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Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane in 1966 ... (from left) Marty Balin, Spencer Dryden, Signe Anderson, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen, & Jack Casady

• symbols of the West Coast Haight-Ashbury culture
  • provided a "soundtrack" for the drug culture
• formed in 1965 by Marty Balin (vocalist from the acoustic Town Criers) and Paul Kantner (guitar) at a club
  • began as a folk rock group!
• 1965 - signed with RCA, releasing Jefferson Airplane Takes Off (Sept. 1966)
  • first band of this San Francisco era to sign with a major record company
  • Grace Slick joined the band just prior to the debut album's release
  • previous vocalist, Signe Anderson, left to have a baby
• Grace Slick was a member of The Great Society
  • recorded 2 albums for Columbia that weren't released until Slick became famous
• name - "Jefferson Airplane" - comes from split paper match to hold a joint

• released Surrealistic Pillow (#3, 1967), containing two former Great Society songs: "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit"

  Somebody to Love

  (#5, 1967)

disillusionment expressed clearly ...

When the truth is found to be lies

And all the joy within you dies ...

 

Appearing the same summer as Sgt. Pepper, disposes of the need for double entendre ...

White Rabbit

(#8, 1967)

song was banned in some areas, because of its obvious drug references

One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small.
And the ones that Mother gives you don't do anything at all.
Go ask Alice ...

• note Bolero-type beat and steady build to a strong finish

Jefferson Airplane performed at the Newport Pop Festival in 1967

• 3rd album (Bathing at Baxter's), released the same year, resulted in first legal battle with RCA over obscene language
  • "shit" was deleted from the lyric sheet
• Crown of Creation (1968) contained a variety of styles
  • title song (Kantner) was mainstream rock
  • Slick's "Lather" reveals folk rock influence, and ...

Chushingura

• electronic experimentation ... feedback & electronically-generated sounds
  • clicking sound made by the suspended metal balls found in novelty shops

Bless Its Pointed Little Head (live album, 1968), containing a strong version of ...

Plastic Fantastic Lover

... studio version was on Surrealistic Pillow (1967)

• ego conflicts have constantly plagued Jefferson Airplane, beginning with group founder Balin's reaction to Slick's media attention
• 1969 - the band had obtained total artistic control over production by the time of Volunteers
  • lyric "... Up against the wall, motherfuckers..." from "We Can Be Together" remained intact
• performed at both Woodstock & Altamont
  • see their performance at Woodstock
  • on the Rolling Stones page, you can see video of the audience slipping out of control during their performance at Altamont

shake-ups continued

• Spencer Dryden (drums) left to form New Riders of the Purple Sage
• Jorma Kaukonen (guitar) and Jack Casady (bass) formed Hot Tuna
  • originally named Hot Shit
• Slick became pregnant by Kantner
  • daughter (China) grew up to be MTV VJ & actress
• Blows Against the Empire (1970) was credited to Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship

during the summer of 1971, performed as part of the Last Days at Fillmore West

• 1971 - Balin left
  • Jefferson Airplane recorded Bark (#11, 1971) with Hot Tuna, adding violinist Papa John Creach
• personnel changes were continuous
  • 2/74 - Slick & Kantner officially formed Jefferson Starship
  • 1/75 - Balin rejoined, releasing Red Octopus (first #1 LP); Balin's "Miracles" hit #3
  • 1976 - Slick & Kantner's romance had ended, she married Skip Johnson (lighting director)
  • 1978 - animosity between Balin & Slick (alcoholism) drove them both to leave
  • 1981 - Slick rejoined the band, resulting in a string of hits:
    • "Be My Lady" (#28, 1982)
    • "Winds of Change (#38, 1983)
    • "No Way Out" (#23, 1984)
  • 1984 - Kantner left, stating dislike of the band's more commercial direction
    • owned the "Jefferson" part of the group's name!!
    • the band went simply by Starship

Other Video recordings:

• "High Flying Bird" - performance at Monterey Pop Festival, 1967
• "House at Pooneil Corner" - rooftop performance in New York City, 1968 (pre-Beatles rooftop concert)
• "Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil" - from A Night at the Family Dog, 1970 ... notice the improvisational feel and freedom of musical flow.
• "We Can Be Together" - Woodstock, 1969
• "Volunteers" - from Go Ride the Music, 1970

Other Hits included:

• "We Built This City" (#1, 1985)
• "Sara" (#1, 1986)
• "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (#1, 1987)
• "It's Not Over (‘Til It's Over)" (#9, 1987)
  • adopted as the theme song for Major League Baseball!!

We Built This City

(#1, 1985)

• 1989 ...
  • last Top 40 single ... "It's Not Enough" (#12)
  • early lineup revived (Kantner, Slick, Balin, Casady, & Kaukonen) to release Jefferson Airplane
• 1991 - Kantner reclaimed "Starship" and put together new lineup
  • Balin joined the following year and the band was dubbed Jefferson Starship--The Next Generation
  • with Slick guesting on several songs, the band recorded Deep Space/Virgin Sky (new material & covers of classic Jefferson Airplane & Starship tunes)

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