Steve Knight used an RMI electric piano in Mountain

[Ivan May]

While Mountain were primarily a guitar driven hard rock band, led by guitarist Leslie West and bassist Felix Pappalardi, the group also employed keyboards, played variously by Pappalardi and Steve Knight. Usually, they used a Mellotron, which was featured on the song Theme For An Imaginary Western and Boys In The Band, but they also used a Hammond B3 organ.

 

 

However, by the time that Nantucket Sleighride was released in 1971, keyboardist Steve Knight started using an RMI electra piano, which was the template to follow for many of the electric piano noises that followed rock and pop later in the decade. It can be heard on the title track:

 

 

However, Mountain's excellent partly recorded live album, 1971's Flowers Of Evil, featured a live reading of Chuck Berry's Roll Over Beethoven, and a live version of Mississippi Queen, which featured Leslie West's Les Paul Junior tones with Felix's grinding bass and Steve Knight's plinky plonky RMI electric piano. I think he did a good job playing the RMI electric piano.

 

 

 

Steve Knight would leave Mountain shortly after the release of Flowers Of Evil, but what a lot of people don't know about Steve is that he was an accomplished jazz pianist. Sadly, in later years, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and died from the complications of it in 2013.

 

I just hope you guys like Mountain, and especially that awesome tone on Steve Knight's RMI electric piano!

[Baldwin Funster]

Didn't know about the mountain KBs, But Leslie W is one of the reasons I play Jr's almost exclusively. And single cut Melody Makers...

[BenWaB3]

I saw him a couple of times with Mountain. And "saw him" is the appropriate descriptor, since he wasn't heard at all over the "mountain" of guitar & bass amps. Could be why he left the group.

[Reezekeys]

I remember seeing Mountain at least once, not sure where though - maybe the Fillmore East. I have to admit I don't remember Steve (this was quite a few brain cells ago!). Curiously, just last night Norman Landsberg's name came up in a Facebook thread; his cousin mentioned him as playing with the group Hammer when they opened for Mountain at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester NY. Turns out Norman played piano on Leslie's solo record ("Mountain", before his band got that name), but I don't think he toured with them. AFAIK he's still active, playing jazz in the SF/Oakland area.

 

As to the RMI, "plinky" pretty much sums it up. I know Rhodes were available then, so I still wonder why any keyboardist would choose a piano proxy that wasn't velocity-sensitive. I wanted a Rhodes but it was too expensive, so my first ep was a Wurli; I don't remember the RMI being on my radar at all.

 

Of course, I see how these days of looking (listening?) back with nostalgia for our younger years can color our perceptions of these sounds. As an example, it's always interesting to watch & listen to Keith Jarrett tearing it up on an RMI with Miles... especially knowing he hated any kind of electric piano! Then again, it's not much of a surprise to see someone as creative as Keith make some tasty lemonade out of lemons! I suspect most keyboardists that used the RMI altered their playing style to fit the peculiarities of the instrument – you pretty much had to, I think.

[stillearning]

10 hours ago, BenWaB3 said:

I saw him a couple of times with Mountain. And "saw him" is the appropriate descriptor, since he wasn't heard at all over the "mountain" of guitar & bass amps. Could be why he left the group.

My experience at an early Mountain concert also. Too loud to really enjoy.

[Legatoboy]

Yup, heard them live many many times, they were from my general area (Northern Queens NY) growing up, as were 'The Vagrants', Leslie's original band that there was a huge street buzz about especially among the musicians in the late 1960's in Queens and general NYC area, I know the building where Leslie lived and hung with Felix P. and Eric and Jack, I actually worked in MIS with Leslie's next door neighbor who grew up with Leslie since a child who confirmed those folks were there often...she told me she was 16 when Leslie took her to Woodstock with the band in the helicopter, - that was a good story..she described the scene from the helicopter and how they had to fly them in because of the roads... she was a Communications consultant I was working with in the computer field at JD Edwards software in NJ at the time where I was consulting also, she was great to talk to about Leslie and the band....

 

Steve Knight ran his Hammond B3 straight BTW, no Leslie and ran it through a Marshall stack.... RMI EP on top of the organ... They 'were' loud... best to sit in the back at their shows for a number of reasons .... Many of the shows of theirs I saw, like Reezekeys mentioned were at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester NY .... usually accompanied by either 'Pig' or 'Joshua' light shows that were shared with the Fillmore East shows at the time ... I believe the 1st show I went to at he Capital in Portchester was in the fall of 1968 ... about a 50 min. drive from home with my nickel of hash and a bottle of apple wine...the staples.... ah youth!  We really enjoyed them....I opened for Leslie with Warren Haynes at Bald Hill about 13 years ago here on LI... Leslie is/was legend for most of my friends but my wife hated his personality at sound check..... it was pure Leslie... HE played 'Long Red'  'solo' to warm up ....       

[jmemcse517]

I saw Leslie West in 1981 at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver. They did the Mountain material, but the show was booked as Leslie West. I saw the Dixie Dregs at that same venue and sat right in front of T Lavitz. What a great show. That was a really awesome venue.

[Legatoboy]

Just now, jmemcse517 said:

I saw Leslie West in 1981 at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver. They did the Mountain material, but the show was booked as Leslie West. I saw the Dixie Dregs at that same venue and sat right in front of T Lavitz. What a great show. That was a really awesome venue.

Spoke with T. many times.... such a loss.... he was amazing to talk with, helpful and positive musically....really good , every conversation... he was a great guy! 

[obxa]

In mid 80s' I got hooked up with the Davis Jaynes band that was" featuring" Leslie.  Unfortunately, was right in the middle of his decline. They were doing a mix of Davis' stuff and Mountain.  Did the audition in Davis' house in NJ, I think Leslie was living there at the time.  Was just the two of them.  Seemed to be a bit drunk, didn't talk much or make eye contact.  Still sounded amazing. 

I remember dragging my Obxa and Wurli into that tiny basement,  playing through their PA.  Both were using maxed Marshalls - could barely hear myself.   When we took a break upstairs in the kitchen, mentioned to Leslie  I was originally from Long Island - and had family in Forest Hills where I knew he was from.  He finally smiled and opened up. I think I finally won him over talking bagels and  the old My Father's place ( LI club).  Flattered I was offered the road gig, but money was really low, so had to pass. 

 

Was happy to hear he finally got clean, such a great loss of talent. 

[jerrythek]

45 minutes ago, obxa said:

In mid 80s' I got hooked up with the Davis Jaynes band that was" featuring" Leslie.  Unfortunately, was right in the middle of his decline. They were doing a mix of Davis' stuff and Mountain.  Did the audition in Davis' house in NJ, I think Leslie was living there at the time.  Was just the two of them.  Seemed to be a bit drunk, didn't talk much or make eye contact.  Still sounded amazing. 

I remember dragging my Obxa and Wurli into that tiny basement,  playing through their PA.  Both were using maxed Marshalls - could barely hear myself.   When we took a break upstairs in the kitchen, mentioned to Leslie  I was originally from Long Island - and had family in Forest Hills where I knew he was from.  He finally smiled and opened up. I think I finally won him over talking bagels and  the old My Father's place ( LI club).  Flattered I was offered the road gig, but money was really low, so had to pass. 

 

Was happy to hear he finally got clean, such a great loss of talent. 

Wow, that name brings back memories. My old bandmate Brian Reny was playing drums with Davis Jaynes and Leslie around that time. I was selling my B3 and had it on consignment at a local music store. I let them take it, with their promise/the management's promise of making weekly payments for it, which never happened. I ended up having to go to one of their gigs in West Orange I believe and repossessing the organ. Their show was good, but yes, Leslie was incredibly loud, and was playing some guitar that had built-in effects, and I remember him opening up the back mid-song and taking out the batteries and then (I think) continuing to play without the effects... Hard to remember details from that long ago.

 

Jerry

[obxa]

33 minutes ago, jerrythek said:

Wow, that name brings back memories. My old bandmate Brian Reny was playing drums with Davis Jaynes and Leslie around that time. I was selling my B3 and had it on consignment at a local music store. I let them take it, with their promise/the management's promise of making weekly payments for it, which never happened. I ended up having to go to one of their gigs in West Orange I believe and repossessing the organ. Their show was good, but yes, Leslie was incredibly loud, and was playing some guitar that had built-in effects, and I remember him opening up the back mid-song and taking out the batteries and then (I think) continuing to play without the effects... Hard to remember details from that long ago.

 

Jerry

  Brian's name sounds really familiar. I'm sorry to hear about what you had to go through.  Funny you mention B3.  At that time I was singing & playing in a popular club band doing heavy synth.  Vaguely remember some initial conversations telling Davis my dicey M2 was in mothballs, but could get a Korg Bx3 from my buddies at Long & McQaude.   He  was more interested in synths with his material, but got the feeling Leslie wanted more old-school.  Like many gigs at that time, I think I got the call more because of the OB than me