a great deal as well. I'm sure those guitar strings rusted off by the next day because of the ounces of sweat they became saturated in.
He didn't just play. He made the guitar speak. I've noticed players like Leslie, Duane Allman and other greats, used the guitar as another vocalist. They made it sing everytime.
@@RResidentAlienNNRobin trower
RIP Leslie West..
I saw Mountain open up for Sly and the Family Stone in ‘70-‘71 , one of my favorite bands
rest in peace. totally enjoyed your music
TU - RIP LESLIE! He was facking possessed this nite. 5:25 Leslie barks to Felix "CMON"! LOL. Only had the Woodstock Vol 1 & 2 LPs. So thanks 2020 for all the video!
Why they left this out of the movie wtf man!!!! Alone with ccr performance
Lawyers.
I just saw an interview with him where he said that he thought all the Woodstock footage was lost. Apparently it wasn't.
Felix (God rest his soul) apparently fumble Theme for an Imaginary Western at Woodstock. Woodstock II (album) had a substitute flawless performance. Felix was a very good producer (and writer and performer). Two more live cuts from Woodstock are found on The Road Goes Ever On (Long Red and Waiting to Take You Away). Great Music.
@@sbw8040 how many bands where cut from the movie....????? i had read somewhere that the band free was on the bill!!???
@@christophercouch7116 Many bands were cut. But as evident from this clip, and those other two mentioned, room could have been made (indeed, the live sound Mountain produced was tighter, richer, fuller, better than many that made the cut).
What a fucking beast, respect 🫡
Leslie's great but I'm a bass player. I'm here for Felix. So underrated as a musician.
Now you're talking!
I idolize Felix Pappalardi as a Bassist and Composer.
I became a Bass Player after listening to Mountain's "Live" version of Stormy Monday" off the triple album "The First Great Rock Festivals Of The Seventies".
I was thirteen years old in 1970 and attending Pacoima Junior High School in Pacoima, California.
My late brother Anthony , who was a Guitarist, once brought hone a Gibson catalog from "Cassell's Music " in San Fernando, California and there was Felix Pappalardi's Gibson EB1 Violin Bass!
It was still being made and sold but was too expensive for my parents to buy me one!
My first ever Rock Concert was seeing WEST, BRUCE & LAING at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California in April, 1973.
I was only 15 years old
But, I really wanted to see Felix Pappalardi and Mountain but they broke up in 1972!
Seeing West, Bruce & Laing gave me a taste of Pop/Rock worship when a girl standing next to me kept flailing her arms screaming "Jack!", "Jack!" at Jack Bruce whom I also idolize as a Bass Player and Composer.
Honestly, I much preferred Pappalardi's style in that he was always locked into the rhythm section whilst playing cool riffs.
Also, Cream came earlier and they were innovators. Felix Pappalardi produced Cream's recordings.
Mountain was more my generation.
Also, I identified with Pappalardi in that he was Italian but he looked Mexican~American!
Felix Pappalardi was the coolest Bass Player!
REST IN ETERNAL PEACE ~
FELIX A. PAPPALARDI JR.
I hear ya man…Bruce, Pappalardi,McCartney… who else???Players, composers….maybe Sting on the outside… God I got a racetrack!!! You know what I mean.
Love the Fuzz Tone. Excellent player. FELIX! I gotta fix my Big Muff. SuperFuzz BigMuff. Soldier? I think that's it. Best petal.
@@sallyadams1762 Jack Bruce for sure. Funny thing, was listening to Wings Across America & said to myself, WOW his bass player is amazing. Gotta read the liner notes. This dude rocks. Duh. Its Paul. At least I figured it out before I checked.
@@raulmacias5735 Great album that almost nobody knows about. I learned so much from that record as a kid-my first exposure to Miles i think. I had Mountain albums but it was cool to find this jam that was the whole side of a record. Did you know that one Felix's first gigs was playing in an old time ragtime band with Max Morath from Duluth MN who was also a public TV pioneer.
One pick up six strings and wood some loud fuckin amps and sheer will to wanna rock. Love this mans playing
Excellent! The best sideburns in the history of Rock and Roll.
Mungo Jerry solidly in the #2 slot 👍💪😂
@@Fresh-tw7ev And ELVIS ?
@@bak-mariterry9143 heavens yes
Bask in the warm glow of the fuzz and the vacuum tubes 🫠✌🏼
Love Felix's EB1, always wanted one.
R.I.P. Mr. West! Thank you for giving this 20 year old bassist/acoustic guitarist an example of what kind of guitarist/vocalist I hope to play with someday !
Love Leslie West and all the appreciation for him in the Comments, but anyone else noticing how monstrous Felix Pappalardi’s bass sound is here?! Reminds me of Jack Bruce in Cream.
Leslie & Felix Pappalardi were unbelievable & lost because these these kids now days will never be exposed to their music. Also the best album covers ever!!!
Very cool! I've never seen any footage of Felix Pappalardi playing before. He was one of the cats who made me want to be a bass-player back in the early 1970s...
Bassist and Producer Felix Pappalardi was shot and killed by his wife Gail Collins in 1983.
I am ashamed I didn't know this amazing musician existed. WOW. Rest in peace.
It 's really fabulous even today to be affected by the most hard-rock group that performed at Woodstock in August 1969... Simply monstrous talents!
Take that youngsters this is how your grandpa rocked you’ll never have the trippin times we did!
Bien dicho. Yo crecí escuchando esta música a inicios de los 70s. He sido un privilegiado. Saludos desde Perú.
They ruled the Fillmore East whenever they played - Cream of New York. So long, big man.
Thanks for posting! I love the early years! Felix with the fuzz box and Leslie ripping. RIP brother!
was watchin randy rhodes: reflections of a guitar icon on prime and randy said one of his influences, though they changed for him as he grew, was this guy. so i came to yt to see why cause the name barely rung a bell with me. the first recommendation of course was mississippi queen and i was like oh yeah. so that being pretty much my only real exposure to these guys i scrolled down a bit and found this little gem. it's clear as to why ole boy was such an influence on him. thanks for postin.
RIP Leslie West.. I saw this performance at Woodstock.
Wow, dude!! I wanted to go but I was in the navy at the time.
I’m so jealous!!
Think tinker so was I!
Awesome!
I was there too.. You probably saw me.. I was the guy who took 3 hits of acid and climbed to the top of the light tower.. They had to bring in a fire truck to get me down.. It's a miracle I didn't fall off.. I tripped so hard I didn't know who I was or where I was at for almost 36 hours..
Great footage of the band! There song: Yasgers Farm is one of the great rock and roll anthems of all time. I saw Leslie West play with the Legends tour( in Akron) in 1982. I would have loved to have seen Mountain back in the day.
R.I.P Leslie West a hell of a guitarist and vocalist. I love Mountain dearly. Another dead hero.
Hey!
Beside the sea, you and me
Breaking wave, silver sea
Deep in love, stars above
Walk together, hand in hand
We made a wall, beside the sea
Dreamin dreams for, you and me
Time goes by, beneath the sky
Moonkissed light, silver you
We played today, so many ways
Two of us, share it all
We take a walk, beside the sea
Dream a dream for, you and me
We Take a walk, beside the sea
Dreaming dreams for, you and me
When we're old, both cold cold
Moon-kissed light, silver you
We play today, so many ways
Two of us, share it all
We Take a walk, beside the sea
Keeping dreams for, you and me
THNX
Thank you brother
Close your eyes and know it’s Leslie playing in just a few notes ... a truly gifted legend who will be missed.
That signature style… 🔥🎸🔥
Leslie West could speak through his guitar. A real genius. He died on my birthday, what a loss.
Heavy riffs, blues rock licks and pinch harmonics. Leslie West was ahead of his time. R.I.P.
It makes me wonder what tones he would have generated on this song fo example, if he had used a different Les Paul, like one of those three pick up jobs! I get it though, because often, when I've used a guitar with two humbuckers, I use the bridge pick-up only most of the time! May as well turn up all of the knobs, and put the selector switch on "bridge" and then break off all of the knobs!