Mountain Tour Archive

(last updated 11/28/2008)

Updates

see HELP REQUESTS

Background

This is a website dedicated to the archival of Mountain tour dates from the beginning in early 1969 until December 31, 1974. Over time we hope this archival collection will include setlists, photos, ticket stubs, posters, performance reviews and of course details of each concert date, including location, venue, headlining/support acts, number of shows, cancellations, etc. Although it will be a significant challenge we hope to achieve the success of DeadBase, Brucebase (Springsteen), ABBBase as examples of the standards of concert tour archival databases.

We will only achieve this with your help. So that is why we have included links to the Mountain Tour Archive as it exists today

History

Mountain was formed in early 1969 by Leslie West (guitar & vocals)and Felix Pappalardi (bass & vocals) in New York City in the middle of the rock and roll explosion. Leslie West had a popular local band called the Vagrants, while Felix had produced Cream and the Youngbloods. Leslie actually started a band while still in the Vagrants called Leslie West Mountain, which included Norman Landsberg on keyboards. This Mountain #1, actually opened for Blood, Sweat & Tears, Savoy Brown, Jeff Beck Group, Jethro Tull and Taj Mahal to name a few. Leslie actually got Felix to come to one of these shows when Mountain opened for Blood, Sweat & Tears at SUNY Stony Brook in March 1969.

During early 1969 Felix produced the "Leslie West Mountain" album which included songs written by Felix, his wife Gail Collins and Leslie. Besides Leslie and Felix, the band included Norman Smart on drums and Norman Landsberg on keyboards. This band also known as Leslie West Mountain became Mountain #2. The "Leslie West" was dropped from the band's name, Steve Knight, who was in a band with Felix called The Devil's Anvil, replaced Norman Landsberg on keyboards to form Mountain #3 and they began touring as Mountain in July 1969 highlighted by an appearance at Woodstock on August 16, 1969.

Shortly after their Woodstock appearance, Norman Smart was replaced on drums by Corky Laing and Mountain #4, which would become the quintessential version, was born. This band which would go on to record two & one-half studio albums, one-half live album and perform over 300 live shows from September 1969 until February 1972, reportedly making its debut at New Canaan, CT, High School in September 1969. Following a Mountain #4 tour of the United Kingdom in February 1972 Leslie and Corky formed West, Bruce & Laing with former Cream bass player Jack Bruce and recorded two studio albums, one live album and performed nearly 100 live shows from March 1972 until April 1973.

Following the departure of Jack Bruce, Leslie & Corky formed a new band called Leslie West & The Wild West Show. The rest of the band was comprised of Mitch Ryder on vocals, Peter Baron on 2nd guitar (click here) and Tom Robb on bass. It was previously believed that Don Kretmar was on bass. This band performed a number of shows during July and early August 1973. Several of these shows may have been fulfilling commitments for West, Bruce & Laing shows scheduled before the break up.

Then in mid August 1973 Leslie and Felix reformed Mountain #5, with Bob Mann (guitar & keyboards) and Alan Schwartzberg (drums), and did five shows in Japan (with an opening show in Hawaii August 21) resulting in the release of the "Twin Peaks" live album recorded in Osaka on August 30, 1973. This version of Mountain was short lived and was replaced by Mountain #6 in November 1973 with Leslie, Felix and Corky Laing back on drums and they played a handful of shows in the U.S. until late December 1973 when they added David Perry on rhythm guitar. This four-piece version Mountain #7 toured the United States from December 1973 until September 1974 and released one studio album, "Avalanche" in late 1974. In October 1974, David Perry was dropped from the touring line-up and Mountain #8 toured the United States until December 31, 1974.

Tour Archive

If a show listing is unconfirmed by us and the source is another tour archive website, we will identify the source tour archive. Once the show is independently confirmed by Mountain Tour Archives we will remove the link. We will list at:

under "Other Tour Archives" internet archives that provide assistance as well as those we routinely provide information to found during our confirmation process

In Search Of

Our goal is to assemble the most accurate, comprehensive tour archive for Mountain from the beginning in 1969 to December 31, 1974. Ultimately we hope to confirm all dates with newspaper ads, performance reviews, ticket stubs and posters.

Mountain Posters, handbills, photos, newspaper ads, listings and reviews

If you have any information on any Mountain concert during this time period please let us know. Send us an email of your information, or scan or send a copy of a newspaper ad, performance review, ticket stub or poster. If any of the information in the tour archive is incomplete or inaccurate please email us with the corrections.

If you taped the show, possess a tape or otherwise know the setlist for any show please provide us with that information.

 

Setlists

We also need to know the headlining or opening acts that Mountain played with. If you know the live source for any live track on a Mountain official release please provide the track and the location.

If you have any information to help us or any questions please email us at:

MountainTourHelp@aol.com

Disclaimer

If anyone believes that anything presented here is a violation of a copyright please email us and let us know and corrective action will be taken.