Felix A. Pappalardi Jr. (December 30, 1939 – April 17, 1983) was an American music producer, songwriter, vocalist, and

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low bra ...

. He is best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist of the band

Mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

, whose song "

Mississippi Queen "Mississippi Queen" is a song by the American rock band Mountain. Considered a rock classic, it was their most successful single, reaching number 21 in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1970. The song is included on the group's debut album and se ...

" peaked at number 21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and has become a

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...

radio staple. Originating in the eclectic music scene in New York's

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

, he became closely attached to the British power trio

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

, writing, arranging, and producing for their second album ''

Disraeli Gears ''Disraeli Gears'' is the second studio album by the British rock band Cream. It was released in November 1967 and reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. Search "Cream" in ''Name of Artist'', and No. 1 on the Swedish and Finnish charts. The alb ...

''. As a producer for

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most ...

, he worked on several projects with guitarist Leslie West; in 1969 their partnership evolved into the band Mountain. The band lasted less than five years, but their work influenced the first generation of heavy metal and hard rock music. Pappalardi continued to work as a producer, session musician, and songwriter until he was shot and killed by his wife Gail Collins in 1983.

Early life

Pappalardi was born in the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

, New York City. A classically trained musician, he graduated from New York City's The High School of Music & Art and attended the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

Career

In 1964, Pappalardi was a member of Max Morath's Original Rag Quartet (ORQ) in their premier engagement at

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Village Vanguard The Village Vanguard is a jazz club at Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. Originally, the club presented folk music and beat poetry, but it became primarily a jazz ...

with several other musicians. Along with Pappalardi on guitarrón (Mexican acoustic bass) were pianist-singer Morath, who revived classic ragtime played in the

Scott Joplin Scott Joplin ( 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an American composer and pianist. Because of the fame achieved for his ragtime compositions, he was dubbed the "King of Ragtime." During his career, he wrote over 40 original ragtime pieces, one r ...

manner, Barry Kornfeld, a New York studio folk and jazz guitarist, and Jim Tyler, a Baroque and

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass id ...

lutenist, playing four-string

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

and

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

. The ORQ then toured the college and concert circuit during the following year, and opened four engagements with the

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...

show in Las Vegas and elsewhere. Pappalardi studied classical music at the

. Upon completing his studies and returning to New York, he was unable to find work and so became part of the

folk-music scene where he made a name for himself as a skilled arranger; he also appeared on albums by

Tom Paxton Thomas Richard Paxton (born October 31, 1937) is an American folk singer-songwriter who has had a music career spanning more than fifty years. In 2009, Paxton received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.Vince Martin and

Fred Neil Fred Neil (March 16, 1936 – July 7, 2001) was an American folk singer-songwriter active in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material& ...

for

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between th ...

. From there he moved into record production, initially concentrating on folk and folk-rock acts for artists such as The Youngbloods and

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

. As a producer, Pappalardi is perhaps best known for his work with

, beginning with their second album, ''

''. He contributed instrumentation for his studio arrangements and he and his wife, Gail Collins, wrote the Cream hit " Strange Brew" with Eric Clapton. He also produced The Youngbloods' first album. As a musician, Pappalardi is widely recognized as a bassist, vocalist, and founding member of the American hard rock band (and heavy metal forerunner)

, a band born out of his working with future bandmate Leslie West's

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '':wikt:soul, soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The ea ...

-inspired

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

band

The Vagrants ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

, and producing West's 1969 ''

'' solo album. The band's original incarnation actively recorded and toured between 1969 and 1971. Pappalardi produced the band's albums, and co-wrote and arranged a number of the band's songs with Collins and West. The band's signature song "

" is still heard regularly on

radio stations. They also had a hit with the song "Nantucket Sleighride" written by Pappalardi and Collins. Pappalardi generally played Gibson basses on Mountain's live and studio recordings. He was most often seen with an EB-1 violin

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

but there are also photographs of him playing an EB-0 live (likely because they had the same pickup configuration and scale length). Pappalardi obtained his sound by playing Gibson basses with a single Humbucker in the neck through a set of Sunn

amplifiers An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost the ...

that, he claimed, once belonged to Jimi Hendrix.

Later life and death

Pappalardi was forced to retire because of partial

deafness Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

, ostensibly from his high-volume shows with Mountain. He continued producing throughout the 1970s, released a solo album (''Don't Worry, Ma'') and recorded with Kazuo Takeda's band

Creation Creation may refer to: Religion *'' Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing *Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it *Creationism, the belief that ...

(who had opened for a reunited Mountain during their 1973 tour of Japan). In May 1973, the British music magazine '' NME'' reported that Pappalardi would be producing and playing bass on ''Queen of the Night'', the debut album for Maggie Bell, former singer of Stone the Crows, but this proved to be false. He also worked on the NBC show ''Hot Hero Sandwich'' in 1979. Pappalardi was shot and killed by his wife, Gail Collins Pappalardi, on April 17, 1983, in their apartment on the

East Side of Manhattan The East Side of Manhattan refers to the side of Manhattan which abuts the East River and faces Brooklyn and Queens. Fifth Avenue, Central Park from 59th to 110th Streets, and Broadway below 8th Street separate it from the West Side. The majo ...

, with a

derringer A derringer is a small handgun that is neither a revolver nor a semi/ fully automatic pistol. It is not to be confused with mini-revolvers or pocket pistols, although some later derringers were manufactured with the pepperbox configuration ...

he had given her as a gift a few months previously. She was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and was found guilty of the lesser criminally negligent homicide. He is interred next to his mother at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City.

Selected discography

For his work with

, see their page. *1976: ''Creation'' (in collaboration with the Japanese rock band of the same name) *1979: ''Don't Worry, Ma''

As producer

*1967: The Youngbloods – '' The Youngbloods'' *1967:

– ''

'' *1967: Hamilton Camp – ''Here's to You'' *1968:

Bo Grumpus ''Bo Grumpus'' is American psychedelic rock band that originated in Boston, Massachusetts in 1967. They are best known for their debut album in 1968, ''Before the War'', which was produced by Felix Pappalardi. References

Psychedelic ro ...

– ''Before the War'' *1968:

Kensington Market Kensington Market is a distinctive multicultural neighbourhood in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Market is an older neighbourhood and one of the city's most well-known. In November 2006, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canad ...

– ''Avenue Road'' *1968: Cream – '' Wheels of Fire'' *1969: Cream – '' Goodbye'' *1969: Kensington Market – ''Aardvark'' *1969: Leslie West – ''

'' *1969:

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disban ...

– ''

Songs for a Tailor ''Songs for a Tailor'' is the 1969 debut solo album by the Scottish musician, composer and singer Jack Bruce, who was already famous at the time of its release for his work with the supergroup Cream. Originally released on the Polydor label in ...

'' *1969: Jolliver Arkansaw – ''Home'' *1969: David Rea – ''Maverick Child'' *1970:

–

Climbing! ''Climbing!'' (also known as ''Mountain Climbing!'') is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Mountain, released in 1970 by Windfall Records. Background In 1969, Leslie West recorded his debut solo album, titled ''Mountain'', wit ...

*1971: Mylon LeFevre, ''Mylon with Holy Smoke'', Columbia C31085 *1971:

– '' Nantucket Sleighride'' *1971:

– '' Flowers of Evil'' *1972:

– '' Mountain Live: The Road Goes Ever On'' *1973: ''Bedlam'' *1974:

– ''

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cancellation in 1991. The show returned in 2017 fo ...

'' *1974:

– ''

Avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and ear ...

'' *1974: Back Door – ''8th St Nites'' *1975: Busta Cherry Jones & Donald Kinsey ''White Lightnin *1975: The Flock – ''

Inside Out Inside Out may refer to: *Backwards (disambiguation) or inverse Books * '' Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd'', by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason * ''Inside Out'', Christian book by Larry Crabb * ''Inside Out'', novel by Barry Eisler ...

'' *1976: Natural Gas – ''Natural Gas'' *1977: Gasolin' – '' Killin' Time'' *1977:

Jesse Colin Young Perry Miller (born November 22, 1941), known professionally as Jesse Colin Young, is an American singer and songwriter. He was a founding member and lead singer of the 1960s group the Youngbloods. After their dissolution in 1972, Young embarked ...

– ''Love on the Wing'' *1978:

The Dead Boys The Dead Boys are an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The band was among the first wave of punk, and regarded by many as one of the rowdiest and most violent groups of the era. They were formed by vocalist Stiv Ba ...

– ''

We Have Come for Your Children ''We Have Come for Your Children'' is the second and final studio album by the American punk rock band Dead Boys. It was recorded and released in 1978, on Sire Records. The recording of the album was problematic for the group and sessions were h ...

'' *1978:

Hot Tuna Hot Tuna is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 by former Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen (guitarist/vocals) and Jack Casady (bassist). Although it has always been a fluid aggregation, with musicians coming and going over the ...

– '' Double Dose'' *1981: Kicks – ''Kicks featuring Marge Raymond'' – Recorded at RPM Studios, New York *1982: George Flowers & Gary Byrd – ''The Day That Football Died''

Other appearances and contributions

*1963: Vince Martin and

– ''Tear Down the Walls'' – guitarrón and

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...

*1964:

Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie, (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American ( Piapot Cree Nation) singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. While working in these ...

– ''Little Wheel Spin and Spin'' – credited as "instrumental ensemble arranger and conductor" on "Timeless Love" *1966: Ian and Sylvia – ''Play One More'' – bass *1966: Ian and Sylvia – ''The French Girl'' – credited as "arr. and conducted" *1966: Ian and Sylvia – ''When I Was A Cowboy'' – bass *1966: Ian and Sylvia – ''Short Grass'' – bass *1966: Ian and Sylvia – ''Lonely Girls'' – bass *1967:

Devil's Anvil The Devil's Anvil was a 1960s hard rock band based in New York City. They released one album, entitled ''Hard Rock from the Middle East'', in 1967, showcasing a mix of 1960s hard-rock sound with Arab, Greek and Turkish songs and melodies. Form ...

– ''Hard Rock From the Middle East'' –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

, tambura,

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

and

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...

, credited as "arranger and musical director" *1967: Richie Havens – ''Morning, Morning'' – credited as "arranger' *1967: Jackie Washington andrón– ''Morning Song'' – credited as "backup ensemble conductor' *1968: Bo Grumpus – ''Before the War'' – keyboards,

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standar ...

, bass, guitar, percussion, ocarina *1968:

– ''Avenue Road'' – vocals on "Aunt Violet's Knee" *1969: Kensington Market – ''Aardvark'' – bass,

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...

, trumpet,

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

*1969: Jolliver Arkansaw – ''Home'' – keyboards, guitar,

ocarina The ocarina is a wind musical instrument; it is a type of vessel flute. Variations exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body. It is traditionally made from cl ...

and bass on "Hatred Sun" *1970: Ian and Sylvia – ''Greatest Hits'' – bass *1970:

– ''Little Bit of Rain'' – bass *1971:

John Sebastian John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969The Flock – ''Inside Out'' – backing vocals on "Straight Home" *1977:

– ''Love on the Wing'' – backing vocals and string arrangements on "Drift Away" and "Fool", horn arrangements on "Louisiana Highway" *1981: Kicks – "Kicks featuring Marge Raymond" – backing vocals on "Raceway" and "All Over Again" along with Steven Tyler

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pappalardi, Felix 1939 births 1983 deaths Musicians from the Bronx Record producers from New York (state) American rock bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American rock musicians American people of Italian descent University of Michigan alumni Deaths by firearm in Manhattan Cream (band) Mountain (band) members 20th-century American musicians 20th-century English musicians American male guitarists The High School of Music & Art alumni Mariticides Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) 20th-century American bass guitarists People murdered in New York City Male murder victims 20th-century American male musicians