Felix Albert Pappalardi Jr. (December 30, 1939 – April 17, 1983)
Originating in the eclectic music scene in New York's Greenwich Village, he became closely attached to the British power trio Cream, writing, arranging, and producing for their second album Disraeli Gears. As a producer for Atlantic Records, he worked on several projects with guitarist Leslie West; in 1969 their partnership evolved into the band Mountain. The band's original run 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
The Bronx, New York City,
to an Italian family who immigrated from Gravina in Puglia. A
Classical music musician, he graduated from New York City's High School of Music & Art and attended the University of Michigan.
[ The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches, Jeremy Simmonds, 2012, Second edition, Chicago Review Press, ]
Career
In 1964, Pappalardi was a member of
Max Morath's Original Rag Quartet (ORQ) in their premier engagement at New York City's
Village Vanguard. Along with Pappalardi on guitarrón (Mexican acoustic bass) were pianist-singer Morath, who revived classic ragtime played in the
Scott Joplin manner, Barry Kornfeld, a New York studio folk and jazz guitarist, and Jim Tyler, a
Baroque and
Renaissance lutenist, playing four-string
banjo and
mandolin. The ORQ toured the college and concert circuit, opening four engagements with the
Dinah Shore show in Las Vegas and elsewhere. Pappalardi studied classical music at the University of Michigan. Upon completing his studies and returning to New York, he was unable to find work and so became part of the Greenwich Village folk-music scene, where he made a name for himself as an arranger; he appeared on albums by
Tom Paxton, Vince Martin and
Fred Neil for
Elektra Records. Thereafter he moved into record production, initially concentrating on folk and folk-rock acts for artists such as
The Youngbloods and
Joan Baez.
As a producer, Pappalardi is perhaps best known for his work with Cream, beginning with their second album, Disraeli Gears.
As a musician, Pappalardi is widely recognized as a bassist, vocalist, and founding member of the Americans hard rock band (and heavy metal forerunner) Mountain,
Later life and death
Pappalardi was forced to retire because of partial
deafness, 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
(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,
He produced Dead Boys album We Have Come for Your Children in 1978.
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,
He is interred next to his mother at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City.
Selected discography
For his work with Mountain, see their page.
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1976: Creation/Felix Pappalardi – collaboration with Creation
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1979: Don't Worry, Ma
As producer
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1967: Bartholomew Plus Three – "When I Fall In Love" // "I Can't Go Back"
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1967: The Vagrants – "A Sunny Summer Rain" // "Beside The Sea"
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1967: The Youngbloods – The Youngbloods
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1967: Cream – Disraeli Gears
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1967: Hamilton Camp – Here's to You
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1968: Bo Grumpus – Before the War
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1968: Kensington Market – Avenue Road
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1968: Cream – Wheels of Fire
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1969: Cream – Goodbye
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1969: Kensington Market – Aardvark
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1969: Leslie West – Mountain
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1969: Jack Bruce – Songs for a Tailor
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1969: Jolliver Arkansaw – Home
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1969: David Rea – Maverick Child
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1970: Mountain – Climbing!
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1971: Mylon LeFevre – Mylon: Holy Smoke with The Family Holy Smoke (Columbia C-31085)
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1971: Mountain – Nantucket Sleighride
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1971: Mountain – Flowers of Evil
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1972: Mountain –
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1973: Bedlam – Bedlam (Francesco Aiello/Dave Ball/Denny Ball/Cozy Powell)
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1974: Mountain – Twin Peaks
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1974: Mountain – Avalanche
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1974: Back Door – 8th St. Nites
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1975: White Lightnin' – White Lightnin' (Donald Kinsey/Busta Cherry Jones/Woody Kinsey)
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1975: The Flock – Inside Out
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1976: Natural Gas – Natural Gas
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1977: Gasolin' – Killin' Time
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1977: Jesse Colin Young – Love on the Wing
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1977: Corky Laing – The Secret Sessions with Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson (finally released in 1999)
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1978: The Dead Boys – We Have Come for Your Children
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1978: Hot Tuna – Double Dose
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1981: Kicks – Kicks featuring Marge Raymond (Recorded at RPM Studios, New York)
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1982: George Flowers and Gary Byrd – The Day That Football Died
Other appearances and contributions
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1963: Vince Martin and Fred Neil – Tear Down the Walls – guitarrón and Backing vocalist
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1964: Tom Paxton – Ramblin' Boy – guitarrón
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1965: Tom Paxton – Ain't That News! – guitarrón
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1966: Buffy Sainte-Marie – Little Wheel Spin and Spin – credited as "instrumental ensemble arranger and conductor" on "Timeless Love"
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1966: Ian and Sylvia – Play One More – bass
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1966: Ian and Sylvia – The French Girl – credited as "arr. and conducted"
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1966: Ian and Sylvia – When I Was A Cowboy – bass
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1966: Ian and Sylvia – Short Grass – bass
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1966: Ian and Sylvia – Lonely Girls – bass
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1967: Devil's Anvil – Hard Rock From the Middle East – bass violin, guitar, tambura, percussion and vocals, credited as "arranger and musical director"
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1967: Richie Havens – Morning, Morning – credited as "arranger'
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1967: Jackie Washington Landrón – Morning Song – credited as "backup ensemble conductor'
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1968: Bo Grumpus – Before the War – keyboards, trumpet, bass, guitar, percussion, ocarina
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1968: Kensington Market – Avenue Road – vocals on "Aunt Violet's Knee"
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1969: Kensington Market – Aardvark – bass, piano, trumpet, organ
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1969: Jolliver Arkansaw – Home – keyboards, guitar, ocarina and bass on "Hatred Sun"
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1970: Ian and Sylvia – Greatest Hits – bass
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1970: Fred Neil – Little Bit of Rain – bass
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1971: John Sebastian – The Four of Us – bass on "Apple Hill"
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1971: Richard & Mimi Fariña – The Best of Richard & Mimi Fariña – bass
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1973: Bedlam – Bedlam – keyboards, credited as songwriter on "Looking Through Love's Eyes (Busy Dreamin')"
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1973: Eddie Mottau – No Turning Around – Mellotron, organ, ocarina and trumpet on "Circus Tent" and "Waitin' Out The Winter"
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1975: The Flock – Inside Out – backing vocals on "Straight Home"
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1977: Jesse Colin Young – Love on the Wing – backing vocals and string arrangements on "Drift Away" and "Fool", horn arrangements on "Louisiana Highway"
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1981: Kicks – "Kicks featuring Marge Raymond" – backing vocals on "Raceway" and "All Over Again" along with Steven Tyler
