Jefferson Airplane – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts

Jefferson Airplane - Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts
Jefferson Airplane – Cash Box 1967. Image source: RCA Victor, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jefferson Airplane Biography

One of the first groups to play psychedelic rock was Jefferson Airplane, an American rock group from San Francisco, California. The San Francisco Sound was established by the 1965 formation, and they were the first Bay Area band to experience commercial success abroad. The Monterey Pop Festival (1967), Woodstock (1969), Altamont Free Concert (1969), and the inaugural Isle of Wight Festival (1968) all included them as headliners. One of the most influential albums produced during the Summer of Love was their breakthrough release Surrealistic Pillow from 1967. “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit,” two songs from that album, are listed among Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”

Marty Balin, then 20 years old, cut two singles for Challenge Records in 1962, neither of which did well. From 1963 to 1964, Balin then became a member of the Town Criers, a folk ensemble. Balin was motivated to start a band in 1965 that would continue the folk-rock fusion started by the Byrds and Simon & Garfunkel after the Beatles-led British Invasion in 1964. Balin also made the decision that he wanted to build his own nightclub for followers of this fresh sound. Balin bought an old pizzeria on Fillmore Street with a group of investors, transformed it into a music venue called the Matrix, and started looking for musicians to join his band.

Balin’s “It’s No Secret,” a song he composed with Otis Redding in mind, served as the group’s debut single. The song’s B-side, “Runnin’ Round the World,” was the cause of the band‘s first dispute with RCA Victor over the line “The nights I’ve spent with you have been magnificent trips.” Skip Spence left the band after their debut LP was finished in March 1966, and Spencer Dryden eventually took his place.

The Jefferson Airplane lineup, which included Marty Balin on vocals, Paul Kantner on guitar and vocals, Grace Slick on vocals, Jorma Kaukonen on lead guitar and vocals, Jack Casady on bass, and Spencer Dryden on drums, was active from October 1966 to February 1970. This lineup was honoured with a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1996. In 1971, Marty Balin quit the group.

Jefferson Airplane essentially separated into two groups after 1972. In order to focus entirely on their own band, Hot Tuna, Kaukonen and Casady left. In 1974, Slick, Kantner, and the other Jefferson Airplane members formed Jefferson Starship after recruiting new band members. Marty Balin later joined them.

In 1998, Bob Sarles’s groundbreaking Behind The Music documentary television series produced and aired a very well-liked episode about Jefferson Airplane. Along with David Crosby, longtime Airplane manager Bill Thompson, and China Kantner, daughter of Paul Kantner and Grace Slick, the programme featured interviews with band members Grace Slick, Marty Balin, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, and Spencer Dryden.

The Bob Sarles-directed movie Fly Jefferson Airplane was made available on DVD in 2004. It spans the years 1965 to 1972 and includes thirteen complete songs as well as band members’ most recent in-depth interviews at the time.

Colon cancer claimed the life of Spencer Dryden on January 11, 2005. 2015 Lockn’ Festival featured a set by Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady in honor of Jefferson Airplane’s 50th anniversary. G.E. Smith, Rachael Price, Larry Campbell, and Teresa Williams all joined them. In 2016, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Jefferson Airplane.

Jefferson Airplane Discography

Jefferson AirplaneSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Long John SilverSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
BarkSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
VolunteersSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Crown of CreationSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
After Bathing at Baxter’s
Surrealistic PillowSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Jefferson Airplane Takes OffSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Albums Does Jefferson Airplane Have?

Jefferson Airplane released eight studio albums, four live albums, and seven compilations. The band’s first album, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, was released in 1966. Their last album, Long John Silver, was released in 1972.

What Was Jefferson AirplaneS Biggest Hit?

The Jefferson Airplane’s most successful single was “Somebody to Love”, which peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1967. The song was written by Darby Slick, the brother-in-law of band founder Paul Kantner.

What Was Jefferson Airplane Famous For?

The American rock band Jefferson Airplane was formed in San Francisco in the mid-1960s. The group was one of the first to usher in the era of psychedelic rock, and their 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow is often regarded as one of the key recordings of that genre. The band’s most successful single, “Somebody to Love”, was released in 1967 and reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100. Jefferson Airplane continued to record and perform throughout the 1970s, though internal tensions began to take their toll on the group in the latter part of that decade. The band finally disbanded in 1987.

Who Is The Lead Singer For Jefferson Airplane?

The lead singer for Jefferson Airplane is Grace Slick. She was a member of the band from 1966 to 1972, and again from 1974 to 1988.

Who Wrote The Jefferson Airplane’S Song?

The song was written by Grace Slick.

Most Searched For Jefferson Airplane Songs

Somebody to Love SpotifyAppleAmazon
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