Mississippi Queen

Drummer Corky Laing explained that he had developed some of the lyrics and the drum part prior to his joining the band.

{{cite AV media notes

| title = Climbing!

| others = Mountain

| first = Corky

| last = Laing

| author-link = Corky Laing

| type = CD reissue notes

| year = 2002

| location = New York City

| publisher = Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings

| id = CK 86577

| pages = 8–9

}} Later, when guitarist Leslie West was looking for lyrics for a guitar part he had written, Laing pulled out "The Queen" and the two worked out the song together; bassist/producer Felix Pappalardi and lyricist David Rea also received songwriting credits.

"Mississippi Queen" was recorded during the sessions for Mountain's 1970 debut album Climbing!, but without keyboard player Steve Knight. Pappalardi provided the piano part and during the recording, he insisted on numerous takes. Growing weary, Laing started using the cowbell to count off the song; Pappalardi liked it so much he left it in the mix, creating the song's recognizable intro. However, this story is disputed with guitarist Leslie West, stating:

“There’s this story on Wikipedia that we did all these takes,” West says. “What a load of crap. We did maybe two takes. And the story goes that Corky got bored, so he started playing the cowbell. Also crap. The cowbell was always in there.

"The first time we played it, Felix said, ‘Count the fuckin’ song off!’ Corky had a cowbell on his kit, and that’s what he used to count it off. After that, we were in. " Bosso, Joe (22 December 2022). "Leslie West: Composition and recording techniques used for Mississippi Queen". Guitar Player. Retrieved 27 May 2023.

West stated in a Guitar Player magazine interview about the gear and production of the song that, “It’s only one guitar track on the rhythm – a [Gibson] Les Paul TV Jr. into a 50-watt Marshall that went into a Sunn 12-inch cabinet." The guitar leads were later overdubbed.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/leslie-west-how-i-wrote-mississippi-queen|title=Leslie West: Composition and recording techniques used for Mississippi Queen|first=Joe|last=Bosso|date=22 December 2022|magazine=Guitar Player|access-date=27 May 2023}}

"Mississippi Queen" appears at number 10 on a 1995 chronological list of the "50 Heaviest Riffs of All Time" by Guitar magazine editorial staff.

{{Cite book |last=Cawthorne |first=Nigel |year=2016 |title=Amazing Guitar: Facts & Trivia |location= |publisher=Chartwell Books |isbn= |page=121}} Author Scott R. Benarde describes the song as "an enduring anthem" with a "guitar riff that sounded like a carnivore choking on dinner".{{Cite book |last=Benarde |first=Scott R. |title=Stars of David: Rock 'n' Roll's Jewish Stories |year=2003 |location=Lebanon, New Hampshire |publisher=University Press of New England |isbn=1-58465-303-5 |page=170}} The song is ranked 230th in The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time by biographer Martin Popoff;{{Cite book |first=Martin |last=Popoff |author-link=Martin Popoff |title=The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time |year=2003 |publisher=ECW Press |isbn=978-1-55022-530-3 |page=210}} it also appears at number 10 on the Ultimate Classic Rock 2011 list of the "Top 10 Southern Rock Songs".{{Cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/top-southern-rock-songs/ |title=Top 10 Southern Rock Songs |last=Laney |first=Karen 'Gilly' |date=November 3, 2011 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=March 28, 2019}} Spin magazine described it as "the cowbell jam to end all cowbell jams. Mountain are to the cowbell what Dostoevsky is to the Russian novel" in naming it number one on its 2004 list of the "Fifteen Greatest Cowbell Songs of All Time".{{Cite magazine |author= |date=May 2004 |title=MOO: Fifteen Greatest Cowbell Songs of All Time |magazine=Spin |volume=20 |issue=5 |issn=0886-3032 |page=75}}

Ozzy Osbourne recorded "Mississippi Queen" for his 2005 album Under Cover, with a guest appearance by West on guitar.{{Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/under-cover-mw0000174266 |last=Monger |first=James Christopher |title=Ozzy Osbourne: Under Cover{{snd}}Review |website=AllMusic |access-date=November 13, 2022}} The song reached number 10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.{{Cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2008 |entry=Osbourne, Ozzy |title=Rock Tracks 1981–2008 |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research |isbn=978-0-89820-174-1 |page=184}}

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{{Reflist}}

• {{YouTube|qEnF6EB-yMs|Mountain "Mississippi Queen" (Official Music Video)}}
• {{YouTube|Fd0XhWFnLHY|Ozzy Osborne "Mississippi Queen"}}

{{Mountain (band)}}

{{Ozzy Osbourne}}

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Category:1970 songs

Category:Mountain (band) songs

Category:2005 singles

Category:Ozzy Osbourne songs

Category:Songs written by Felix Pappalardi

Category:Songs written by Leslie West

Category:Song recordings produced by Felix Pappalardi

Category:Songs about Mississippi