Marty was a friend of mine and I've spent quite a bit of time working with him before he passed and on preserving his legacy. He is someone who such be celebrated for his contributions to music and art.
I was fortunate to see him perform when I was in 6th Grade. My brother and sister were in High School and I wanted to go. Tickets were 6 dollars. He totally nailed “Miracles” I saw them when they became The Starship. Marty was long gone. By then I was old enough to go on my own. 😂
This one of my favorites nobody ever plays...Marty Balin on vocals along with Grace Slick....one of their best...all kinds of genres in this mix. THANKS BTW, CRAIG CHAQUICO ON GUITAR...KILLER.
I love Starship. Especially Dragonfly. So dreamy and magical. The chick singing is Grace Slick. I saw her in concert once and she lit a joint on the stage and got arrested even before the show started. That was a bummer a real bummer.
Do you remember what year you saw the show where she lit the joint and was arrested? I hadn't heard that one before, would love to know what tour it was.
This is my favorite song by any artist, and it has been for 47 years. They had bigger radio hits, but this one shows why they were so great. Thanks for doing the reaction. I think this is the first time anybody has done it. Glad you liked it.
This is one of my favorite Jefferson Starship songs. The layered vocals of Marty and Grace, deep groove, killer strong bass working with the jamming percussions and brilliant Santana-like guitar leads by Craig Chaquico combine to make a magical song. A mighty song indeed!
Very nice, I think this is my favorite so far. I might be wrong, but it sounds like Grace Slick singing in the background. She is the same one who sang White Rabbit (which is a classic acid rock song BTW!).
You just did not understand the background of White Rabbit which was somewhat about the story of Alice In Wonderland mixed in with the drug scene of the mid to late 1960’s. St. Charles is one of my all time favorite tunes. Magically mixed between instrumentals and fantastic harmonizing from 2 legendary singers of Grace and Marty!❤🚀🚀🚀
Another great Marty song is Caroline, from the Dragonfly LP. Out of Control is a straight-ahead R&R song from them. White Rabbit was the radio hit for Jefferson Airplane but is not overall representative of their work.
Marty Balin (RIP) and Grace Slick - perfect voices together. Craig Chaquico replaced Jorma Kaukonen on lead guitar in JS (Jorma left Jfferson Airplane and formed Hot Tuna), while Marty, Grace , and Paul Kantner reformed the Airplane as Jefferson Starship (indicating the next level). John Barbata (drums), Pete Sears (bass), David Freiberg (keys), and Papa John Creach (violin) filled out the lineup. This album went 2x platinum as they moved away from psychedelic rock into straight rock. After Marty and Grace left with Micky Thomas coming on board, they went more pop and racked up radio hits, but lost me as a fan.
I'm one of the guys who praised your coverage of Blue Oyster Cult, my favorite 70s band. Guess what? Jefferson Starship is one of my other favorites from the same era. Three members of Jefferson Airplane, Marty Balin, Paul Kantner and Grace Slick resurrected the Jefferson brand as Jefferson Starship, but brought in different personnel. Their aim was to make more commercially viable music, which they did quite well. Jefferson Airplane ran its course through the 60s. They were part of the Hippie movement and the music then was a mix of experimental pop with a dose of defiance and of course psychedelic drugs. That music is not for everybody. It's an acquired taste. Kantner, Balin and Slick added John Barbata for drums, David Freiberg on keys, Peter Sears on Bass and the incomparable Craig Chaquico on lead guitar. In the band's early phase, they had Papa John Creech, who played an electric violin. He didn't stay with the band long, but his violin made the sound very distinctive. Another change to the brand was the musical styling. The Jefferson Airplane was very raw and undisciplined. Their guitar and bass duo, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy, loved to jam and go off in their own directions, making the overall sound a little more disjointed. The Starship crew put more intention into creating a sound that gelled and appeal beyond the Hippies. Marty Balin wrote and performed in more romantic ballads, like St. Charles, Miracles, With Your Love and Runaway. His voice became more prominent and leading where in Airplane it was part of the ensemble in Airplane. Grace Slick, though she sang lead on some songs like Phase Buck Phreddie, took more of a back seat and lent her voice for echoey sound effects. She used her voice to complement Balin's leads, rather than drown him out. Freiberg added very nice accents with his keys, helping to soften the sound. Sears added gentle, but solid bass playing and then there was Chaquico. Chaquico, a teenager when he started jamming with Kantner and Slick before forming the Jefferson Starship, contributed a clean virtuoso sound, that became a major part of the band's signature. He could also rock with the best of them. You guys mentioned something about them sounding a little like Santana. Santana and the Jefferson Airplane/Starship guys were from San Francisco. They all knew each other, jammed with each other, helped record each other and shared billings at concerts. Other bands that were part of that scene were the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service. The fact that you guys picked up on the Santana vibe is no coincidence. Other songs you should react to are Ride the Tiger, Miracles, Caroline, With Your Love and Runaway. The band went through more musical and personnel changes in the ensuing years, but the period between 1974 and 1978 definined their legacy..
Do a review of their song STRANGER it's 🔥🔥🔥 The live version will blow your mind away it's under Jefferson Starship-1981-Stranger at that time the band was at their best including all the artists you will also witness what many have said to be one of the greatest guitar solos EVER by Craig Chaquico who no doubt was one of the greatest.The guy was idolized by many guitarist including Eddie Van Halen and Prince who went as far as copying his guitar in a similar way.Keep up the good reviews!!
Give Jefferson Airplane a chance. Listen to Jefferson Airplane songs titled "Comin'. Back to Me" and a song titled "Today" . Both songs written and performed by Marty Balin founding member of Jefferson Airplane.
Jefferson Airplane , Jefferson Starship female lead singer Grace Slick released a solo album titled "Dreams" in 1979. In had positive reviews an d was Grammy nominated.
I own all four Jefferson Starship albums with Marty Balin...Dragon Fly, Red Octopus, Spitfire, and Earth.... Glad to see you react to St. Charles. Jane became Orange Cassidy's entrance music in AEW...and it works...with Mickey Thomas replacing Marty Balin.
The power ballad before it was truly born. It's like a hybrid. The guitar mix is so rich in genres which is why I think it missed the mark fir a lot of people. I plan to talk about it in my book about music I dig because it changed my focus of what a power ballad should be. The bass is si strong under the wealth a rich instruments. Slick yes she hits it but balin has great range too. It's the 2 of them and the harmonies between all of them. But that bridge before the final turn is amazing 👏 ❤ The guitar wall and paino strings probably some congas in there too.... just wow!!!! 😱😱😱😱😱❤❤❤❤ I still play this it came out in 76!!!!!😅
The Airplane is classic, but Jefferson Starship is like a matured version of the same band. You should also check Paul Kantner's solo albums with Grace Slick on most of them. Awesome stuff there too.
Never understood why all the variations of starship aren’t played more. An all time great band. Checkout the guitar solo on “Awakening “ from “Freedom at point zero” up there amongst comfortably numb, freebird, sultans of swing.
You would've had to read "Alice in Wonderland!" to Understand "White Rabbit!" it was The Psychedelic late 60's,Graces version of the Lewis Carrol classic!
Another J.S.? Wow Thank you. And White Rabbit makes total sense if you know Alice in Wonderland. Another Airplane song from that same album you might like better, try "Somebody To Love".
I agree. Maybe Chod would like it better the second time around. If one doesn't understand the "Alice" references, the lyrics would seem strange. But it is a classic and Grace is iconic.
Yes that is Grace Slick...the same Slick who did White RAbbit and Somebody to Love at Woodstock. She earamrked the 60's, 70's and 80's until she retires. Home run, near miss or flop...she never followed.
Alright Chod, you need to hear some other Jefferson Airplane before you make sweeping statements. They were a band out of San Fransisco in the mid-late 60's. You know - hippies, Haight-Ashbury and The Summer Of Love. The song "White Rabbit" makes many references to the book "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carrol. It is not their best. Listen to the songs "Volunteers", "Today", "Somebody to Love" and "Lather", if you can't find anything to like in any of those, then you can say you don't like JA. Jefferson Starship is only partly the same band as that 60's counter-culture group of their beginnings. Although, most of the original members sang (Grace Slick, Marty Balin, Paul Kantner), they acquired Mickey Thomas ("Fooled Around and Fell in Love") in the mid to late 70's as new lead. Grace Slick is the female vocalist that you hear. She has a powerful voice that makes itself known even when she is singing background. They also hired Craig Chaquico as lead guitarist. The original members came and went but I think they all mostly ended up in the new version of the band. Of course, they don't sound the same, there is 15 or so years between these songs.
Oh I like Jefferson Airplane better for sure. They were experimental psychedelic psychonauts. The Starship was more of a cocaine vibe. But there's one album that was the transition which I recommend. Jefferson Starship- Blows Against The Empire! It's basically Jefferson Airplane. Also it was just 3 members who carried over from the Airplane to Starship. Kantner, Slick and Balin. While the great Kaukonen and Cassidy split to pursue their blues act Hot Tuna
Check out the album art carefully. The woman is smoking a pipe and the smoke from the pipe forms the dragon. Makes you wonder what's in the pipe. Do you know what "chasing the dragon" means?
You are making a huge mistake by referring to them as Starship, it is Jefferson Starship and their name should not be shortened! Look up their history and you will understand why….good choice, great song! Check out Tumblin’ and Ride The Tiger and Love Lovely Love!!
BTW White Rabbit is a classic. I think perhaps you lack interest in trippy music, or psychedelic mental states. I myself am a non-drinker of 3 years. But I must say that shrooms and LSD can produce a reverent state, near opposite of alcohol. In fact weed also can do that. Imho, thanks you two
