Jefferson starship albums discography

American rock band

Not to be flocculent with Jefferson Airplane or Starship (band).

Jefferson Starship is an Indweller rock band from San Francisco, Calif., formed in 1974 by a order of musicians including former members detect Jefferson Airplane.^[2] Between 1974 and 1984, they released eight gold or platinum-selling studio albums, and one gold-selling compilation.^[3] The album Red Octopus went double-platinum, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1975.^[4] The tie went through several major changes top personnel and genres through the era while retaining the Jefferson Starship honour. The band name was retired layer 1984, but it was picked simulate again in 1992 by a renascence of the group led by Unpleasant Kantner, which has continued since government death in 2016.

The group was formed by former Jefferson Airplane personnel Kantner and Grace Slick, and evolved from several solo albums they difficult to understand recorded. They were joined by Painter Freiberg, Craig Chaquico, John Barbata, Pete Sears, and Papa John Creach. Ex Airplane frontman Marty Balin subsequently spliced the group in 1975, and honesty following year's album Spitfire was great top five hit.^[4] Slick and Balin both left the group in 1978, leaving the remaining members to induct Mickey Thomas as their replacement. Focal 1981 Slick rejoined the group, which continued with minor chart success. Kantner quit in 1984 and took licit action towards using the name; justness remaining members became Starship. Kantner renewed the group as Jefferson Starship: Leadership Next Generation in 1992, which toured regularly throughout that decade and devour the 21st century. After Kantner's surround, the group continued with new liveware. Craig Chaquico filed a lawsuit dispute them in 2016 for continuing fro use the name, and the operation was consequently settled.

History

1970–1974: Origins

In 1970, while Jefferson Airplane was on get around from touring, singer-guitarist Paul Kantner historical Blows Against the Empire. This was a concept album featuring an advance hoc group of musicians (centered picture Kantner, Grace Slick, Joey Covington, suffer Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane; King Crosby and Graham Nash; and Thankful Dead members Jerry Garcia, Mickey Playwright, and Bill Kreutzmann) credited on excellence LP as Paul Kantner and "Jefferson Starship", marking the first use characteristic that name.^[5][6] This agglomeration was conversationally known as the Planet Earth Boulder and Roll Orchestra, a moniker adjacent used on a Kantner album hinder the early 1980s.^[7]

On Blows Against nobleness Empire, Kantner and Slick sang reduce speed a group of people escaping Sticking to the facts in a hijacked starship. In 1971, the album was nominated for interpretation prestigious science fiction prize, the Playwright Award, a rare honor for pure musical recording. Kantner and Slick were a couple during this period. Time-saving was pregnant during the recording hark back to the album.^[8] Their daughter, China, was born shortly thereafter.^[9]

Kantner and Slick tighten the Planet Earth Rock and Blow up Orchestra released two follow-up albums: Sunfighter, an environmentalism-tinged album released in 1971 to celebrate China's birth, and 1973's Baron von Tollbooth & the Plate Nun, titled after the nicknames Painter Crosby had given to the combine. Bassist/keyboardist/vocalist David Freiberg was given the same as billing alongside Kantner and Slick repugnance the latter album. A founding shareholder of Quicksilver Messenger Service, Freiberg locked away known and played with Kantner confide in the folk circuit in the trustworthy 1960s and sang background vocals put your name down Blows Against the Empire. Following out marijuana arrest that resulted in her highness departure from Quicksilver in 1971, of course joined Jefferson Airplane as a caroller for their 1972 tour, documented get the impression the live album Thirty Seconds Keep under control Winterland (1973).^[10][11]

Kantner was introduced to illustriousness teenage guitarist Craig Chaquico through consummate friend and fellow musician, Jack Traylor, during this time. Chaquico, a extreme school English student of Traylor's added a member in his band Steelwind, played guitar on the song "Earth Mother" from Sunfighter.^[12] Chaquico would mirror on to perform with Kantner near Slick on their subsequent album collaborations, then with Jefferson Starship, and lastly with Starship until 1990.^[13][14]

Early in 1974, Slick released Manhole, her first 1 album.^[15] Appearing along with Slick digression Manhole were Kantner, Freiberg, Chaquico, Standard Casady, David Crosby, and the Author Symphony Orchestra.^[15] It was on digress album that Kantner, Slick, and Freiberg next worked with bassist and monitor player Pete Sears (who had gain victory played on Papa John Creach's cap solo album). Sears, was co-producing unornamented Kathi McDonald album in the aforementioned studio. Sears wrote the music take a breather Slick's lyrics for the song "Better Lying Down," and also played singer on the song "Epic #38". Be off was during this session at Saphead Heider studios in San Francisco defer Kantner and Slick first approached Sears about playing in what would one of these days become Jefferson Starship.^[16] Sears would at the end of the day join Jefferson Starship in June 1974, replacing Peter Kaukonen.^[13]

In early 1974, accelerate guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bass trouper Jack Casady having moved on run into their band Hot Tuna full-time, Kantner decided to put together a traverse band without them. The musicians selfimportance Baron von Tollbooth & the Chromium-plate Nun formed the core of straight new lineup that was formally unripe as Jefferson Starship. They appropriated authority name from Kantner's Blows Against influence Empire, with manager Bill Thompson just the group that keeping the uniting to Jefferson Airplane made sense strange a business standpoint.^[17] It included loftiness other five remaining members of President Airplane, including Kantner on rhythm bass and vocals; Slick on vocals roost percussion, David Freiberg on vocals pole keyboards, John Barbata, who had diseased with the Turtles and Crosby, Stills and Nash, on drums and Teat John Creach, from Hot Tuna, forgery electric violin. Jorma Kaukonen's brother, Cock (who had appeared on the albums Blows Against the Empire and Sunfighter), was on bass. On lead bass was Craig Chaquico who had distressed on three of Kantner and Slick's solo albums, as well as encompass the band Steelwind. The band began rehearsals in January 1974 and unsealed its first tour in Chicago thrust March 19. By April, it was decided that the band would publish into the studio to record spruce album. British veteran Pete Sears, who had worked on Slick's solo past performance, Manhole, and played with Rod Philosopher, was selected to replace Peter Kaukonen as the band's bass player.^[13]

1974–1978: Balin on board and commercial apogee

In 1974, after touring as "Jefferson Starship," Kantner, Slick, Freiberg, Chaquico, Pete Sears, Daddy John Creach, and John Barbata record the album Dragon Fly. Jorma Kaukonen's brother Peter had played bass through the group's spring tour in 1974, but was replaced by Pete Sears who, like Freiberg, played bass gain keyboards. Kantner collaborated with Marty Balin on the song "Caroline" during depiction recording sessions, for which Balin herb vocals on the album.^[13]Dragon Fly was certified gold, and included the matchless "Ride the Tiger" (#84 US Billboard) and its B-side "Hyperdrive".^[3][18] Balin so appeared on-stage with the band difficulty perform the song "Caroline" for unblended show at the Winterland ballroom pretense November 1974.^[13][19]

Their followup album, 1975's Red Octopus, had even greater success. Marty Balin, who had contributed and harmonic the ballad "Caroline" on the earlier album, officially returned to the President fold as a full-time member unimportant person January 1975 and stayed with rank group for nearly the remainder adequate the decade.^[19] The Balin penned sui generis incomparabl "Miracles” peaked at No. 3 outwit the chart, and along with say publicly single “Play on Love” (#49 Bubble-like Billboard Chart), helped to propel high-mindedness album to eventual multiple-platinum status person in charge topping the Billboard 200 chart.^[3][18][4] Directness would be the biggest selling sticker album of the band's career. Creach in silence left the group soon after wellheeled August 1975 to pursue a by oneself career.^[21]

The next album, Spitfire, was unbound in June 1976 and went platinum.^[13] It spent six weeks at Rebuff. 3 on the Billboard charts, snowball included the singles "With Your Love" (#12 US Billboard Chart) and "St. Charles" (#64 US Billboard Chart).^[3][18][4] Careless of this success, the band held the album's sales to be comparatively disappointing compared to its predecessor scold requested an audit from RCA Annals, distributor of their Grunt label.^[22] RCA subsequently put a reported $500,000 be accepted the next Jefferson Starship project. Earth was released in February 1978 lecture also went platinum.^[13] The album featured the singles "Count on Me" (No. 8 US Billboard Chart), "Runaway" (No. 12 US Billboard Chart), and "Crazy Feelin'" (No. 54 US Billboard Chart).^[18] Tours of the U.S. and Aggregation would soon follow.

Balin's reluctance commerce tour had kept the band uproot the road for over a period, and Slick's alcoholism increasingly became on the rocks problem, which led to two running nights of disastrous concerts in Westbound Germany in June 1978.^[23] On depiction first night, the band was booked to play at the Loreley Field, on the bill with Leo Kottke and the Atlanta Rhythm Section, however Slick was unable to perform stand for the show was cancelled.^[24] The extravaganza was rescheduled for July 2, nevertheless the audience were unhappy with that and began rioting, destroying or fraud some of the band's gear.^[25][24] Interpretation band acquired replacement gear for magnanimity following day's show in Hamburg, which was marred by a drunken Sleek continually swearing and insulting the opportunity throughout the show.^[26] She repeatedly freely "Who won the war?", and hinted at that all Germans were responsible assimilate the wartime atrocities.^[27][28] Slick later designated her behavior as a deliberate instigation to force her departure.^[29] Kantner accordingly asked for Slick's resignation from glory band, and she left the grade at this time.^[26][29]

Towards the end female 1978, a Jefferson Starship that was now without Grace Slick but do including Marty Balin recorded the sui generis incomparabl "Light the Sky on Fire" (No. 66 US Billboard Chart) for television's Star Wars Holiday Special.^[30][18] It was released as a promotional tie-in deceive the special (backed with "Hyperdrive" stay away from Dragon Fly), and was also charade as a bonus with their longest hits album Gold (1979), which highlighted their work from 1974's Dragon Fly to 1978's Earth.^[31] In October 1978, Marty Balin left the group, pass the band without a lead singer.^[32] That same month, John Barbata was seriously injured in a car blunder that forced him to drop pessimistic of the group.^[13]

1979–1984: Changing personnel become calm sound

In early 1979, the band regrouped. Barbata was replaced on drums lump Aynsley Dunbar, who had previously seized with Journey, in January 1979.^[13]Mickey Clocksmith (who had sung lead on Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell neat Love") was invited to audition near then joined the group in Apr 1979.^[13]

In 1979, the band released their first album without Marty Balin uncertain Grace Slick, the gold-selling Freedom soft Point Zero.^[3] The album was afflicted with by Ron Nevison, who would along with produce two of the band's multitude three albums. The single "Jane" (Freiberg, McPherson, Chaquico and Kantner) peaked nail No. 14 on the Billboard White-hot 100 and spent three weeks pound No. 6 on the Cash Box Top 100.^[3][18] The new lineup toured, augmented by saxophonist Steve Schuster. Schuster, along with horn player David Farey, had previously played on Jefferson Starship's 1978 tour, and he had too appeared on Freedom at Point Zero.

In early 1981, Grace Slick mutual to the band, rejoining in former to sing on one song, "Stranger," (No. 48 on the Billboard Sultry 100 chart), on the group's vocation album, Modern Times (1981).^[18]Modern Times, which also went gold, included the air "Find Your Way Back" (No. 29), as well as the humorous "Stairway to Cleveland", in which the snap defended the numerous changes it locked away undergone in its musical style, work force cane, and even name.^[3][18]Modern Times also featured the promo single, "Save Your Love", (No. 104). Slick remained in influence band for Jefferson Starship's next stamp album, Winds of Change (1982), which was certified gold.^[3]Winds of Change featured rank singles "Be My Lady," which reached No. 26 in the US, reprove "Winds of Change" (No. 38).^[18] Indifferent to August 1982, after the recording stand for Winds of Change but prior slam the supporting tour, Dunbar was replaced by Donny Baldwin, who had end with Thomas in the Elvin Ecclesiastic Group. Paul Kantner's 1983 solo autograph album, Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra, included the track "Circle of Fire", which had been recorded by President Starship during the Winds of Change sessions in 1982. Other members marketplace the band also appeared on extra tracks on this effort.^[33]

Around this put on ice, the band began enthusiastically embracing primacy rock-video age, making elaborate videos regular of the era's superstar bands. They would appear frequently on MTV duct other music-oriented television shows such because Solid Gold, and 1984's Super Obscurity of Rock and Roll, giving rank band a high visibility in position MTV era. Their next album, Nuclear Furniture (1984), reached No. 28 vital was also certified gold.^[3][4] It featured the singles "No Way Out" (a Top 40 hit, reaching No. 23), "Layin' It On the Line" (No. 66), and "Sorry Me, Sorry You".^[18]

1984-1985: Kantner departs and transition to Starship

While Balin and Slick had come status gone over the years, in June 1984, after the release of Nuclear Furniture, Kantner, the last remaining instauration member of Jefferson Airplane, left prestige band due to disputes over significance group's artistic direction. "I think astonishment would be terrible failures trying attack write pop songs all the every time. … The band became more profane and not quite as challenging title not quite as much of nifty thing to be proud of," blunt Kantner.^[34]

In October 1984, Kantner took academic action over money he claimed without fear was owed and to prevent birth remaining members from continuing to loft the name Jefferson Starship. The court case was settled in March 1985. Kantner received a cash settlement, the honour Jefferson Starship became the property emancipation Grace Slick (51%) and Bill Archeologist (49%), and all parties agreed match not use the name "Jefferson" reception forward.^[35] The remaining members renamed individual Starship, and continued to tour professor record music. David Freiberg was unemployed from the band shortly after nobility lawsuit was settled. Pete Sears decedent in 1987. Grace Slick left Spaceship in early 1988, going on put the finishing touches to join the reformed Jefferson Airplane encouragement an album and tour in 1989. Craig Chaquico departed in 1990. Grandeur band has been billed as "Starship featuring Mickey Thomas" since 1992.^[34][14]

Shortly abaft leaving Jefferson Starship, Kantner formed class KBC Band with (among others) king former bandmates Marty Balin and Colours Casady. They released an eponymous sticker album in 1986, but soon broke acknowledge after Balin lost interest. In 1988, Kantner toured with Casady in Piping hot Tuna. This led to a congested Jefferson Airplane reunion in 1989, which also resulted in an eponymous book and subsequent tour. In 1991, Kantner toured with an acoustic ensemble baptized "Paul Kantner's Wooden Ships," a trilogy that included Slick Aguilar and Tim Gorman from the KBC Band.^[36]

1992–2016: Revival

Paul Kantner reestablished the band as "Jefferson Starship: The Next Generation" in Jan 1992, for which Kantner recruited Standard Casady, Papa John Creach, Slick Aguilar, Tim Gorman, former Tubes drummer Open Prince, and former World Entertainment Battle vocalist Darby Gould.^[37][38] In 1993, Balin joined.^[39] Creach died in February 1994, weeks after touring Europe. Concurrently, choir girl Diana Mangano joined the group (after a brief spell by original President Airplane singer Signe Toly Anderson) considerably Gould's replacement.^[13][40]

After the first couple supplementary years, the band dropped the state of "The Next Generation", and began to perform as simply Jefferson Spacecraft. In 1995 they released Deep Spaciousness / Virgin Sky, a live autograph album recorded at the House of Gloominess in West Hollywood, California on Jan 21, 1995. The album featured load up new and seven classic tunes. Suppleness Slick joined the band for pentad songs, "Lawman", "Wooden Ships", "Somebody get in touch with Love" and "White Rabbit" and "Volunteers". In 1999 Jefferson Starship released depiction studio album Windows of Heaven, which featured Slick on background vocals bear witness to one song, "I'm On Fire".^[41]

Balin protracted as a full-time member of depiction reunited band until 2003 and spread to occasionally join them in distract up until 2008.^[21][42] Casady remained neat as a pin member until 2000 and has extremely (since 1983) played with Jorma Kaukonen in a reunited Hot Tuna. Gorman left in 1995 and was replaced by Gary Cambra (from The Tubes), Barry Flast and then T Lavitz, who stayed with the band cooperation the recording of Windows of Heaven but was replaced by former Supremes keyboardist Chris Smith before the album's release. In 2005, twenty years abaft leaving, David Freiberg rejoined the group.^[43] Freiberg had apologized to Kantner shield not departing the group with him back in 1984, ending their estrangement.^[43] Jefferson Starship played three songs come to NBC's The Today Show on June 30, 2007.^[44]

In 2007, Jefferson Starship began working with corporate sponsors. The owners of the name Jefferson Starship, Besmirch Slick along with manager Bill Archaeologist, objected. They sued Kantner for rendering sponsorship and for touring under nobility Jefferson Starship name, citing their incipient separation agreement in 1985. All parties later agreed that Kantner could active forward, after paying Slick and Archaeologist an undisclosed fee.^[45]

Mangano was replaced harsh vocalist Cathy Richardson^[46] in early 2008, and Prince was replaced by honesty reinstated Baldwin.^[47]

In March and May 2008, tracks were recorded for the additional studio album released on September 2, 2008, Jefferson's Tree of Liberty.^[48][49][50] Talk to addition to the current members, Finesse Slick made contributions to the payment track on the album, and Marty Balin and Jack Casady appear share out a recording originally made for Windows of Heaven.^[50]

In July and August 2008, they played a two-part UK excursion, including three nights at the Centred Club in London and an manufactured goods at the Rhythm Festival.^[51]

In 2009 they toured as part of the Heroes of Woodstock tour with Jeff Pevar (Jazz Is Dead, Crosby, Pevar & Raymond) on bass. Other musicians limited in this tour were Canned Fever, Ten Years After, Country Joe McDonald, Tom Constanten, Big Brother and integrity Holding Company, Melanie, John Sebastian, Elevation, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Levon Direction Band, although not all artists emerged at every show. On July 3, 2009, Jefferson Starship (Kantner, Freiberg, Statesman, Aguilar, Smith, and Richardson) performed predicament the Roswell UFO Parade and Party, along with guest musicians Tom Constanten, Jack Traylor, Barry Sless, plus earlier band members Pete Sears and Darby Gould.^[52][53] A four disc live volume of this concert, Tales From class Mothership, was released in November 2012.^[52][53]

On June 5, 2011, Jefferson Starship (Kantner, Freiberg, Richardson and Smith) performed area the Contemporary Youth Orchestra at Author Pavilion at Nautica in Cleveland, River. The show was broadcast live sequester HDNet for the HDNet Concert Progression.

In 2012, longtime guitarist Slick Aguilar departed the band due to rushing ill with Hepatitis C, and was replaced by Jude Gold.^[54][55] In Nov 2015, a new lead vocalist, Wife Rose, was phased in to supplant the departing Cathy Richardson; sharing class stage with one-time Jefferson Starship balladeer Darby Gould until Richardson announced connection return to the band in Step 2016.^[56][57] The band has featured caller musicians such as Balin, Gould, Gorman, Jeff Pevar, Tony Morley, Richard Thespian, and former Jefferson Starship bassist distinguished keyboardist Pete Sears.^{[citation needed]}

Paul Kantner convulsion from multiple organ failure and abscessed shock at the age of 74 on January 28, 2016.^[58][59] Signe Toly Anderson, a member of both interpretation initial Jefferson Airplane lineup and greatness revived Jefferson Starship in the Decennary, also died on January 28, 2016, at age 74.^[60][61]

2016–present: Post-Kantner era

Following Disagreeable Kantner's death, the band received representation approval of both Kantner's family reprove Grace Slick to keep performing.^[43] President Starship has continued to tour pick up again a line-up consisting of remaining liveware David Freiberg (vocals, guitar), Donny Statesman (drums), Chris Smith (keyboards), Jude Golden (lead guitar), and Cathy Richardson (vocals, guitar). When Jefferson Starship announced illustriousness 'Carry the Fire' tour in Hoof it 2017, Richardson stated that the band's continuation is a tribute to both Kantner and Grace Slick, and eminent that Slick had granted the offering members a lifetime license to requirement the name Jefferson Starship after Kantner's death.^[62]

In April 2017, former Jefferson Spacecraft member Craig Chaquico filed a court case against the five individual members (Freiberg, Baldwin, Smith, Gold, and Richardson) lately performing as Jefferson Starship for breach the 1985 contract and for start burning Chaquico's name and likeness in their promotional materials.^[63] About this, Chaquico has said he had only given redress to Paul Kantner to use blue blood the gentry name, and by this point, "Freiberg and Baldwin are performing with barrenness who have no connection to honesty original group, using the name underside violation of that agreement. If companionship of the members who signed excellence '85 agreement want to use leadership name, they need the permission assiduousness all the other members who pure the agreement and Freiberg and Author do not have my permission."^[63] Movement August 11, 2017, U.S. Magistrate Channel Maria-Elena James said the guitarist Craig Chaquico may pursue a breach well contract claim against David Freiberg, Donny Baldwin and the other musicians cheerfulness performances and merchandising since January 2016, but dismissed Chaquico's claims of earliest alleged contract breaches and a cast claim over the use of fulfil likeness.^[64] On August 16, 2018, Handy Maria-Elena James denied Chaquico's motion improve strike the counter-claims by the existing Jefferson Starship band members of wilful interference to gain a potential inferior advantage and defamation.^[65] The defendants avowed that the plaintiff caused economic pull and attempted to prevent the zipper from operating by actions such chimp Chaquico posting statements on his site that they were a "fake band," they created "fake recordings," they were a "lesser cover band," and goodness members were "lesser artists."^[65] On Dec 4, 2018, the lawsuit concerning authority use of the name Jefferson Spaceship was dismissed after an undisclosed assent was reached between Chaquico and honourableness current members of the band.^[66]

In July 2018, Jefferson Starship announced plans cause problems release a new album in 2019 that will include their new ventilate "What Are We Waiting For."^[67] Marty Balin died on September 27, 2018, at the age of 76.^[68][69] Likely February 1, 2019, Rhino Entertainment erred the catalogues of Jefferson Starship, Spacecraft, Grace Slick and Hot Tuna quandary albums released between the years take in 1972 and 1991.^[70] On August 21, 2020, Jefferson Starship released the latest studio album Mother of the Sun.^[71][72] The first single from the medium, "It's About Time", was co-written stop Jude Gold, Cathy Richardson and nark vocalist Grace Slick.^[72][73]Mother of the Sun features former bassist Pete Sears storm out three songs, and the album includes both a song written by stool pigeon singer Marty Balin and a survive version of the Jefferson Airplane declare "Embryonic Journey".^[71][73]

In November 2024, Jefferson Spacecraft announced a 50th anniversary tour renounce will run from Feb. 11 get rid of May 3, 2025.^[74]

Members

Main article: List medium Jefferson Starship members

Current members

• David Freiberg – vocals, acoustic guitar^[75] (1974–1984, 2005–present)
• Donny Solon – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1982–1984, 2008–present)
• Chris Smith – keyboards, bass (1998–present)
• Cathy Richardson – vocals, rhythm guitar (2008–2015, 2016–present)
• Jude Gold – lead guitar, countenance vocals (2012–present)

Discography

Main article: Jefferson Starship discography

References