"Theme for an Imaginary Western" originally appeared on Bruce's
Songs for a Tailor album in 1969. The lyrics by Pete Brown are mentioned in Brown's autobiography
White Rooms and Imaginary Westerns () as being in reference to Bruce's erstwhile bandmates
Dick Heckstall-Smith and
Graham Bond of
The Graham Bond Organisation. The following year, the song appeared on Mountain's
Climbing! album. Mountain bassist/vocalist
Felix Pappalardi, who sang the song with Mountain, had helped produce Bruce's album and brought the song to guitarist/vocalist
Leslie West's attention for their album. Mountain performed the song at the
Woodstock Festival in 1969; this version appeared on the
Woodstock Two album. In 1988, Bruce teamed up with Mountain guitarist Leslie West, and performed the song again on West's
Theme album, which was named after the song. West also performed it on
Leslie West Live! and
The Howard Stern Show. The song was also covered by English
jazz rock band
Colosseum on their 1970 album
Daughter of Time.
Greenslade included the song on their 1974
Spyglass Guest album. ==References==