@hingehead,
Well....Walsh released "The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get" in 1973, which contains Rocky Mountain Way.....Book of Dreams was released in 77....but that doesn't mean everything, Steve could have been playing that for years in the backrooms and such.
Edit: Wiki says Steve borowed from Joe....but also mentions Sly Stone's "Sex Machine" being an earlier influence....title does not ring a bell, will have to give it a listen.