When Mountain Ignited Woodstock With “Blood of the Sun”
On the evening of August 16, 1969, the second day of the historic Woodstock Music and Art Fair in Bethel, New York, a relatively unknown band stepped onto the stage in front of a crowd estimated at nearly half a million people. That band was Mountain, led by guitarist and vocalist Leslie West. Despite having played only a handful of shows together at the time, the group delivered a confident and powerful performance that would help establish their reputation in the emerging hard rock scene.
Woodstock itself had already become a phenomenon. The festival, held from August 15 to 18, 1969 on Max Yasgur’s farm, gathered hundreds of thousands of music fans for what was billed as three days of peace and music. More than thirty acts performed across the weekend, creating one of the most influential moments in rock history.
Mountain took the stage at around 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night, performing between Canned Heat and the Grateful Dead. Their appearance was remarkable not only because of the massive audience but also because the band was still in its infancy. In fact, Woodstock was only their fourth concert as a working group.
The lineup featured Leslie West on guitar and vocals, Felix Pappalardi on bass, Steve Knight on keyboards, and drummer Norman D. Smart II. Together they represented a new strain of heavy blues rock influenced in part by the sound of Cream, but driven by West’s distinctive guitar tone and raw vocal style.
Mountain opened their set with “Blood of the Sun,” a song written by Leslie West, Felix Pappalardi, and lyricist Gail Collins. The track originally appeared on West’s 1969 solo album Mountain, which served as the foundation for the band’s name and early repertoire. The Woodstock performance began with the song’s memorable riff, immediately establishing the group’s heavy sound. West’s guitar work and commanding voice quickly captured the attention of the massive audience.
Following the opener, Mountain continued with a diverse set that included the blues standard “Stormy Monday,” the Jack Bruce composition “Theme for an Imaginary Western,” and the powerful “Long Red.” The set also featured songs that would later become associated with the band’s early catalog, including “For Yasgur’s Farm,” “Beside the Sea,” and the extended jam “Dreams of Milk and Honey.” The performance concluded with a driving rendition of “Southbound Train.”
Interestingly, despite the impact of their performance, Mountain’s appearance was largely absent from the original Woodstock film and soundtrack album released in 1970. Later archival releases and anniversary editions would eventually restore portions of their performance, allowing audiences to rediscover the band’s contribution to the festival.
In retrospect, the Woodstock set marked an early milestone for Mountain. Within a year the band would release their breakthrough album Climbing!, which included the hit single “Mississippi Queen.” Yet the energy and promise displayed in their opening song at Woodstock, “Blood of the Sun,” remains a vivid reminder of the moment when a young band stepped onto one of the biggest stages in rock history and proved they belonged there.