This song has all the earmarks of a classic rock tune: staccato chords, chugga chugga mute in the verse, soaring lead and vocals. It's all there . Classic hit back in the day.
🔥🥁🎸My absolute favorite song from Jefferson starship, Mickey is one of the best lead singers ever, from softer “ fooled around and fell in love” to harder “Jane”, he can do it all, this song is a banger!
They had just recently added 3 new guys to the band who put muscle and power into thier sound: Singer Mickey Thomas, Guitarist Craig Chicaro (He was just 18 at the time!) and drummer Ansley Dunbar. Us fans loved the new direction , gobbled this one up and thier next few by the millions!!
Drummer, Ansley Dunbar, was also drummer for Journey's first 4 albums as well as drummer for many other groups whether on albums or tours such as Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, UFO, Whitesnake, and on and on. This particular song was inspired by Toto's "Hold the Line." The keyboardist heard the opening piano riff of "Hold the Line" and the muted chugs of Lukather and liked the umph. To me, Starship took it to the next level....and I'm a huge Toto fan. Mickey Thomas can sing the phone book and have a hit. His range is unreal.
Dunbar worked with Frank Zappa, playing on the solo albums Apostrophe (') and Waka/Jawaka, and the Mothers' albums The Grand Wazoo and Fillmore East - June 1971, as well as the film 200 Motels.
If I could have my choice of any singing voice it would be very difficult for me not to choose that of Mickey Thomas. He can own the stage versus any competition. Quite a statement. But accurate.
Nice, good band..used to be The Airplane back int he 60's. "Miracles" and "With your Love" were probably their greatest moments as Starship, Caroline & Winds of Change are good too...cheers guys!
If Jefferson Starship had stuck with this approach, they would have been one of the premier hard rock bands of the early 80's. In my opinion, this is one of the best songs of the late 70's.
He!! yes...1:26 till the famous head swivel....This is rock done right....with the reggae infused verses. Craig Chaquico is a monster guitarist, Micky Thomas the vocalist, Aynsley Dunbar, formerly of Journey on drums, (Paul Kantner, guitars and Grace Slick, vocals were founding members and were in the predecessor Jefferson Airplane). Airplane's music was hippie psychedelic (my description), and Jane was destroyed by critics because Airplane was so iconic and this was a major departure.
@@sarleywinkle Had to look it up...But, I love that they are a sign that the forest is healthy! When Lon (sp?) swivels, it's a sign his temporal lobes are healthy~!
Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship are all different iterations of the same band. They began in the '60s, and then "evolved" and changed personnel as time went by.
Hey guys, Great band. I love Mickey's voice. The Drummer is Aynsley Dunbar he is amazing. The original drummer for Journey probably 10 or more records. When Steve Perry joined Journey, they recorded the first album, after that Aynsley joined Starship. I've seen footage of him in his youth playing outside in the sun playing his A$$ off! Thousands of people around. Not just doing what was needed in the heat, but going way over the top on his energy, fills and grooves. Whatever he was playing, the man definitely all in. He always kept that Retro Drum sound from the 60's and 70's too, which I find fascinating.
The great Ansley Dunbar on the drums , I believe his first album after leaving Journey Ansley is so damn good, his work on those early Journey albums are fantastic. Songs like “Cookie Duster” or “Look into the Future” the drumming is so good. His stuff with David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Whitesnake, and he literally lost the Jimi Hendrix gig to Mitch Mitchell on a coin flip by Jimi
Jefferson Airplane fotged in the 60s part of the Haight Ashbury scene with lead Grace Slick is totally different from Jefferson Starship despite Grace Slick still doing some vocals with Mickey Thomas in Starship. Ride the Tiger by Starship showcases both Mickey and Grace.
Mickey Thomas is the one on label wearing sunglasses. He was in the group Elvin Bishop, and he sang the song Fooled Around And Fell In Love. Elvin didn't think his voice suited the song, so he had his backup singer Mickey sing it. Mickey's career took off.
In the annals of rock history this guy is at the top ..with range, power, control, and on pitch tone FOR DAYS. Mickey Thomas is in his 70s still touring and absolutely still crushing
Mickey Thomas (Jefferson Starship), Marc Storace (Krokus), and Steve Perry (Journey) have some of the best voices, ever! Jane by Jefferson Starship, Screaming In The Night by Krokus, and Who's Crying Now by Journey are all good examples of how good their voices are and their range. They have the range, emotion, and ability to take over a stage with other talented musicians.
This is a unique specimen in the history of rock and roll. This wasn't trying to be cool, or hip, or break ground or push edges; these guys knew the medium they were working in and what they were trying to accomplish: A banger that would sound great coming out a car radio on hot summer nights...This acknowledged the parameters of what some were calling "corporate rock" but asked why you couldn't meet those and still put some craft into it. An all-time hall of fame vocal performance. And I don't care how metalcore you are, you can't tell me with a straight face that that guitar riff isn't badass, not to mention the solo...
Mickey gave 'em one last gasp of fresh for sure. This rocks so effing hard you really can't tell they're done at this point. We Build This City is the fish at the end of Faith No More EPIC... 😂
Mickey Thomas was badly beaten by Starship's drummer (drunken foolishness?) and had to have reconstructive surgery on his face/jaw. If you back up to their previous male singer (Marty Balin, an amazing singer/songwriter), he was knocked out by a Hells Angel at Altamont. What's the takeaway here? Don't sing anywhere near Grace Slick! 😄
SELF-EDIT: For clarification, the drummer on the track was Aynsley Dunbar (previously of Journey). The drummer who assaulted Mickey Thomas was Donny Baldwin, who previously performed with him on Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around And Fell In Love."
The drummer, here, is THE GREAT: Aynsley Dunbar! 🤘🤘 🔥🔥🔥🔥 The cat is a KING! - I am NOT certain what people might say he is "best known for." but, he has played with a multitude of GREATS, in his career (and is STILL playing (and SLAYING!)-as far as I know!)🤷🤷). Here Aynsley is, just.coming out of Journey (for which he was the founding drummer. Steve Smith replaced him, just around the time that they, also, brought in some guy named: Steve Perry to share lead vocals, sometimes (I think he stuck around for a while.😛😜😜)😜). This period when Grace Slick left Jefferson Starship, he cut like 3 or 4 albums with the band, with Mickey Thomas ripping up the vox. ...Dunbar, also, did some time with the legendary and unequivocal, MASTER: JEFF BECK!🔥🔥🤘🤘 Aynsley, also, had played with John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers (Mayall, inexplicably, FIRED him!!!🤯🙄🙄🤦) and, personally, I, first, knew him from playing with Zappa [Frank Zappa] (Post-Mothers Of Invention.). There's, also, a pretty well-known story of: Aynsley Dunbar auditioning for the Jimi Hendrix Experience (and, I guess, Jimi NOT being able to decide or whatever🤷) and: Mitch Mitchell getting that gig on a, goddamned, coin flip!🤷🤷🤯 --Whatever the case: my man is NO JOKE (to the extreme!)🤘🤘🔥! --Aynsley, even, helped David Coverdale's [ex-Deep Purple (after Ian Gillan left)], reconstituted, re-reconfigured, "l.a. Whitesnake": (as I refer to it), reach their pinnacle. Most lackadaisical music fans, STILL, tend-to-believe that: the "superband" in their, initial, videos are the band who played on their 1987 album [recorded, circa 1985-'86. Not released until: 1987 -There is a LOOOOONG convoluted story (and intra-band warfare) invoked in that, as well!🤦).] --Which was a mega-hit for them, at the time. -Tommy Aldridge (who is GREAT in his OWN right! No question!) does NOT play on that Whitesnake album. It is ALL Aynsley Dunbar. [Vivian Campbell and Adrian Vandenberg are, also, NOT on the album-"sorry": Adrien did ONE guest solo on the record....] Rudy Sarzo does NOT play bass on it!} It is, ALL: Aynsley, John Sykes (writing a whole mess'o'... and playing every guitar part -save for that Adrian Vandenberg guest-solo) and, the only, "classic" Whitesnake musician, out of any of them: Neil Murray cuts all of the bass.] ...of course: the Campbell/Vandenberg, Sarzo, Aldridge outfit toured with Coverdale/Whitesnake and Aldridge did stick around for the next album, too, as I recall.🤷🤷🤷🤔 ...but I just, always, have to laugh at people who 🤷🤷 ...assume/"think" [🙄] that "videos" have ANYTHING to DO with music!🤷♀🤦😡😡 -I.M.O. that '87 "Whitefake"/"Weaksnake" album is, not, really, worth your time, at all. ...but: IF you get talked-into it🤷 ...just be aware: that is ALL Aynsley Dunbar (as I have, already, explained) all over/throughout that. 🤘🤘 Aynsley kills on everything and you will find, MUCH, much, more to enjoy, with him on it! 🤘🤘 ⚡
Guys there is a great cover of this song that came about during the Covid pandemic. It has Mike Portnoy (Dream Theatre , Adrenaline Mob , Winery Dogs) on drums , Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake , Trans Siberian Orchestra) on guitar & a relative new comer on vocals , bass and keys by the name of Dino Jelusick. He's the best Rock/Hard Rock singer i've heard in the last 15 yrs. He will be the touring vocalist for Whitesnake as David Coverdale is retiring from touring (73yrs old). Check out their version of this song you will be impressed.
Anysley Dunbar was the drummer on this track. He was a big session guy and also played with Zappa. If you played drums for Frank you had to be gifted, it’s a prerequisite.
I could easily hear David Paich playing those chops and Steve Lukather playing that riff. I imagine Jeff Pocaro would have probably have shuffled the drum rhythms a bit more. As to Boston, Micky Thomas is an incredibly high-singing tenor, so was Brad Delp, so yes, I can sense some of those vibes.
Look, honestly this band doesn’t have a lot of good hits, maybe two to three, but this song will forever be a classic on rock radio and will forever be a banger for all time. The Mickey Thomas era was a new high for them 🤘🔥🔥🔥
I think they eventually dropped the name Jefferson and just called it Starship and did some pretty bad music. Not so here; this song is fire and so heavy. Mickey Thomas’ vocals make the song and I’m surprised that you mentioned everything except the vocals, not that all the other other elements weren’t fire; they were including that guitar and the drumming…both were sick.
At this point the band stunk - with some of the worst videos and song of all time (We Built this City" - however, remnants of their original talent remained and this was one of them - a great under rated song at the time.
Nah and Who cares about the vids. early starship had some great tracks with hard play. "find your way back" "stranger", winds of change". After that period it got fluffy.
The "at this point" you're talking about didn't happen for 6 more years after Kantner left the band and they dropped the "Jefferson". Do your research bro.
I hate this band. Jefferson Airplane was so much better. Marty Balin( first class ass) couldn't get along with Grace Slick,( not many could) she left and they reformed as Starship. In my mind Starship made a bunch of 80's pop music. I give you two a like just because it's you.
@@independenceltd. She was gone on this album but came back on the next for "Find Your Way Back." It's after Paul left in '85 that they really took a nosedive.
@@independenceltd. Grace left in 78. Darby Gould replaced her. Grace was drunk at a show in Germany abusing band members and fans. Paul Kantner asked ( ha ha) her to quit.
@@independenceltd. yes she did. And I know she gets credit for being on we built this city. She got credit for it because the band was helping cover the fact she was in rehab again during the recording. This I know cuz I was in with her. When she finally left once and for all it was to try and stay sober. Life on the road was just too tempting.
