Leslie West and the Mountains    

Mountain, the band that made their electrifying debut at Woodstock in 
the summer of 1969, is still going strong. The group has recorded a 
long-awaited new album entitled Man's World, which is their first album of new material in 10 years. Mountain members Leslie West and Corky Laing are joined by Mark Clarke, creating a fresh and exciting sound that brings classic rock into the '90s, and truly spans the generations. 

Leslie West, a native New Yorker, first met Canadian Corky Laing, whom 
West describes as "my best friend," at a Long Island beach club in 1964, 
when West was 19 and Laing only 16. West was then a member of The 
Vagrants and Laing was part of another group who was playing a gig at 
the same beach club. It was during this time that the two began their 
27-year relationship. 

Mountain was formed in 1969, when Leslie West teamed up with drummer Corky Laing and well-known bassist/arranger/producer Felix Pappalardi, best known for his pioneering work with Cream, rock's first "supergroup," and with The Youngbloods. Joined by keyboardist Steve Knight, Mountain released their first album Mountain Climbing, and created a sound that would shape contemporary rock for many years to come. 

From 1969-1972, Mountain recorded three incredible albums that sold 
millions of copies and dramatically influenced the course of rock 'n 
roll. Following Mountain Climbing, they released Nantucket Sleigh Ride 
in 1971 and Flowers of Evil in 1972. They also released a live album in 
'72, The Road Goes Ever On. The group became a favorite on the 
then-emerging rock festival circuit. A live version of "Stormy Monday," 
recorded at the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1971, was hailed by rock critics 
as some of the best improvisation ever recorded by a rock group - 
anywhere. They knew great success with such hits as "Mississippi Queen", "Nantucket Sleighride" and "Theme From An Imaginary Western". Leslie West's signature power chords and bluesy rock style set the standard for hard rock guitarists both novice and established. Among the artists influenced by Leslie's talent, legendary rocker Pete Townshend, of The Who, was so enamored with Leslie's playing that he asked Leslie to 
record guitar tracks for the album that eventually became Who's Next. 
More recently, Billy Joel called on West to record tracks for his 
multi-platinum River of Dreams album. 

Mountain's career was cut short by the tragic murder of Felix Pappalardi 
in 1983. However, Leslie West and Corky Laing, having an unremitting 
devotion to their craft, refused to give up. Enlisting the aid of 
ex-Uriah Heep bassist Mark Clarke, they have continued touring 
periodically during the last decade. In the Spring of 1995, the group 
released a comprehensive double CD entitled Over The Top, which included all of their greatest hits as well as two new songs, and Mountain's power was reborn. At the time of release, Leslie commented that "this band rocks just as hard as it did in 1970." 

Inspired by the success of Over The Top, Mountain went on to record 
their latest album Man's World. From the opening salvos of "In Your 
Face", with its Zeppelin-esque, AC/DC sound, through the Stones' feel of 
"Thunder" and the raw energy of "Crest Of A Slump", this album is as 
solid a rock album as one can find. The album also features acoustic 
ballads such as "I'm Sorry", "You'll Never Be Alone" and "Is That Okay", 
in which West, Laing and Clarke confirm their talents. Featured among 
these originals is a cover of the James Brown classic "It's A Man's 
World", and it is perhaps in this track that the essence of Mountain 
1996 can be found. Mountain has taken this proven classic and made it 
their own, while at the same time infusing it with a contemporary feel. 
Eddie Schwartz served as co-producer and attributing writer/arranger for 
Man's World.

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