Jefferson Airplane
Along with the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane are regarded as the most successful San Francisco band of the late 60s. The group were formed in August 1965 by Marty Balin (b. Martyn Jerel Buchwald, 30 January 1942, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; vocals, guitar). The other members in the original line-up were Paul Kantner (b. 17 March 1941, San Francisco, California, USA; guitar, vocals) and Jorma Kaukonen (b. 23 December 1940, Washington, DC, USA; guitar, vocals). Bob Harvey and Jerry Peloquin gave way to Alexander Skip Spence (b. 18 April 1946, Windsor, Ontario, Canada) and Signe Anderson (b. Signe Toly Anderson, 15 September 1941, Seattle, Washington, USA). Their replacements, Spencer Dryden (b. 7 April 1938, New York, USA; drums) and Jack Casady (b. 13 April 1944, Washington, DC, USA), made up a seminal band that blended folk and rock into what became known as west coast rock. Kantner, already a familiar face on the local folk circuit and Balin, formerly of the Town Criers and co-owner of the Matrix club, soon became highly popular locally, playing gigs and benefits organized by promoter Bill Graham. Eventually they became regulars at the Fillmore Auditorium and the Carousel Ballroom, both a short distance from their communal home in the Haight Ashbury district. Anderson departed shortly after the release of their moderately successful debut Jefferson Airplane Takes Off and was replaced in October 1966 by Grace Slick (b. Grace Barnett Wing, 30 October 1939, Evanston, Illinois, USA; vocals).
Slick was already well known with her former band, the Great Society, and donated two of their songs, "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love", to the Airplane. Both titles were on their second influential collection, Surrealistic Pillow, and both became US Top 10 hits. They have now achieved classic status as definitive songs from that era. The lyrics of "White Rabbit" combined the harmless tale of Alice In Wonderland with an LSD trip. Their reputation was enhanced by a strong performance at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. This national success continued with the erratic After Bathing At Baxters and the brilliant Crown Of Creation. The latter showed the various writers in the band maturing and developing their own styles. Balin's "If You Feel", Kaukonen's "Ice Cream Phoenix" and Slick's tragi-comic "Lather" gave the record great variety. This album also contained "Triad", a song their friend David Crosby had been unable to include on a Byrds album. They maintained a busy schedule and released a well-recorded live album, Bless Its Pointed Little Head, in 1969. The same year, they appeared at another milestone in musical history: the Woodstock Festival. Later that year they were present at the infamous Altamont Festival, where a group of Hells Angels killed a young spectator and attacked Balin.
Slick and Kantner had now become lovers and their hippie ideals and political views were a major influence on Volunteers. While it was an excellent album, it marked the decline of Balin's role in the band. Additionally, Dryden departed and the offshoot Hot Tuna began to take up more of Casady and Kaukonen's time. Wizened fiddler Papa John Creach (b. 28 May 1917, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, USA, d. 22 February 1994; violin) joined the band full-time in 1970, although he still continued to play with Hot Tuna. Kantner released a concept album, Blows Against The Empire, bearing the name Paul Kantner And The Jefferson Starship. The "Starship" consisted of various Airplane members, plus Jerry Garcia, David Crosby, Graham Nash, et al. This majestic album was nominated for the science fiction Hugo Award. Slick, meanwhile, gave birth to a daughter, China, who later in the year graced the cover of Slick And Kantner's Sunfighter. Following a greatest hits selection, Worst Of, and the departure of Balin, the band released the cleverly packaged Bark. Complete with brown paper bag, the album offered some odd moments, notably Slick's "Never Argue With A German", sung in spoof German, and new drummer Joey Covington's 50s-sounding a cappella "Thunk". It also marked the first release on their own Grunt label.
The disappointing Long John Silver was followed by a gutsy live outing, 30 Seconds Over Winterland. This was the last album to bear their name, although an interesting compilation consisting of single releases and studio out-takes later appeared as Early Flight. Hot Tuna became Casady and Kaukonen's main interest and Slick and Kantner released further "solo" albums. The name change evolved without any fuss, and one of the most inventive bands in history prepared for a relaunch as the Jefferson Starship. Kantner, Balin and Casady regrouped briefly as the KBC Band in 1986. The Airplane title was resurrected in 1989 when Slick, Kaukonen, Casady, Balin and Kantner re-formed and released Jefferson Airplane to an indifferent audience. By the early 90s Hot Tuna had re-formed, Kantner was rebuilding his Jefferson Starship and Slick had apparently retired from the music business.
Good Shepherd
If you want to get to heaven
Over on the other shore
Stay out of the way of the blood-stained bandit
Oh good shepherd
Feed my sheep
One for Paul
One for Silas
One for to make my heart rejoice
Can't you hear my lambs a callin
Oh good shepherd
Feed my sheep
If you want to get to heaven
Over on the other shore
Stay out of the way of the long-tongue liar
Oh good shepherd
Feed my sheep
If you want to get to heaven
Over on the other shore
Stay out of the way of the gun shot devil
Oh good shepherd
Feed my sheep
Lather
Lather was thirty years old today,
They took away all of his toys.
His mother sent newspaper clippings to him,
About his old friends who'd stopped being boys.
There was Harwitz E. Green, just turned thirty-three,
His leather chair waits at the bank.
And Seargent Dow Jones, twenty-seven years old,
Commanding his very own tank.
But Lather still finds it a nice thing to do,
To lie about nude in the sand,
Drawing pictures of mountains that look like bumps,
And thrashing the air with his hands.
But wait, oh Lather's productive you know,
He produces the finest of sound,
Putting drumsticks on either side of his nose,
Snorting the best licks in town,
But that's all over...
Lather was thirty years old today,
And Lather came foam from his tongue.
He looked at me eyes wide and plainly said,
Is it true that I'm no longer young?
And the children call him famous,
And the old men call him insane,
And sometimes he's so nameless,
That he hardly knows which game to play...
Which words to say...
And I should have told him, "No, you're not old."
And I should have let him go on...smiling...babywide.
Somebody To Love
When the truth is found to be lies
And all the joys within you dies
Don't you want somebody to love
Don't you need somebody to love
Wouldn't you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love
When the garden flowers baby are dead yes
And your mind is full of red
Don't you want somebody to love
Don't you need somebody to love
Wouldn't you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love
Your eyes, I say your eyes may look like his
But in your head baby I'm afraid you don't know where it is
Don't you want somebody to love
Don't you need somebody to love
Wouldn't you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love
Tears are running ah running down your breast
And your friends baby they treat you like a guest
Don't you want somebody to love
Don't you need somebody to love
Wouldn't you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love
Jefferson Starship
As an inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and founder, vocalist and songwriter of the Jefferson Airplane and later Jefferson Starship, Marty Balin's role in the birth of 60's music has earned him a place in the annals of rock history. His chart-topping single "Miracles" from his Jefferson Starship days has sold millions of copies and has become a radio standard. The song has been inducted into BMI's Millionaires club having been played 2.7 million times.
Marty came to the attention of San Leandro Theatre operator and recording company owner Rene T. Lamarre, who was impressed to the point of arranging a demo session, which led to Marty's first recording contract with Challenge Records in LA. The first release for Marty Balin, at the age of twenty, was "Nobody But You." The rest is the stuff of which legends are made.
Emerging from the folk culture of the early '60's, Balin invited musician friends to jam, exploring the nascent electric sound that was taking over the burgeoning San Francisco music scene. That was the birth of The Jefferson Airplane. The band, which epitomized the supercharged psychedelic culture of the 60's in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district, was named for guitarist Jorma Kaukonen's dog "Blind Thomas Jefferson Airplane;" but it was singer/songwriter Balin who infused identity and character into one of rock's must long-lived bands.
Needing a venue to play, Balin opened a new and now legendary nightclub called The Matrix, where artists such as Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and others graced the stage. Airplane was "discovered" on the first night they performed at the Matrix and signed with RCA Records. The group achieved notoriety as a flamboyant San Francisco rock band, playing "be-ins," "love-ins," and, of course, Bill Graham's Fillmore. Jefferson Airplane took off on its psychedilic flight, with founder and lead singer Marty Balin driving the group to score numerous gold and platinum records.
Jefferson Airplane became the seminal force in the cultural earthquake that shook San Francisco, ultimately bringing about the "Summer of Love" in '67. Hits like "Somebody To Love," "White Rabbit," and "Volunteers" typified their music - a mixture of poetry, politics and psychedelia.
The year 1967 saw the beginning of many changes for an entire generation. Balin left the Airplane at the end of the 60's and after playing with some local Bay area groups, was re-enlisted by the reformed JEFFERSON STARSHIP in the '70's and recorded Marty's song, the monumental hit "Miracles," which became a bigger hit for Starship than any song ever done by the Airplane.
Eventually, through both incarnations of Jefferson Airplane, and later the Jefferson Starship, Balin and company logged 9 platinum albums and two gold. Marty's final curtain call with the Jefferson Starship came in late 1978, when he decided to turn his talents towards writing and directing the critically acclaimed musical, ROCK JUSTICE, a fantasy about a rock star on trial for not having a hit!
Ironically, in 1981 Marty's first solo album, "BALIN," was released by EMI Records and he finally scored with two major singles, "Hearts," and "Atlantic Lady," which still receive regular airplay. This album went gold in Japan. In 1983, his second solo release, "LUCKY," produced the love songs "What Love Is" and "Do It For Love." In 1986, Marty re-teamed with ex-bandmates, Jack Cassidy and Paul Kantner in the group KBC to release a successful, self-titled album on Arista Records.
During the fall of 1991, Marty signed with GWE Records, and recorded Better Generation in the label's digital Golden Studios. The album was dedicated to Marty's close friend, Bill Graham, who died in a helicopter crash while the album was being recorded in New Hampshire. Included in the collection is "Summer of Love," which Marty sang for Bill Graham, a song which recalls the innocent beauty of San Francisco during the summer of '67.
Marty's haunting vocals are still played regularly on almost every radio station in America. Whether he's singing the soft, beautiful ballads or the strong rockers, Balin is one of the most distinctive and charismatic singers in rock. Now the voice that America has listened to and loved for over thirty years, is back with new material and still singing some of his earlier hits like "Count On Me," "Runaway," "Volunteers," "Today," "Coming Back to Me," "St. Charles," "Caroline" and "With Your Love," sounding stronger and better than ever and ready to wow audiences of all ages!
With nine platinum and three gold records in his arsenal, Balin is also ready to embark on yet another artistic journey. Before he began his legendary rise to stardom, he dreamed of being an artist in a different medium. Alongside his music he loved painting. Initially, Marty creatively designed his own course of study, spending many hours, painting, researching art history and studying the masters.
Ultimately, he was awarded a scholarship to the California School of Fine Arts, where he received high praise and excellent grades for his work. As a result, one of his paintings was displayed in a Chicago art gallery. Marty's other art accomplishments include Christmas card designs, as well as set and scenery designs for theater performances.
All during his involvement in the exciting and intoxicating world of Rock 'n Roll, Marty continued to paint the world around him. His paintings are of the incredible talents and inspirations of those with whom he shared the stage, such as Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, Elton John, Jerry Garcia, John Lennon, Kiss, Bob Marley, Airplane's Grace Slick and many of his idols including Otis Redding, Robert Johnson and Jerry Lee Lewis. His work is intense with color and brings to life legends of an era we all know and cherish; moments engraved in time.
In January 1999, Susan Paul, his exclusive art representative, scheduled the premiere show of Marty Balin's "World of Rock & Roll Legends" at the Nuance Galleries in Tampa, Florida. After a successful two month show, the exhibit is now about to embark on a journey across the nation.
"If only you believe like I believe...," from the song "Miracles," written by Marty Balin, could be the motto for Marty's own life. "I'm a spiritual-oriented person and I believe that music and art can help change the world for the better" he says. Marty's art show is a tribute to the world of Rock & Roll and the incredible vision of one who helped shape a generation that changed the world.
Have You Seen The Stars Tonight
Have you seen the stars tonight?
Would you like to go up on a deck and look at them with me?
Have you seen the star tonight?
Would you like to go up for a stroll and keep me company?
Do you know we could go?
We are free!
Any place you could think of we could be.
Have you seen the stars tonight?
Have you looked at all?
The family of stars.
John Anderson
Cage Of Freedom
Cage of freedom
That's our prison
Where the jailer and captive combine
Cage of freedom
Cast in power
All the trappings of our own design
Blind ambition
Steals our reason
We're soon behind those invisible bars
On the inside
Looking outside
To make it safer we double the guard
Cage of freedom
There's no escaping
We fabricated a world of our own....
Cage of freedom, growing smaller
'Til every wall now touches the skin
Cage of freedom, filled with treason
Changing sides as the losses begin
Our suspicion tries escaping
But they step up the security
There's no exit--there's no entrance
Remember how we swallowed the key?
Cage of freedom, that's our prison
We fabricated this world on our own....
Big brother
Is there a bigger one watching you
Or is there one smaller
Who I should be watching too
Infinite circles of
Snakes eating their own tails
For every one chasing
Another is on the trail
Is that a friend
Can you tell, is he on your side?
'Cause I spy with my little eye
Yet another spy... (fadeout)
