White Rabbit compares Alice in Wonderland to an acid trip. One of the most talented groups of the sixties. Everyone brought something to the table whether it was trippy, soul, jazzy, or straight ahead rock jamming.
You nailed the Joplin connection. Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother and the Holding Company were both part of the amazing late 60s San Francisco scene.
Agreed on the Joplin reference. But Grace had an uncanny ability to make the shit look easy, like Whitney. Barely breaking a sweat with some crazy vocals.
Jefferson Airplane was beyond genius for White Rabbit. It's a song retelling the story of 'Through the Looking Glass'. If you get drug references in the song it's because they're in the book lol.
@@flingonber well knowlage about pshycadelic drugs is possible that he had, it has existed in europe long before he lived (dont know all cultures that used it) but i dont know his knowlage about it. But i agree with you he most likely did not use drugs of any kind from what i know. But im curious why you said he probebly was a pedophile?
It's crazy to think Grace Slick vocally still sounded the same in the '80s when she was in Starship singing " We Built This City" and " nothing Gonna Stop Us"
Yeah, too bad the songs sucked though. The stuff the various projects and incarnations did after Volunteers had its moments, but none of them never had anything like the magic the Slick-Kantner-Balin-Casady-Kaukonen-Dryden lineup did.
@@brucetucker4847 Bruce Tucker those songs sucks for you those songs are classics '80s songs when I was a kid back then compared to the BS they got nowadays give me that.
@@BKLYN_TZU Sorry, I won't. They were just as commercial, uninspired, and formulaic as anything today, just a different formula. All very carefully calculated to push t-shirts and other merch without threatening to inspire any dangerous or unconventional thoughts. There was FANTASTIC and innovative rock music being made in 1985, but it wasn't mainstream commercial stuff like Starship, it was postpunk/alternative music like the Cocteau Twins, REM, Kate Bush, or Echo & the Bunnymen, just to name just a few, or thrash metal by groups like Metallica, Slayer, and Celtic Frost. And the closest thing to the underground psychedelic scene that gave birth to Airplane, Janis, and the Dead was the underground hardcore punk scene with bands like Black Flag, Minor Threat, and the Dead Kennedys. Like Grace's and Marty's Airplane, very carefully calculated to provoke every possible dangerous or unconventional thought. I graduated HS in 1984 so it's the music of my youth too, and I have very fond memories of those days and those scenes, but not of "corporate rock" like _Knee Deep in the Hoopla_ which is just sad if you listen to it next to _Surrealistic Pillow_ or _Volunteers_ .
I prefer the studio versions for first listening. The beauty of her vocals and the bands musicality come through much better. Thank you for the reaction.
agree. although i'm glad Grace's vocals were live on the show, the studio track is amazing. I also recommend the White Rabbit vocal track with no music, you can hear how stunning her vocals really were.
About "White Rabbit." Partaking in "O" or "H" leads to chasing the dragon, I think. This is certainly about the recreational use of substances, with the backstory of Alice in Wonderland. Very enjoyable reaction. 🙂❤ They performed at Woodstock and were definitely partaking for that set! Hard to believe this is the same band that did "We Built This City." Another great one of theirs is "Comin' Back to Me" from 1967. Lovely and haunting. Highly recommend.
@@oldeskul Chasing the rabbit is a reference to Alice following the rabbit down the rabbit hole and having her adventure in Wonderland. Contrary to popular beliefs, Louis Carroll did not do drugs.
@@debjorgo The song itself is full of metaphors about the consumption of certain controlled substances that are consumed for their hallucinatory effects. I never said that Louis Carroll took mind-altering substances, he wrote stories and poems for children, the drug culture took some of the imagery from his most famous stories to represent certain substances. And given Grace Slick's history of substance abuse, it's safe to say she was most likely trippin' balls when she wrote this song. Ergo my interpretation of the line about chasing rabbits is a metaphor for the consumption of psychedelics may be right. Either way, it's about what each individual takes from the song
Here are some details about "White Rabbit," for you. "This was “one of the defining songs of the 1967 ‘Summer of Love’” SF and “one of the crucial sounds of the late ‘60s freak scene” DT of the psychedelic rock movement. When St. Louis radio station KSHE switched from an easy listening format to rock in 1967, “White Rabbit” was the first song they played to make it clear they “were aligning themselves with the counterculture.” SF Grace Slick wrote the song while in her first band, the Great Society. The music came to her after taking LSD and listening to Miles Davis’ Sketches of Spain for hours. SF The “insistent, militaristic rhythms and the way the song gradually builds to its menacing peak” TB were loosely based on the classical piece “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel. SJ Of course, the lyrics were famously inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She said, “Our parents read us stories like Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz…They all have a place where children get drugs, and are able to fly or see an Emerald City or experience extraordinary animals and people….And our parents are suddenly saying, ‘Why are you taking drugs?’ Well, hello!’” RS500 The FCC came down on the song as drug-related and it was banished from the airwaves, but not until the Nixon administration. Slick has said the song isn’t just about drug use, but “about opening up, looking around, checking out what’s happening…Feeding your head is not necessarily pumping chemicals into it.” SJ She’s also said, “I don’t think most people realize the song was aimed at parents who drank and told their kids not to do drugs.” SF
What’s hilarious is so many reactors are told to go down the rabbit hole and this song is exactly what this is about. “When if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you’re going to fall….😂
Grace Slick has a very powerful voice. I love her vocals in White Rabbit, they start off subdued and build until they are extremely powerful. The last sustained note in White Rabbit always gives me goose bumps. If you've ever seen Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, its soundtrack has several songs from Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship.
White rabbit couched in acid innuendo is more specifically about reading books and engaging your imagination “feed your head”. Rather than using the book Alice in wonderland as a metaphor for taking drugs. Taking drugs are used as a metaphor for reading a book. It’s just a brilliant song.
You know how we relate to certain songs representing certain dates/memories in our lives? I was a junior in high school, 1974, and I was broken to pieces over the end of a relationship. I took a bus to my older sister's and she played this album over and over until I learned all the words to this song, She kept me focused on the song because I was falling to pieces. She never told me what it was about though....I had no idea until much later on in my life. The breakup was silly, but the memory of her trying to care for me will always be with me.
Jefferson Airplane was the 60s psychodelia. In the 70s they split into two groups: Jefferson Starship and Hot Tuna. I highly recommend checking out Hot Tuna - "Keep on Truckin," "Surphase Tension," "Another Man Done Gone." In the Jefferson Airplane catalogue, there's "Wooden Ships" - which was co-written with Crosby Stills and Nash - they both released their versions about the same time. "Volunteers," oh, and "Plastic Fantastic Lover."
More like late '60's. Jorma Kaukonen is the guitar player and he is fabulous and always had a very unique sound. He came from an acoustic folk and blues background like many of the artists back in that era .He is in his early 80's and he and his wife still run a music camp called Fur Peace Ranch which I believe is in Ohio. They have a Performing Arts Theater and they have guest artists come in along with Jorma and they also put on classes for musicians with guest teachers and concerts for the public Jack Cassidy the bass player is also still active musically. After Jefferson Airplane disbanded Jack and Jorma formed the band Hot Tuna. You should really check out some of their music too, it's fabulous! White Rabbit is based on the book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and is probably not necessarily a positive commentary of the effects or at least the side effects of the drug lifestyle. I've always felt like that song was tongue in cheek sarcasm/ somewhat condemnation of that whole dead end. Although Carroll did suffer from migraines there is no evidence ever been found which would link him to drug use. Although it is a fact that opium use was very common in society at that time. He was an extremely brilliant mathematician and very creative otter author with a fertile imagination. The fact that there may or may not be some references to drug use in Alice in Wonderland is up for debate and it probably as I said before was not meant to promote the use but more to make a statement regarding how it altered people and their perceptions. From a scientific standpoint there is no evidence in any studies or literature that drug use enhances peoples creativity.
This was performed on The Dick Cavett Show the day after they appeared at Woodstock and of course you know Woodstock was a three-day affair. appearing with them on the show was David Crosby, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and Judy Collins as well as Stephen Stills! Grace Slicks nickname was the Acid Queen!
White Rabbit is a reference to a 3 letter hallucinogen. The rest is a mix of references to Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Alice in Wonderland. Chasing the White Dragon, or Dragon is a reference to O/H particularly to "O" Dens.
Jefferson Airplane like the Greatful Dead are both bands that lived in San Francisco's Haight-Asbury district during the Summer of Love period. Drugs free love and Rock n Roll was the daily activities
Somebody to Love and White Rabbit was both released 1967. Very powerful, it's awesome that she lived through the 60's and 70's if you've listened to Grace Slick's interviews describing her drug use. I loved them in the 70's when they were known as Jefferson Starship. (Look up their guest appearance on The Star Wars Holiday Special, very trippy 😀.)
The 60's hippie trippy acid phase. JA were real big in the 60's, especially around here. Summer of love. When I walk around Haight / Ashbury you can still feel the ghosts of the past although it has dramatically changed and is just a memory now.
Grace Slik was very aware of a native American singer, and songwriter named Buffy St. Marie who was very influential in the music of the late sixties. Since Buffy was older Grace Slik was emulating her voice. Stevie Nicks later also followed suit. Try "The Vampire," and "Generation," studio versions a must. See if you don't agree. Love your work. Kudos.
First 2 songs live performance Monterey Pop Festival 16-18.06.1967. The same event Janis Joplin/Big Brother debut. They were living in the same district of San Francisco.
Jefferson Airplane...Blues influenced Acid rock of the 60's and 70's then they became Jefferson Starship. then they took a break during which Paul Kantor and Grace Slick did a couple of duet records. after that Grace Slick did 4 albums on her own. Then they got back together in the 80's and 90's as Starship. Grace Slick is an amazing singer in all in incarnations of the group and solo.
It's not glorifying drugs or promoting them. It's not condemning them either. Slick wrote it. She's talking about America. A nation of pill-poppers, even that far back.
have you never read Alice in wonderland or through the looking glass? How you could not mention that when listening to 'white rabbit' stuns me. A strong message of the song is everything old is new again - for good or ill - because Lewis Carrol was playing with the same ideas, and substances for that matter, in the Victoria era.
Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland, All the characters within the song white rabbit come from the story. Alice fell down a rabbit hole while chasing a rabbit, she met the hookah smoking caterpillar, she did drink or consume things that made change size, even saw chessmen move around on a chessboard on their own. Of course there are references seemingly about drug but something like chasing the rabbit are from the book. The references to drugs are likely there because some believe Carroll was doing "drugs". Mostly he drank sherry, and there were of course times he used Laudanum which was in common use back then. Laudanum was purchased and used for medicinal purposes, and did have some opiates in it, but there is actually no reason to believe he used Laudanum for getting high, as it was commonly used for specific medical reasons and not usually recreational use.
There was a film soundtrack with this tune about a teen girl's drug addiction called "Go Ask Alice" in 1973. William Shatner and Andy Griffith were co-stars.
In terms of the drug references, the difference between the point of drug use in the ‘60s and later eras is that the idea behind the use of illegal intoxicants in the ‘60s was to help an individual raise their consciousness as tools in a spiritual journey. By the ‘70s, the idea changes from Grace Slick, The Airplane, and the Dormouse telling a person to “feed your head” to the one presented by Pink Floyd: comfortably numb.
Jefferson Airplane founded in 1966 San Francisco by Marty Balin and Paul Kantner. Jefferson Starship founded in 1974. By Paul Kantner and Grace Slick in1974.
@MrLboyd you remain the most knowledgeable reactor going. I am here til you stop doing it. I relish anytime I see a new video an it is on something I adore just to see your feedback on it. Best wishes
Not really early 70s. They formed in 65. Psychedelic, yes. They were one of the bands that defined that era. And this was contemporary to Janis (who died in 1970). Grace Slick is still around (she's 83), you should listen to some of her youtube interviews. She and Janis were really our first examples of women doing what the boys were doing and inspirational to a bunch of rocker girls (like me) who were tired of being relegated to "groupie" status.
Totally references Alice in Wonderland - chasing rabbits down the rabbit hole - Pills make you grow or shrink, Hookah smoking caterpillar, red queen "Off with their heads - all direct references to the story
A couple years ahead of Janis, 1965, this was the in music. The intro to the 2nd song was bluesy, but there's a heavy folk influence in their singing. And back to the blues. That march rhythm is very reminiscent of Revel's Bolero. If you are unfamiliar with "Alice in Wonderland" I highly recommend reading the story or watching a movie. And keep in mind that Alice, when Lewis Carrol met her, was a very young girl, seven or eight years old.
it would be great if you listened to Arlo Guthrey, Alice's Restaurant!! a whole different genre! Thank you! You won't be able to forget it! thank you! our church's teen age youth group. We went to a very bad neighbor hood and we had to get a short life insurance for the two days . We painted houses and did yard work or anything else these people needed. The whole crux of the matter was when we gathered in the church and spent the evening with a guitar and Alices Restaurant. it was an awesome weekend. forgive my spelling mistakes. I made out with Jeff Tanchon Forgive spelling again. The whole ride home. I thought he was the apple of my eye. Pure heaven. Kissing all the way home.
Lewis Carroll was partaking in substances when he wrote Alice in Wonderland - and yet Disney made movies about Alice and the Looking Glass for the innocent little kidlets.
They generally had a faster, harder, and looser style live than in the studio. Each style worked well for its own medium. It's very difficult to capture the energy of those live shows on tape.
Vocalist Marty Balin, who began 'High Flying Bird', was famously hit, perhaps knocked out onstage by a member of the Hell's Angels at the infamous Altamont concert. The Angels had been hired to run security(!!) by the Stones on the recommendation of the Grateful Dead. His vocal - and songwriting - are showcased on a later hit by the band, 'Miracles'; the band was later renamed Jefferson Starship, and had one of their biggest hits, certainly post 60s, with 'We Built This City', as regrettable and laughably ironic a piece of sellout your vaunted principles pop culture manufactured crap as ever came down the pipe, imho, featuring fine vocalist Mickey Thomas alongside Grace Slick. He'd also provided lead vocal on Elvin Bishop's great sole foray into the mainstream, 'Fooled Around and Fell in Love'.
I love that version of High Flying Bird. Grace and Marty had learned to harmonize their vocals in much more interesting ways than Signe ever did (though to be fair she wasn't with the band all that long), and Paul, Jack and Jorma do the same with their instruments. Jack Casady is arguably the most underappreciated instrumentalist of the classic rock era.
"And if you go chasing rabbits And you know you're going to fall Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar Has given you the call..." "Chasing rabbits" is of course an Alice in Wonderland reference, but it is also a wordplay on the old expression chasing the dragon. She is talking about using psychedelics as a tool of psychic exploration - "chasing rabbits" into an alternate reality - as opposed to traditional use of opium to dull the senses and numb the spirit - chasing the dragon.
Grace Slick was the lead singer of this group. Yes, a great and powerful voice. Another powerhouse voice was the group HEART. ( 2 sisters) Anne has A set of pipes still in her 70s. Linda Ronstadt was another one. Linda had so many layers to her voice. And could sing just about any genre. Shame Parkinson Disease claimed her singing voice.
Its about Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. All the drug references were in the book which was published December 1871. Alice is Alice in Wonderland.
I would love to hear a second reaction after reading Alice in Wonderland. Not one person in all the reaction videos so far, has any idea that every single reference in the song comes from Alice in Wonderland; unless you know Alice in Wonderland it would be impossible to understand the sheer genius of the lyrics.
the lexicon used for that kind of thing came from this song. not the other way around. Its was just a trippy version of Alice in Wonderland. which in itself a mind bender of a story. the thought was why not put trippy music to Alice in wonderland. and you get "White Rabbit." Disney released its animated version of Alice in wonderland in 1957, and White Rabbit was released in 1967. Grace Slick (born in 1939) was 28 when she wrote White Rabbit. so she was 18 when Disney's Alice in wonderland was released. an 18 year old watching an animated trippy story, must have stuck with her. or it was a favorite book of hers as a kid. a young Female protagonist was still a bit rare then.
They were a 60-70s era psychedelic band from Cali, like the Doors. Their Woodstock performance was totally far out. You are quite correct about the drugs. LSD was second only to marijuana then and only became illegal in the US in 1968.
Ok the White Rabbit song at the end is filled with imagery from Alice In Wonderland. The pills changing your size, a hookah smoking caterpillar, the talking white rabbit….All from Alice In Wonderland.
