Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Kenny Passarelli, the co-writer and bassist of the the 70s classic Rocky Mountain Way ,tells us the story of the Joe Walsh hit and how the bass line its so complex that no other bassist has been able to replicate it when they try to play it live. The story of a 70s classic.
#classicrock #shorts #70smusic #70srock
It’s time for another episode of our series Revelations, where featured artists reveal rare stories about their greatest songs. On this installment of Revelations, we get the story of the 70s classic Rocky Mountain Way by the clown prince of Rock, Mr. Joe Walsh. For my money, the most underrated guitarist of his day. Ya know, when I saw the Eagles at the Sphere in Vegas, Joe Walsh stole the show. He is simply one of the funniest dudes in rock history. Many don’t know that he ran for President of the Unites States in 1980 and he’s famous for his rebellious antics that had him getting banned from just about every Hotel in america when he and comedian John Belushi had a contest of who could cause the most damage at a luxury hotel and Joe wan with 28 grand in damages.
Joe quit The James Gang in the early 70s and formed the band Barnstorm with bassist Kenny Passerelli and drummer Joe Vitale… They released a couple of albums that have since been credited to Joe as a solo artist, and on their seance record the smoker you drink the player you get, which contained the classic hit Rocky Mountain Way which was credited to band members Joe Walsh, Kenny Passarelli, Joe Vitale, and Rocke Grace. Joe Walsh has said that he had the music for a while but struggled with the lyrics until he was mowing his lawn after moving to Colorado and being moved by the Rocky Mountains around him, and just then the lyrics came to him in a second, and not wanting to forget them… Ran into the house, but in the process, he forgot to turn off the lawn mower, and it ended up running through the neighbor's garden and ruining it, and Joe claimed he had a big bill to pay for the damages… The song went on to hit #23 on the pop charts and has become a true classic. Up next, bassist Kenny Passerelli tells his side of the story. He helped craft the song in the studio. Let’s get into it.
Isn’t Kenny great? He also played with Elton John, Dan Fogelberg, Daryl Hall and John Oates, and Stephen Stills. Thanks for watching. Leave us a comment about Joe Walsh and this classic song. What are your memories of it? Do you consider it a 70s song or an 80s song? It will be a fun discussion. If you like our videos, we invite you to subscribe below to be a part of our community, to get the band shirt of the day, click on our links below, and to get even more content and insider access, join us on Patreon. Help us keep the music alive until next time.
Kenny Passarelli, the co-writer and bassist of the the 70s classic Rocky Mountain Way ,tells us the story of the Joe Walsh hit and how the bass line its so complex that no other bassist has been able to replicate it when they try to play it live. The story of a 70s classic.
#classicrock #shorts #70smusic #70srock
It’s time for another episode of our series Revelations, where featured artists reveal rare stories about their greatest songs. On this installment of Revelations, we get the story of the 70s classic Rocky Mountain Way by the clown prince of Rock, Mr. Joe Walsh. For my money, the most underrated guitarist of his day. Ya know, when I saw the Eagles at the Sphere in Vegas, Joe Walsh stole the show. He is simply one of the funniest dudes in rock history. Many don’t know that he ran for President of the Unites States in 1980 and he’s famous for his rebellious antics that had him getting banned from just about every Hotel in america when he and comedian John Belushi had a contest of who could cause the most damage at a luxury hotel and Joe wan with 28 grand in damages.
Joe quit The James Gang in the early 70s and formed the band Barnstorm with bassist Kenny Passerelli and drummer Joe Vitale… They released a couple of albums that have since been credited to Joe as a solo artist, and on their seance record the smoker you drink the player you get, which contained the classic hit Rocky Mountain Way which was credited to band members Joe Walsh, Kenny Passarelli, Joe Vitale, and Rocke Grace. Joe Walsh has said that he had the music for a while but struggled with the lyrics until he was mowing his lawn after moving to Colorado and being moved by the Rocky Mountains around him, and just then the lyrics came to him in a second, and not wanting to forget them… Ran into the house, but in the process, he forgot to turn off the lawn mower, and it ended up running through the neighbor's garden and ruining it, and Joe claimed he had a big bill to pay for the damages… The song went on to hit #23 on the pop charts and has become a true classic. Up next, bassist Kenny Passerelli tells his side of the story. He helped craft the song in the studio. Let’s get into it.
Isn’t Kenny great? He also played with Elton John, Dan Fogelberg, Daryl Hall and John Oates, and Stephen Stills. Thanks for watching. Leave us a comment about Joe Walsh and this classic song. What are your memories of it? Do you consider it a 70s song or an 80s song? It will be a fun discussion. If you like our videos, we invite you to subscribe below to be a part of our community, to get the band shirt of the day, click on our links below, and to get even more content and insider access, join us on Patreon. Help us keep the music alive until next time.
