I like to call this song The ORIGINAL “More Cowbell” song!

“In 1970, Mississippi Queen by Mountain just missed Billboard’s Top 20…peaking at #21. There’s no real good reason why it wasn’t a bigger hit, but here’s a possibility: Mountain played the song at Woodstock…but for some reason, it was left off the original Woodstock album. Less exposure = less airplay.

The song starts with drummer Corky Laing banging on a cowbell, followed by the rest of band (Leslie West, Felix Pappalardi, and David Rea) joining in to crank it up for the rest of the way.

It was their only hit…but in the 56 years since 1970, Mountain’s influence on Blues/Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal has been praised by folks like Mick Jagger, Johnny Ramone…and, for what it’s worth, Howard Stern and comedian Dennis Miller.

And here’s some trivia for you: Originally, the drums were being used to “count off” the beat in the recording studio and the cowbell was not a part of the original composition. However, after umpteen takes, Corky Laing decided to bang on it as a joke…and “more cowbell” became the rule of the day!

Mississippi Queen:” by Mountain: a “Great Song of 1970!

== Mike Cook