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Jonh Ingham
Jonh Ingham
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Jefferson Airplane Loves You

Posted over 2 years ago
I'm in the middle of writing a story on Jefferson Airplane for a Mojo Summer Of Love magazine special and to stay in the mood I'm listening non-stop to various live concerts. I've been wallowing in freeform rockin' out as they make a rapid ascent from their rock-folk-blues beginning towards a free-flowing rush of sound, veering into intense, heady byways in the middle of songs before turning on a beat to the chorus or verse. At times it can sound like three separate bands they’re in such an exhilerating rush but somehow it all fits together. Towering over everything is the mighty Jack Casady on bass, one of the best players of his generation. Here's a taste of what they were doing with their biggest hit single on October 26, 1968 when they played Fillmore West. No, it's not 'White Rabbit' - that only got to No. 8. 'Somebody To Love' made it to No. 5. Turn up the bass.
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Comments (23)

  1. Kate
    Kate says I used to listen to the Jefferson Airplace box set a lot. "I Specialize in Love" and "Embryonic Journey" remain favorites of mine. When I was growing up, my brother had a pet rat. We used to go to this pet store in the Bay Area that had these strange photos of rats in very elaborate costumes. When my mother asked the salesperson about them she said, "Oh, those are Grace Slick's rats. She likes to sew special outfits for them". Special indeed.
    Permalink posted 06/25/2007
  2. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says White Rabbit is fantastic (one of my favorites)... but there is so much more to them than a rabbit & Jim Carrey for Surrealistic Pillow - you got Today, ahhh & Comin Back to Me... two absolute classics. This version of Somebody to Love - it's quite fab !!! Thanks Jonh !!!
    Permalink posted 06/25/2007
  3. ivylander
    ivylander says Jefferson Airplane were the ones who informed me - unintentionally, of course - that the Sixties were over. When I was in high school ('70 or '71, then) and growing up in a college town, the Airplane was booked for a concert at the university. It sold out instantly, very bad news for us townies. We skulked around any doors, entrance or exit, at the venue and tried to finagle our way in. My friend Roscoe and his girlfriend Cindy managed to slip past a pair of guards. My girlfriend Carla and I were not so enterprising. We finally did get in toward the end, when a number of people had left and the doors were open. It was probably not one of their better nights. But that's not where the disillusion set in. That came afterward, when a bunch of us heard on very good authority that the band members were enjoying a post-gig repast at....Howard Johnson's. What kind of revolutionary ate at Hojo's? To this day, it is profoundly disturbing....
    Permalink posted 06/25/2007
  4. deedee
    deedee says Never was a huge Airplane fan, but I agree with Lizzie-- "Today" and (especially) "Comin' Back to Me" still move me.
    Permalink posted 06/25/2007
  5. Mike the Knife
    Mike the Knife says Grace put the 'ho in HoJo's? Just keeding. Dug that slice, Jonh. Surrealistic Pillow still sounds pretty fab today, especially "Today," "Comin' Back to Me" (Hi, Lizzie!) and "Embryonic Journey" (Hi, Kate!). And stuff on ...Baxter's and Crown of Creation also holds up. Like I said a few weeks back, the Airplane, Steve Miller's band and Moby Grape are the San Fran groups of that bygone era that I return to now and again. (And the Flamin' Groovies. Mustn't forget them.)
    Permalink posted 06/25/2007
  6. ivylander
    ivylander says To that list, Mike, I would add "Young Girl Sunday Blues," "Watch Her Ride" and maybe even "The Ballad of You and Me And Pooneil." "Baxter's" is a mess, but a glorious mess.....
    Permalink posted 06/25/2007
  7. Rawkkiddoh
    Rawkkiddoh says to bad they dont like germans
    Permalink posted 06/25/2007
  8. Michael Goldberg
    Michael Goldberg says Country Joe and the Fish's Electric Music For the Mind And Body is great stuff. So is Live Dead (and the Dead's first album is way underrated). Some of The Charlatans album that was released maybe five years ago is killer. The first two Quicksilver Messenger Service albums are strong. The Big Brother and the Holding Company albums hold up.
    Permalink posted 06/25/2007
  9. chucky
    chucky says I had no idea this song was that old. Just goes to show, good music doesn't really age.
    Permalink posted 06/25/2007
  10. dermahrk
    dermahrk says Fabulous post, Jonh. And probably my fave Airplane song, which I have never heard a live version of. "Pillow" was great, then I bought "Baxter's" which killed it for me. I feel the same as Ivylander, without the "glorious".
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  11. steve simon
    steve simon says go see the killer psychedelic exhibit at the whiteny in NYC, awesome
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  12. Jonh Ingham
    Jonh Ingham says Interesting how everyone has a different take on what the good songs were and are. Kate- Embryonic Journey suddenly appeared as background music on TV shows over here about 3 years ago. I still hear it occasionally. Never thought I'd hear that. Grace Slick's rats - LOL! Rawk - It was Grace who carried the anti-German flag and later admitted it was the expression of serious alcoholism. Given that 2 of the band are German descent.... Michael - All great psych choices. Country Joe was a staple of 1967 on my turntable.
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  13. kelly
    kelly says I really love the box set too Kate, What about Lawman? Love that song!
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  14. moovyphreak
    moovyphreak says I don't know why, but whenever I hear this song, I think of Jim Carrey's crazed karaoke rendition in The Cable Guy.
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  15. contrabandwidth
    contrabandwidth says Jonh, I should have figured if anyone could write at the altars of Mojo, it would be you. You who have taken me (via Mog) on great tours of rock n' roll London. I love the mag, but it's near $14 at Borders here in the States, and if it was between that and a CD, the CD would win out. Plus, I really don't need another issue dedicated to the Beatles. Great pos, great mag, keep us informed.
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  16. Jonh Ingham
    Jonh Ingham says I'm with you on the value of $14 - CD every time. If you really want to read my glowing prose and I know you do (and I would be lying to call this effort glowing, it's proving really hard), I'm posting all my published work in a blog archive. You can get the link at the top of my page. And I agree - how can anyone find something new to say about The Beatles? Unless of course it's photos of where they lived, recorded, played.....
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  17. contrabandwidth
    contrabandwidth says My geeky side would love this book though, possibly more for the old machine fetish. Recording The Beatles:
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  18. Girlcrawl
    Girlcrawl says Somebody to Love is such a great song; agree that the Surrealistic Pillow LP still sounds 'fab'. I also immensely enjoy their debut LP Jefferson Airplane Takes Off (featuring vocalist Signe Anderson) with the fave standout tracks 'Bringin Me Down', 'And I Like It', and 'Chauffeur Blues'. A fabulous spin-off project, and a cd I listen to frequently, is the Jorma and Jack '70 self-titled live release Hot Tuna - it's timeless. Best wishes for the article, and with this band's history I so look forward to reading!
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  19. ivylander
    ivylander says Fourteen smackers! Where you buyin' that Mojo, friend? Move to the East Coast, where they're still nine bucks a pop.....
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  20. 2Serenity
    2Serenity says Listening to live concerts is something I just started doing this year. I never really realized the beauty of listening to an artist re-interpret songs that they recorded in the studio. I find the live versions of songs and albums to be true gems! Jefferson Airplane is classic rock at its finest! Thank you for allowing me to travel to 1968! 1968 was a terrible year here in America. Although I was not born in 1968, I have heard so much about that year. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 which was a catalyst of riots throughout the United States. Also, Presidential candidate Robert Kennedy was assassinated too in June of 1968. Many downtown cities suffered because of the riots here in America. Some cities have been able to structurally get back on track. Washington, DC was a real dump because of the riots but now there has been a lot of renovations, and it is cool to go into downtown DC near H street (Chinatown/Gallery Place, etc) 15 years ago it was not that pretty. And when I was growing up it was a real dump.
    Permalink posted 06/26/2007
  21. B42
    B42 says
    Permalink posted 06/27/2007
  22. Spike
    Spike says If B42 gets to offer up a memorable later track by an original member who hadn't completely lost their muse, what's to stop me?
    Permalink posted 07/16/2007
  23. Jonh Ingham
    Jonh Ingham says Good choice Spike. Interesting how it sounds like a common thread from his work with the Airplane.
    Permalink posted 07/17/2007

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