169-500: Paul Lorin Kantner (March 17, 1941 – January 28, 2016) was an American rock musician. He is best known as the co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and a secondary vocalist of Jefferson Airplane , a leading psychedelic rock band of the counterculture era . He continued these roles as a member of Jefferson Starship , Jefferson Airplane's successor band. Jefferson Airplane was formed in 1965 when Kantner met Marty Balin . Kantner eventually became
338-573: A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. In 1962, 20-year-old Marty Balin recorded two singles for Challenge Records , neither of which was successful. He then played in a folk quartet, the Town Criers, from April 1963 to June 1964. With the Beatles -led British Invasion , Balin was inspired by the emerging folk rock genre to form a group in March 1965 that would follow that lead, as well as opening
507-494: A benefit concert for the San Francisco Mime Troupe , the first of many promotions by rising Bay Area entrepreneur Bill Graham , who later became the band's manager. By late 1965, Jefferson Airplane, under Katz's management, had turned down recording offers from Capitol , Valiant , Fantasy , Elektra , and London . In November 1965, Jefferson Airplane signed a recording contract with RCA Victor , which included
676-516: A Jefferson Starship roadie. Despite the dissolution of their romantic relationship, she remained with the band through June 1978, when she left the group to seek rehabilitation for her alcoholism after Kantner asked for her resignation following two disastrous concerts in Germany. Shortly thereafter, Balin quit the group in October 1978 to pursue a solo career. While no attempt was made to replace Slick, Balin
845-514: A Manassas gig in France, 1972. In early 1972, Stills appeared in a UK documentary about himself called Sounding Out . Cashbox magazine ranked Stills as the number 52 top male vocalist of 1972. Billboard ranked Manassas as the number 53 album of 1972, and Stills as the number 75 album artist. All of Stills' albums after Buffalo Springfield had gone either gold or platinum ; the Manassas follow-up album
1014-664: A band. A native San Franciscan, Kantner had started out performing on the Bay Area folk circuit in the early 1960s, alongside fellow folkies Jerry Garcia and David Crosby . He cited folk groups like the Kingston Trio and the Weavers as strong early influences. He briefly moved to Los Angeles in 1964 to work in a folk duo with future Airplane/Starship member David Freiberg (who subsequently joined Quicksilver Messenger Service ). Balin and Kantner then recruited other musicians to form
1183-591: A bull.' He WAS a hard-headed German." In 2004, a documentary containing 13 Jefferson Airplane performances and bandmember interviews was released on DVD. In 1991, Kantner and Slick appeared and provided commentary in The Doors: Live In Europe 1968. This VHS documentary film explores the experiences of the American rock band The Doors while touring Europe with Jefferson Airplane in 1968. Released on DVD in 2004. Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane
1352-520: A contract with Katz until December 1965. After rehearsing throughout the summer, the group made its first public appearance as Jefferson Airplane at the opening night of The Matrix on August 13, 1965. The band expanded from its folk roots, drawing inspiration from the Beatles , the Byrds and the Lovin' Spoonful , and gradually developed a more pop-oriented electric sound. Later that month, John L. Wasserman of
1521-545: A critical success. The band's first record Buffalo Springfield (1966) sold well after Stills's topical song " For What It's Worth " became a top ten hit, reaching No. 7 on the US charts. According to Rolling Stone , the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and other sources, Buffalo Springfield helped create the genres of folk rock and country rock. Distrust of their management along with the arrest and deportation of bassist Bruce Palmer worsened
1690-542: A dedicated rhythm guitarist in their electric performances until November 1970) performed as the opening act to Jefferson Airplane with a combination of both electric and acoustic sets. In April 1969, sessions began for their next album, Volunteers , using new 16-track facilities at the Wally Heider Studio in San Francisco. This proved to be the last album by the "classic" lineup of the group. The album's release
1859-498: A friend of Covington who officially joined Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane for their fall tour in October 1970. Touring continued throughout 1970, but the group's only new recordings that year were the single " Mexico " backed with the B-side "Have You Seen the Saucers?" Slick's "Mexico" was an attack on President Richard Nixon 's Operation Intercept , which had been implemented to curtail
SECTION 10
#17328518453432028-421: A harder-edged style, openly criticized Balin for his ballad -oriented compositions. Balin was also reportedly becoming increasingly disenchanted with the "star trips" and "inflated egos" generated by the band's runaway commercial success. In contrast to "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love", "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil" only peaked at No. 42 and "Watch Her Ride" stalled at No. 61. Both singles did reach
2197-481: A late-in-life interview, "I'm not going to give up the few things I enjoy. Might as well die of something I like." Identifying as a political anarchist , Kantner advocated the use of entheogens such as LSD for mind expansion and spiritual growth, and was a prominent advocate of the legalization of marijuana , which he regularly consumed for most of his adult life. In a 1986 interview, Kantner shared his thoughts about cocaine and alcohol, saying, "Cocaine, particularly,
2366-411: A long sabbatical, Marty Balin began to work with Jefferson Starship while their first album, Dragon Fly , was still in the works, co-writing the early power ballad "Caroline" with Kantner and performing the song on the album. Although "Caroline" failed to chart, the album peaked at No. 11, better than any Jefferson Airplane-related effort in three years. By 1975's bestselling Red Octopus (including
2535-424: A member of Jefferson Airplane in 1996. Kantner was born on March 17, 1941, in San Francisco, California, the son of Cora Lee (Fortier) and Paul Schell Kantner. Kantner had a half-brother and a half-sister by his father's first marriage, both much older than he. His father was of German descent, and his mother was of French and German ancestry. His mother died when he was eight years old, and Kantner remembered that he
2704-836: A month after release but did not yield any more top 40 hits, only "It Doesn't Matter" reached 61 on the US charts. Stills spent the majority of 1972 playing live with Manassas on a world tour, which included headlining festivals in Australia, playing more arenas in the US including the Nassau Coliseum , and the Boston Garden. His concert at The Rainbow Theatre in London was recorded for a BBC TV special titled Stephen Stills Manassas: In Concert . He moved to Boulder, Colorado after this world tour finished and in March 1973 married French singer-songwriter Véronique Sanson in London, after having met while at
2873-468: A more idiosyncratic approach (exemplified by a lyrical collaboration with Ronnie Gilbert of The Weavers on the latter album), Jefferson Starship became increasingly beholden to the limitations of the album-oriented rock format. Additionally, the band continued to depend on external collaborators, including lyricist Jeannette Sears (the wife of Pete Sears) and songwriter/producer Peter Wolf . In June 1984, Kantner left Jefferson Starship, complaining that
3042-597: A nightclub for them to perform. With a group of investors, he purchased a former pizza parlor on Fillmore Street in San Francisco and converted it into a club called the Matrix . Meanwhile, he searched for like-minded musicians to form his group. Balin met fellow folk guitarist and singer Paul Kantner during a hootenanny at another local club, the Drinking Gourd, and invited Kantner to join him in putting together
3211-722: A nine-member vocal harmony ensemble, the house act at the Cafe au Go Go in New York City, called the Au Go Go Singers , which included his future Buffalo Springfield bandmate Richie Furay . This ensemble did some touring in the Catskills and in the South, released one album in 1964, and then broke up in 1965. Stills later formed a folk-rock band called the Company with four other former members of
3380-502: A notorious incident at a concert in Amsterdam , while the Airplane was performing "Plastic Fantastic Lover", Doors singer Jim Morrison , under the influence of a combination of drugs fans had given him, appeared on stage and began dancing "like a pinwheel ". As the group played faster and faster, Morrison spun around wildly until he finally fell senseless on the stage at Balin's feet. Morrison
3549-526: A plurality of the vote in the Best Dramatic Presentation category, this was superseded by a majority that elected not to award the prize that year. A sequel ( Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra ) including several Blows Against the Empire participants was released as a Kantner solo album in 1983. Kantner had been in love with Grace Slick for some time, but she was involved in a relationship with
SECTION 20
#17328518453433718-412: A prerequisite for Top Ten hits. In February 1968, manager Bill Graham was fired after Slick delivered an "either he goes or I go" ultimatum. Bill Thompson took over as permanent manager and set about consolidating the group's financial security, establishing Icebag Corp. to oversee the band's publishing interests and purchasing a 20-room mansion at 2400 Fulton Street across from Golden Gate Park near
3887-671: A protest folk singer in the manner of his musical hero, Pete Seeger . After graduating from Saint Mary's College High School , he attended the University of Santa Clara (where he first befriended classmate Jorma Kaukonen ) and San Jose State College (now San José State University ), completing three years of coursework before dropping out to enter the music scene. For a while, he shared a communal house in Venice, Los Angeles with several other folk singers who would subsequently transition to rock, including David Crosby and David Freiberg . During
4056-510: A reformed Jefferson Starship from 1992 until his death in 2016. Kantner had the longest continuous membership with the band, with 19 years in the original run of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship and 24 years in the revived Jefferson Starship. At times, he was the only founding Jefferson Airplane member to remain in Jefferson Starship. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as
4225-632: A single in March 1968. A few tracks recorded for the LP were left off the album but later included as bonus tracks, including the Grace Slick/ Frank Zappa collaboration "Would You Like a Snack?" The Airplane's appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in October of that year caused a minor stir when Slick appeared in blackface and raised her fist in the Black Panther Party 's salute after singing "Crown of Creation". In November 1968,
4394-471: A sold out East coast tour where he played well respected theatres, including Carnegie Hall . The 1975 live album Stephen Stills Live was made up of recordings from this tour. It was also during this tour that Stills announced the 1974 CSNY reunion concert tour. The CSNY reunion tour sold out shows through July and August in both the US and the UK, with an average concert attendance of 80,000. Due to poor management,
4563-473: A string of solo albums, as well as starting a band with Chris Hillman called Manassas in 1972. In summer 1974, Young reunited with CSN after a four-year hiatus for a concert tour that was recorded and released in 2014 as CSNY 1974 . It was one of the first stadium tours and the largest tour the band has done to date. CSN reunited in 1977 for their album CSN , which became the trio's best-selling record. CSN and CSNY continued to have platinum albums through
4732-595: A then unheard-of advance of $ 25,000 (equivalent to $ 242,000 in 2023). Before this, they had recorded a demo for Columbia Records of "The Other Side Of This Life" with Harvey on bass, which was immediately rejected by the label. On December 10, 1965, the Airplane played at the first Bill Graham-promoted show at the Fillmore Auditorium, supported by the Great Society and others. The Airplane also appeared at numerous Family Dog shows promoted by Chet Helms at
4901-637: A three-piece: Stills on guitar, vocals, and piano; George Perry on bass; and Joe Vitale on drums. He reunited with Crosby and Nash shortly afterwards, thanks to the efforts of Nash's future wife Susan, who got Nash to forgive Stills for wiping the Crosby and Nash vocals from Long May You Run . Not before Atlantic Records released a compilation album from Stills first two solo albums, and the two Manassas albums in December 1976 called Still Stills: The Best Of Stephen Stills . Cashbox magazine ranked Stills at number 27 for
5070-651: A trip to Cuba to participate in the Havana Jam festival that took place between March 2 and 4, alongside Weather Report , the Trio of Doom , Fania All-Stars , Billy Swan , Bonnie Bramlett , Mike Finnigan , Kris Kristofferson , Rita Coolidge and Billy Joel , as well as an array of Cuban artists such as Irakere , with whom he toured the US after the Havana concerts. His performance is captured on Ernesto Juan Castellanos's documentary Havana Jam '79 . In 1979, Stills recorded one of
5239-453: A year, peaking at No. 3. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc . The name "Surrealistic Pillow" was suggested by the album's informal producer, Jerry Garcia , when he mentioned that, as a whole, the album sounded "as surrealistic as a pillow is soft." Although RCA did not acknowledge Garcia's contributions to the album with a production credit, he is listed in the album's credits as "spiritual advisor." In addition to
Paul Kantner - Misplaced Pages Continue
5408-403: Is Dead . Kantner died in San Francisco at the age of 74 on January 28, 2016, from multiple organ failure and septic shock after he suffered a heart attack days earlier. Shortly after Kantner's death, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart called Kantner the band's backbone and said Kantner should have received the kind of credit that Slick, Casady and Kaukonen received. Coincidentally, he died on
5577-420: Is a bummer. It's a noxious drug that turns people into jerks. And alcohol is probably the worst drug of all. As you get older and accomplish more things in life in general, you realize that drugs don't help, particularly if you abuse them." When Kantner suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 1980, his attending physician at Cedars-Sinai, Stephen Levy, was quick to point out it was not a drug-related issue, saying: "There
5746-471: Is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield , Crosby, Stills & Nash , and Manassas . As both a solo act and member of three successful bands, Stills has combined record sales of over 35 million albums. He was ranked number 28 in Rolling Stone ' s 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 47 in the 2011 list. Stills became
5915-448: Is zero relationship between Paul's illness and drugs. He doesn't use drugs." Belying his reputation as a near- teetotaler during the commercial heyday of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship, Kantner began to use alcohol more frequently in his later years, with bandmate Jude Gold ultimately characterizing Kantner's vodka intake as an "on-again/off-again love affair." In a 2016 reminiscence, Marty Balin reflected on this period: "It
6084-518: The San Francisco Chronicle praised the band's "musical approach and style"—noting their blend of folk, blues, and rock and roll —and remarked, "Although there are but hints at this time, it is entirely possible that this will be the new direction of contemporary pop music." A few weeks after the group started performing, Peloquin departed because of conflicts with his bandmates, in part because of his disdain for their drug use. Although he
6253-569: The Avalon Ballroom . The group's first single was Balin's "It's No Secret" (a tune he wrote with Otis Redding in mind); the B-side was "Runnin' Round This World", the song that led to the band's first clash with RCA Victor over the lyric "The nights I've spent with you have been fantastic trips". After their debut LP was completed in March 1966, Skip Spence quit the band and he was eventually replaced by Spencer Dryden , who played his first show with
6422-509: The Billboard album chart. 1971 was a year of major upheaval for Jefferson Airplane. Slick and Kantner had begun a relationship in 1970, and on January 25, 1971, their daughter China Wing Kantner ("Wing" was Slick's maiden name) was born. Slick's divorce from her first husband had come through shortly before this, but she and Kantner agreed that they did not wish to marry. Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945)
6591-599: The Fillmore West on October 24–26 and the Fillmore East on November 28–30. It became the Airplane's fourth Top 20 album, peaking at No. 17. Hot Tuna began during a break in Jefferson Airplane's touring schedule in early 1969 while Grace Slick recovered from throat node surgery that left her unable to perform. Kaukonen, Casady, Kantner and drummer Joey Covington played several shows around San Francisco, including
6760-541: The Grateful Dead ( Jerry Garcia , Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart ) alongside some of the other members of Jefferson Airplane ( Grace Slick , Joey Covington and Jack Casady ). In Blows Against the Empire , Kantner and Slick sang about a group of people escaping Earth in a hijacked starship. The album was nominated in 1971 for the Hugo Award , the premiere prize awarded by science fiction fandom . Although it received
6929-689: The Haight-Ashbury , which became the band's office and communal residence. Bill Laudner was hired as road manager. In mid-1968, the group was photographed for a Life magazine story on "The New Rock", appearing on the cover of the June 28, 1968 edition. They undertook their first major tour of Europe in August–September 1968, playing alongside the Doors in the Netherlands , England , Germany and Sweden . In
Paul Kantner - Misplaced Pages Continue
7098-601: The U.S. West Coast in early 1966, mentioned the Airplane in his song "The Fat Angel", which subsequently appeared on his Sunshine Superman LP. The group's second LP , Surrealistic Pillow , recorded in Los Angeles with producer Rick Jarrard in 13 days at a cost of $ 8,000, launched the Airplane to international fame. Released in February 1967, the LP entered the Billboard 200 album chart on March 25 and remained there for over
7267-446: The "Song to the Sun" suite. Although Earth (1978) – to which Kantner contributed just one song – duplicated the success of Red Octopus and Spitfire with two major Balin-sung soft rock hits ( Jesse Barish 's "Count on Me" [No. 8] and N. Q. Dewey's "Runaway" [No. 12]), Jefferson Starship saw major personnel changes before year's end. Slick had left Kantner in 1975 to marry Skip Johnson,
7436-492: The 1969 Woodstock Festival . In 1969, the group played at Altamont , where Balin was knocked unconscious during their set by a Hells Angels member hired as security for the concert. Kantner appears in the documentary film about the Altamont concert, Gimme Shelter , in an on-stage confrontation with a Hell's Angel regarding the altercation. Despite its commercial success, the Airplane was plagued by intra-group fighting, causing
7605-455: The 1975 Stills album. In 1974, Stills played bass on, and helped mix his wife's record Le Maudit . He also played bass for her at two concerts in Paris in October 1974. Stills signed to Columbia Records for three albums: Stills in 1975, Illegal Stills in 1976; and Thoroughfare Gap in 1978. Stills released in June 1975, was the highest-charting release of the three at number 22 on
7774-1076: The 1980s. Stills was born in Dallas, Texas , to Talitha Quintilla Collard (1919–1996) and William Arthur Stills (1915–1986). Raised in a military family, he moved around as a child and developed an interest in blues and folk music. He was also influenced by Latin music after spending his youth in Gainesville and Tampa, Florida , as well as Covington, Louisiana , Costa Rica , the Panama Canal Zone , and El Salvador . Stills attended H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida, Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida and Saint Leo College Preparatory School in Saint Leo, Florida , before graduating from Lincoln High School in Costa Rica. He has sisters Talitha and Hannah. When he
7943-630: The Airplane at the Berkeley Folk Festival on July 4, 1966. Dryden had previously played with a Los Angeles group called the Ashes, which later became the Peanut Butter Conspiracy . Original manager Katz was fired in August, sparking a long-running legal battle that continued until 1987, and Balin's friend and roommate Bill Thompson was installed as road manager and temporary band manager. It
8112-575: The Airplane on October 30 in the Harmon Gym at the University of California, Berkeley . The group's performance skills improved rapidly and they soon gained a strong following in and around San Francisco, aided by reviews from music journalist Ralph J. Gleason , the jazz critic of the San Francisco Chronicle . After seeing them at the Matrix, Gleason wrote in the September 13 edition of his "On
8281-409: The Airplane's commercial breakthrough—she possessed a powerful and supple contralto voice that complemented Balin's and was well-suited to the group's amplified psychedelic music. A former model, her good looks and stage presence greatly enhanced the group's live impact. " White Rabbit " was written by Slick while she was still with The Great Society. The first album she recorded with Jefferson Airplane
8450-572: The Airplane's original club, The Matrix, before Jefferson Airplane resumed performing. Their early repertoire derived mainly from Airplane material that Kaukonen (the band's frontman) sang and covers of American ragtime artist Jelly Roll Morton , and country blues artists such as Reverend Gary Davis , Bo Carter and Blind Blake . In addition, Casady and Kaukonen played as a duo under the moniker with Kaukonen on acoustic guitar and Casady on electric bass. From October 1969 to November 1970, Hot Tuna (also including Balin and, following Kantner's departure,
8619-796: The Airplane's set were subsequently included in the D. A. Pennebaker film documentary of the event. In August 1967, the Airplane performed in Montreal , Quebec, Canada, at two free outdoor concerts, along with fellow Bay Area band the Grateful Dead . The first concert was held in downtown Montreal at Place Ville Marie , and the second was at the Youth Pavilion of Expo 67 . The Airplane also benefited greatly from appearances on national network TV shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on NBC and The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS. The Airplane's famous appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour performing "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love"
SECTION 50
#17328518453438788-748: The Au Go Go Singers. The Company embarked on a six-week tour of Canada, where Stills met guitarist Neil Young . On the VH1 CSNY Legends special, Stills said that Young was doing what he always wanted to do, "play folk music in a rock band." The Company broke up in New York within four months; Stills did session work and went to various auditions. In 1966 he convinced a reluctant Furay, then living in Massachusetts , to move with him to California . Stills, Furay, and Young reunited in Los Angeles and formed
8957-429: The B-side of their only single, "Free Advice", produced by Sylvester Stewart (soon to become famous as Sly Stone ). It reportedly took more than 50 takes to achieve a satisfactory rendition. The Great Society split up in late 1966 and played its last show on September 11. Soon after, Slick was asked to join Jefferson Airplane by Casady (whose musicianship was a major influence on her decision) and her Great Society contract
9126-618: The BBC television show Disco 2 in January 1971. The 1970 album cover was shot by photographer Henry Diltz in Colorado, in the early hours of the morning after the death of Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix's untimely death affected Stills immensely. Ever since being first introduced to Hendrix at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Stills was inspired by the guitarist and had befriended him. In 1969, Stills
9295-607: The Byrds , Buffalo Springfield, and the Hollies . The album won the trio a Grammy Award for Best New Artist . Stills' first solo album, Stephen Stills , earned a gold record and is the only album to feature both Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton . Its hit single " Love the One You're With " became his biggest solo hit, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 . Stills followed this with
9464-443: The Canyon , Blue , and For the Roses . Mitchell used his bass playing for songs like " Carey ". Mitchell: "That's Stephen [Stills] on that one right? I like his bass playing on that track! I tried various bass players, and I usually took them off the tracks. They weighed things down, made it plodding, and didn't make it swing." Stills himself recalled clearly "understanding the underpinning in all those weird tunings." Stills
9633-435: The Chrome Nun was named after the nicknames David Crosby had given to the couple. Through longtime friend Jack Traylor, Kantner discovered teenaged guitarist Craig Chaquico in 1971. Chaquico contributed to Sunfighter and Baron von Tollbooth before going on to play with all of the incarnations of the Starship name until 1990. After Kaukonen and Casady left the Airplane in 1973 to devote their full attention to Hot Tuna ,
9802-454: The Empire peaked at No. 20 in the United States and was the first rock album nominated for the Hugo Award . Jefferson Airplane ended 1970 with their traditional Thanksgiving Day engagement at the Fillmore East (marking the final performances of the short-lived Creach-era septet) and the release of their first compilation album, The Worst of Jefferson Airplane , which continued their unbroken run of post-1967 chart success, reaching No. 12 on
9971-464: The Grateful Dead's withdrawal from the program, they became the only band to perform at all three of the iconic rock festivals of the 1960s—Altamont, Monterey Pop , and Woodstock . Headlined by The Rolling Stones , the concert was marred by violence. Balin was knocked out during a scuffle with Hells Angels members who had been hired to act as "security." The event became notorious for the fatal stabbing of black teenager Meredith Hunter in front of
10140-410: The Hungry Eyes" also charted, peaking at No. 55. In October 1980, Kantner was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in serious condition from a cerebral hemorrhage . Kantner had been working in Los Angeles on an album when he became ill. He was 39 years old at the time and beat considerable odds with a full recovery without surgery. A year later, Kantner talked about the experience, saying, "If there
10309-494: The Memphis Horns , in which he sold out Madison Square Garden , The Philadelphia Spectrum , LA Forum and the Boston Garden , arguably at his solo commercial peak. Stills's performance at Madison Square Garden occurred one day prior to George Harrison 's Concert For Bangladesh . Stills donated his stage, sound, lighting system and production manager in kind, but was later upset when Harrison "neglected to invite him to perform, mention his name, or say thank you". Stills then spent
SECTION 60
#173285184534310478-468: The No. 3 hit "Miracles" ), Balin was a full member and had ensconced himself as a major creative force in the group with the epochal song. Both Red Octopus and 1976's Spitfire (which featured another Balin-penned hit in the No. 12 "With Your Love") saw Kantner amalgamate his usual songwriting approach with the soft rock ethos favored by the group in such songs as "I Want To See Another World," "St. Charles" (a minor hit that peaked at No. 64 in 1976) and
10647-440: The Stills–Young Band . However, Young would leave midway through the resulting tour due to an apparent throat infection. Stills was contractually bound to finish the tour, which he did for three dates before it was cancelled with Chris Hillman helping him, but upon returning home, his wife announced she wanted a divorce and wished to move back to France, although they temporarily reunited. Stills went out on tour in November 1976 as
10816-416: The Storm . From 1993 to 1995, Stills part owned a restaurant in New Orleans, called Toucan Du. He married his third wife, Kristen Hathaway , on May 27, 1996. In 1997, Stills became the first person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice on the same night for his work with CSN and Buffalo Springfield. Fender Guitars Custom Shop crafted a guitar and presented it to Stills to commemorate
10985-411: The Top 40 in Cash Box , however. None of the band's subsequent singles reached the Billboard Top 40 and several failed to chart at all. AM Top 40 radio became wary of a group that had scored a hit with a song that contained thinly veiled drug references and whose singles were often deemed too controversial, so Jefferson Airplane never again enjoyed the kind of widespread AM radio support that served as
11154-400: The Town Criers, Balin's previous group, but was turned down because of disagreements over his terms. Peloquin reintroduced Katz to Balin, who had been trying to find a manager for Jefferson Airplane. Katz enticed the band by mentioning that he had access to an unreleased Bob Dylan song, " Lay Down Your Weary Tune ", and they appointed him as their manager, although they did not officially sign
11323-405: The Town" column that the band, still without a record deal, would "obviously record for someone" eventually. Gleason's support raised the band's profile considerably, and within three months Katz was fielding offers from recording companies, although they had yet to perform outside the San Francisco Bay Area . Two significant early concerts featuring the Airplane were held in late 1965. The first
11492-422: The US No. 14 hit single " Love the One You're With .", and another US top 40 hit "Sit Yourself Down", peaking at No. 37. The album peaked at No. 3 on the US charts, a solo career peak. At the time of release, Stills's album was the highest selling solo album out of the four. It was recorded in the UK, where Stills bought a mansion in Surrey, England, previously owned by Starr. To promote the album, Stills appeared on
11661-437: The US charts and was certified 7 times platinum there, selling over 8 million copies. In May 1970, CSN&Y recorded Young's " Ohio " following the Kent State massacre on May 4. The single's B-side was Stills's "Find the Cost Of Freedom". The single was rush released by Atlantic Records at the same subsequent time as the group's "Teach Your Children" was climbing the charts. After an extended second tour finishing in July 1970,
11830-408: The US charts and was certified quadruple platinum. Stills dominated the recording of the album. Crosby and Nash played guitar on their own songs respectively, while drummer Dallas Taylor played on four tracks and drummer Jim Gordon on a fifth. Stills played all the bass, organ, and lead guitar parts, as well as acoustic guitar on his own songs. "The other guys won't be offended when I say that one
11999-434: The US charts while being certified Gold in December 1970. As a session musician, Stills featured on various albums recorded by fellow artist Joni Mitchell . He was invited by David Crosby to play on Mitchell's 1968 debut album Song to a Seagull , on the track "Night in the City". Throughout the years from 1968–1972, Stills played on a variety of Mitchell's studio albums such as Song to a Seagull , Clouds , Ladies of
12168-727: The US charts, and also the most critically successful of the three. Stills then spent the rest of year touring the US, doing a summer and winter tour playing to 10,000 seat arenas, including the LA Forum , and Red Rocks Amphitheatre . Stills played an acoustic set at the Bob Dylan-organised Night of the Hurricane Benefit at the Houston Astrodome in January 1976. He next released Illegal Stills in May 1976, which reached number 31 on
12337-519: The US charts, but was not critically well received, nor produced any charting singles. Around this time Stills played percussion on the Bee Gees ' song " You Should Be Dancing " and wrote an unreleased song with Barry Gibb. In retrospect Stills has commented on his mid-70s solo period saying he "short-circuited for a while, things were moving too fast. I got a little crazed. Too much drinking, too many drugs. What can I say." Cashbox magazine ranked Stills as
12506-482: The US. The album itself reached No. 8 on the charts and was certified US Gold a month after release. Even though "Change Partners" was written before CSN formed, Nash saw it as a metaphor for the many relationships in CSN&;Y. Stills initially recorded 23 songs and hoped to release them as a double album; this was ultimately rejected by Atlantic. Stills embarked on his first solo US tour with an eight-piece band including
12675-401: The accompanying tour was a success, the revival proved to be short-lived; as in 1973, the group never formally disbanded. According to Grace Slick, the reunion began as a joke: "We hadn't even talked for a year, and we were battling legally – in fact, there are still some standing lawsuits between me and Paul, something to do with the Airplane. Anyway, the idea was that I'd just sneak in, stand at
12844-413: The album Live It Up , their first not to be certified in the US since their debut. Stills toured with CSN, in 1990, 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1999. Having spent most of 1990 playing acoustic with CSN and solo he released the solo album Stills Alone in 1991, with the aim of releasing a solo electric album in 1992. However this solo electric album was never released. In 1994, CSN released the album After
13013-414: The album chart and receiving a gold certification. Slick's " Lather ", which opens the album, is said to be about her affair with drummer Spencer Dryden and his 30th birthday. " Triad ", a David Crosby composition, had been rejected by The Byrds because they deemed its subject matter (a ménage à trois ) to be too "hot." Slick's searing sexual and social-commentary anthem "Greasy Heart" was released as
13182-522: The album stalled at No. 75 in Billboard , a video was made for "America" (a Kantner-Balin collaboration that peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart) and the band embarked on a national tour. In 1986, Kantner headed for court with Slick and her husband Skip Johnson over the taping of some telephone conversations. With Kantner reunited with Balin and Casady, the KBC Band opened
13351-524: The already strained relations among the group members and led to Buffalo Springfield's demise. A second album, Buffalo Springfield Again , was released in late 1967 and featured Stills songs "Bluebird" and "Rock And Roll Woman". In May 1968, the band split up for good, but contractual obligations required the recording and release of a final studio album, Last Time Around . The album was primarily composed of tracks recorded earlier that year. A Stills song from their debut album, "Sit Down, I Think I Love You,"
13520-520: The band had become too commercial and strayed too far from its countercultural roots. At the time, he was the only remaining original member of Jefferson Airplane in the group. Kantner made his decision to leave in the middle of the Nuclear Furniture tour. Upon his departure, Kantner took legal action against his former bandmates over the group's name after the rest of the band resolved to continue as Jefferson Starship; as Kantner's lawsuit proceeded,
13689-520: The band headlined at a free concert in New York's Central Park in August 1969, they performed in what Slick called the "morning maniac music" slot at the Woodstock Festival , for which the group was joined by noted British session keyboard player Nicky Hopkins . When interviewed about Woodstock by Jeff Tamarkin in 1992, Kantner recalled it with fondness, whereas Slick and Dryden had less rosy memories. Immediately after their Woodstock performance,
13858-413: The band played "House at Pooneil Corners" on a New York City rooftop. It was filmed for D. A. Pennebaker movie 1 PM . The concert was stopped by the police just like The Beatles ' famous rooftop concert about two months later, as depicted in the documentary Let It Be (1970). In February 1969, RCA released the live album Bless Its Pointed Little Head , which was culled from 1968 performances at
14027-441: The band retained a relatively egalitarian songwriting structure, Kantner became Jefferson Airplane's dominant creative force from 1967's After Bathing at Baxter's onward, writing the chart hits " The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil ", " Watch Her Ride " and " Crown of Creation "; the controversial " We Can Be Together "; and, with Balin, " Today " (an earlier effort from Surrealistic Pillow ) and " Volunteers ". He also co-wrote
14196-525: The band split up acrimoniously. Stills moved to England and started recording his debut solo album. In April 1971, CSN&Y released 4 Way Street , a double live album recorded in 1970. The album reached No. 1 in 1971 on the US charts and was certified quadruple platinum in the US. Having played at the Monterey Pop Festival with Buffalo Springfield and both Woodstock and Altamont with CSN&Y, Stills (along with Crosby) performed at three of
14365-524: The band taped an appearance on The Dick Cavett Show and played a few songs. Other guests on that same episode were David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Joni Mitchell . The new album was finally released in the United States in November 1969 with the title shortened to Volunteers . The album continued the Airplane's run of Top 20 LPs, peaking at No. 13 and attaining a RIAA gold certification early in 1970. It
14534-532: The band to begin splintering at the height of its success. This was exacerbated by manager Bill Graham , who prodded the group to do more touring and more recording. During the transitional period of the early 1970s, as the Airplane started to come apart, Kantner recorded Blows Against The Empire , a concept album featuring an ad hoc group of musicians whom he dubbed Jefferson Starship. This earliest edition of Jefferson Starship included members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (David Crosby and Graham Nash ) and
14703-408: The band's drummer, Spencer Dryden . After their two-year affair ended, he finally had a chance with Grace. In 1969, they began living together publicly as a couple. Rolling Stone called them "the psychedelic John and Yoko." Slick became pregnant, and a song about their child's impending birth, "A Child Is Coming," appeared on Blows Against the Empire . Kantner and Slick's daughter China Wing Kantner
14872-493: The band. Her final performance with the Airplane took place at the Fillmore on October 15, 1966. A recording of the performance, subtitled Signe's Farewell , was released in 2010. The following night, Anderson's successor, Grace Slick made her first appearance. Slick had seen the Airplane at the Matrix in 1965, and her previous group, the Great Society, had often supported them in concert. Slick's recruitment proved pivotal to
15041-454: The beginning of a new era of diminished success for the group; although Modern Times , Winds of Change (1982; No. 26) and Nuclear Furniture (1984; No. 28) all attained RIAA gold certifications and yielded several minor hits, they failed to eclipse the Balin-era group from a critical or commercial standpoint. Despite Kantner's efforts to retain a dialogue with the punk/new wave vanguard and
15210-452: The best—and it broke my heart when he died. And he brought me to a place where I really decided that rock ‘n’ roll, as we know it right now, has got to change and I want to try help it change. Stills followed this first album with his second solo album, Stephen Stills 2 , six months later. Recorded in Miami , the album included the singles "Change Partners" and "Marianne", which Nos. 43 and 42 in
15379-399: The birth of her first child. They still needed a lead guitarist . Kantner recruited an old friend, blues guitarist Jorma Kaukonen , who auditioned for the group and joined them in June, completing the original lineup. Originally from Washington, D.C., Kaukonen had moved to California in the early 1960s and met Kantner at Santa Clara University in 1962. Kaukonen was invited to jam with
15548-406: The ceremonies because of a serious leg infection, but sent a message which Kantner delivered: "Grace sends her love." In early 1992, Kantner reformed Jefferson Starship, with Balin joining a year later. Although Balin was forced to scale back his involvement with the group due to family exigencies in the mid-2000s, Kantner continued to tour and record with the band through 2015. Kantner was joined in
15717-457: The charts at No. 17. Its famous cover, drawn by renowned artist and cartoonist Ron Cobb , depicts a flying machine (constructed around an idealised version of a typical Haight-Ashbury district house) soaring above the chaos of American commercial culture. Recorded over a period of more than four months, with little input from nominal producer Al Schmitt , the new album demonstrated the group's growing engagement with psychedelic rock . Where
15886-496: The core band on Baron von Tollbooth was formally reborn as Jefferson Starship in early 1974. Kantner, Slick and the three remaining late-Airplane holdovers (vocalist/bassist/keyboardist David Freiberg; drummer John Barbata ; and electric fiddler Papa John Creach ) were joined by Chaquico and Peter Kaukonen (Jorma's brother), who was shortly replaced by Pete Sears , a contributor to previous solo efforts by Creach and Slick who alternated with Freiberg on bass and keyboards. Following
16055-449: The core of Buffalo Springfield. Legend has it that Stills and Furay recognized Young's converted hearse and flagged him down, a meeting described in a recent solo track "Round the Bend". Buffalo Springfield performed a mixture of folk, country, psychedelia , and rock. Its sound was lent a hard edge by the twin lead guitars of Stills and Young, and that combination helped make Buffalo Springfield
16224-437: The door to a full-blown Jefferson Airplane reunion. Following the demise of the KBC Band in 1987, Kantner briefly rejoined Hot Tuna after performing in the band's first lineup eighteen years earlier. In 1988, Grace Slick sat in with the band at a San Francisco concert. This led to a formal reunion of the classic 1966-1970 Jefferson Airplane lineup save for Spencer Dryden. A self-titled album was released by Columbia Records . While
16393-433: The early 1970s, he decided to return to San Francisco as the Jefferson Starship era dawned, residing for many years in "a beautiful house perched over the blue Pacific in the ritzy Sea Cliff neighborhood." Later in life, he moved to North Beach , where he frequented the original Caffe Trieste . A lifelong cigarette smoker (with a penchant for unfiltered Camels ) throughout his adult life, Kantner prophetically stated in
16562-401: The final Stills album to make the Billboard 200 album chart and featured Jimmy Page on guitar. It was his last solo release on a major label. In 1985 CSN and CSNY played Live Aid . In 1988, CSNY reunited for the album American Dream , which reached number 12 on the US charts and was certified platinum in the US. However no tour was taken in support of the album. In 1990, CSN released
16731-464: The first 1973 Manassas tour was recorded for ABC In Concert . Cashbox magazine ranked Manassas as the number 58 group of 1973. Billboard ranked Down The Road as the number 36 of new album artists. In 1972/73, Stills left the services of David Geffen and set up his own publishing company with Ken Weiss, called Gold Hill Publishing, named after his home in Boulder, Colorado. Stills spent early 1974 on
16900-453: The first entirely digital albums; however, it remains unreleased, as the record company did not feel it was commercial enough. The songs recorded for this album include "Spanish Suite" and "Cuba al Fin" and the 1982 CSN hit "Southern Cross". The album was produced by Barry Beckett and was slated for release in 1979 or 1980. CSN played only two dates in 1979, both at Madison Square Garden for Musicians United for Safe Energy. Their performance
17069-481: The first person to be inducted twice on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . According to Neil Young , "Stephen is a genius". Beginning his professional career with Buffalo Springfield, he composed " For What It's Worth ," which became one of the most recognizable songs of the 1960s. Other notable songs he contributed to the band were " Sit Down, I Think I Love You ", " Bluebird ", and "Rock & Roll Woman". According to bandmate Richie Furay , Stills
17238-709: The flow of marijuana into the United States. "Have You Seen the Saucers" marked the beginning of the science fiction themes that Kantner explored in much of his subsequent work, including Blows Against the Empire , his first solo album. Released in November 1970 and credited to "Paul Kantner/ Jefferson Starship ," this prototypical iteration of Jefferson Starship (alternatively known as the Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra ) included David Crosby and Graham Nash ; Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann , and Mickey Hart; session luminary Harvey Brooks ; David Freiberg; and Slick, Covington and Casady. Blows Against
17407-515: The following year as Mickey Hart 's replacement in the New Riders of the Purple Sage . Dryden was replaced by Hot Tuna drummer Joey Covington, who had already contributed additional percussion to Volunteers and performed select engagements with the Airplane as a touring second drummer in 1969. Later that year, the band was further augmented by the addition of veteran jazz violinist Papa John Creach ,
17576-533: The group briefly performed as "Starship Jefferson." Kantner settled in March 1985, and the group name was reduced to Starship . Under the terms of the settlement, no group could call itself Jefferson Starship without Paul Kantner as a member, and no group can call itself Jefferson Airplane unless Grace Slick is on board. In 1985, Kantner formed the KBC Band with Balin and Jack Casady; they released their only album, KBC Band , two years later on Arista Records. Although
17745-552: The group made its first visit to the East Coast. On January 14, alongside the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service , Jefferson Airplane headlined the " Human Be-In ", the famous all-day "happening" in Golden Gate Park , one of the key events leading up to the " Summer of Love ". During this period the band gained its first international recognition when rising British pop star Donovan , who saw them during his stint on
17914-537: The group's two best-known tracks, " White Rabbit " and " Somebody to Love ", the album featured "My Best Friend" by former drummer Skip Spence , Balin's driving blues-rock songs " Plastic Fantastic Lover " and "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds", and the atmospheric Balin-Kantner ballad " Today ". A reminder of their earlier folk incarnation was Kaukonen's solo acoustic guitar tour de force " Embryonic Journey " (his first composition), which referenced contemporary acoustic guitar masters such as John Fahey and helped to establish
18083-517: The hottest groups in America. Grace Slick biographer Barbara Rowes called the album "a declaration of independence from the establishment [-] What Airplane originated was a romanticism for the electronic age. Unlike the highly homogenized harmonies of the Beach Boys , Airplane never strived for a synthesis of its divergent sensibilities. Through [-] each song, there remain strains of the individual styles of
18252-432: The house band at the Matrix. They hired bluegrass acoustic bassist Bob Harvey and former Marine Band drummer Jerry Peloquin. Both Kantner and Balin wanted the group to have a female singer. After hearing vocalist Signe Toly Anderson at the Drinking Gourd, Balin invited her to be the group's co-lead singer. Anderson sang with the band for a year and performed on their first album before departing in October 1966 after
18421-426: The label to reprint it. For the re-pressing, the company deleted "Runnin' Round This World" (which had appeared on early mono pressings), because executives objected to the word "trip" in the lyrics. For similar reasons, RCA Victor substituted altered versions for two other tracks: "Let Me In", changing the line "I gotta get in/you know where" to "you shut your door/now it ain't fair." In the same song, they also switched
18590-422: The later versions of Jefferson Starship with various former Airplane and Starship members, most notably Casady and Freiberg, who effectively replaced Balin once again in 2005. With their latest female vocalist Cathy Richardson and Kantner's son Alexander Kantner on bass, Jefferson Starship released their first studio album since Windows of Heaven , titled Jefferson's Tree of Liberty in September 2008. The album
18759-485: The leader of the group and led it through its highly successful late-1960s period. In 1970, while still active with Jefferson Airplane, Kantner and several Bay Area musicians recorded the album Blows Against the Empire , which was co-credited to both Paul Kantner and "Jefferson Starship". Jefferson Airplane continued to record and perform until 1973. Kantner revived the Jefferson Starship name in 1974 and continued to record and perform with them through 1984. He later led
18928-471: The lyric "Don't tell me you want money" to "Don't tell me it ain't funny". "Run Around" was also edited, changing the line "flowers that sway as you lay under me" to "flowers that sway as you stay here by me". The original pressings of the LP featuring "Runnin' 'Round This World" and the uncensored versions of "Let Me In" and "Run Around" are collectors items. Signe Anderson gave birth to her daughter in May 1966, and in October she announced her departure from
19097-496: The modernization of the old country blues, as played by Blind Willie Johnson , Robert Johnson , and Blind Lemon Jefferson and all those little dudes, y’know. Since I met Lightnin' Hopkins in 1961, he was the first musician that got me off that hard, he tore my brains out, y’know. I really enjoyed the honour of being able to have him come to my record; to my studio, to my family, to my rhythm section, to my track, y’know. And when Jimi plays guitar, I get really knocked out, it’s truly
19266-728: The most iconic U.S. rock festivals of the 1960s. During CSN&Y's set at Altamont Free Concert , Stills was reported to have been repeatedly stabbed in the leg by a "stoned-out" Hells Angel, with a sharpened bicycle spoke. At the band's request, their performance was not included in the subsequent film Gimme Shelter (1970). In the wake of CSNY's success, all four members recorded high-profile solo albums. In 1970, Stills released his eponymous solo debut album featuring guests Eric Clapton , Jimi Hendrix , Cass Elliot , Booker T Jones and Ringo Starr (credited only as "Richie") as well as Crosby, Nash, Rita Coolidge and CSN&Y drummers Dallas Taylor and Johnny Barbata . It provided Stills with
19435-648: The musicians [creating] unusual breadth and original interplay within each structure". This phase of the Airplane's career peaked with their famous performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967. Monterey showcased leading bands from several major music "scenes" including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the United Kingdom, and the resulting TV and film coverage gave national (and international) exposure to groups that had previously had only regional fame. Two songs from
19604-405: The name of one of Kaukonen's influences, bluesmen Blind Lemon Jefferson . According to Kaukonen, "The band was coming up with all these really stupid names and I said, 'If you want something really silly, try Jefferson Airplane.'" At a music shop near the Matrix, Peloquin encountered Matthew Katz , a music manager who was searching for a band to work with. Katz had beforehand offered to manage
19773-415: The new band, and although initially reluctant to join, he was won over after playing his guitar through a tape delay device that was part of the sound system used by Ken Kesey for his Acid Test parties. Kaukonen came up with the band name "Jefferson Airplane". It was based on the nickname "Blind Thomas Jefferson Airplane," which was given to Kaukonen by his friend Richmond "Steve" Talbot, inspired by
19942-456: The next year Down the Road was his first LP that did not, but still managed to reach 26 in the US charts. It was recorded less than a year after the debut double album, and encountered some issues with recording and not having enough Stills songs on the album. Also Atlantic were pushing for a far more commercially viable CSNY reunion. Which in June and July 1973, between the two 1973 Manassas tours at
20111-411: The number 29 top male vocalist of 1975. In 1976 after the release of Illegal Stills , Stills attempted a reunion with Neil Young. At one point, Long May You Run was slated to be a CSNY record, but when Crosby and Nash left to fulfill recording and touring obligations, they returned to find the other pair had wiped their vocals from the recordings, as Stills and Young decided to go on without them as
20280-647: The occasion, a Telecaster 1953 reissue guitar serial R2674 bearing an inscription on the neck plate; "Stephen Stills R & R Hall of Fame May 6, 1997 " In 1999, CSNY reunited to release the album Looking Forward ; it reached number 26 on the US charts. Stills co-wrote (with Joe Vitale) "Faith in Me," which was recorded in Ga Ga's Room in Los Angeles, and which he also sang. He also wrote and sang "Seen Enough," recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, and "No Tears Left," which
20449-570: The permanent reunion of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. They released the CSN album in 1977 and unsuccessfully attempted another album in 1978. The band toured major arenas including Madison Square Garden and the LA Forum in 1977 and 1978, and during the 1977 tour they visited President Jimmy Carter in the White House. Stills released his final album on Columbia Records entitled Thoroughfare Gap in October 1978. It
20618-404: The phrase "up against the wall, motherfucker" in the lyrics of Kantner's "We Can Be Together", but the group managed to prevent it from being censored on the album, pointing out that RCA had already allowed the offending word to be included on the cast album of the rock musical Hair . In addition, the song had the line "in order to survive, we steal, cheat, lie, forge, fuck, hide, and deal", which
20787-471: The popular genre exemplified by acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke . The first single from the album, "My Best Friend", failed to chart, but the next two rocketed the group to prominence. Both "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" became major U.S. hits, the former reaching No. 5 and the latter No. 8 on the Billboard singles chart. By late 1967 the Airplane were national and international stars and had become one of
20956-422: The previous LP had consisted entirely of "standard-length" pop songs, Baxter's was dominated by long multi-part suites, while "A Small Package of Value Will Come To You, Shortly" was a musique concrète -style audio collage. Baxter's also marked the ascendency of Kantner and Slick as the band's chief composers and the concurrent decline of Balin's influence and involvement. The other members, gravitating toward
21125-412: The recording their debut album as a quartet, Déjà Vu (1970). The foursome quarrelled frequently throughout the recording sessions, in particular Stills and Young, who both fought for control. Stills composed the songs " Carry On " and " 4 + 20 " and co-wrote "Everybody I Love You" with Young. He also brought his version of Joni Mitchell's song "Woodstock" for the band to cover. The album reached No. 1 on
21294-471: The same day as Airplane co-founder Signe Toly Anderson . Kantner had three children: sons Gareth (a restaurateur) and Alexander (a musician who sometimes played with Jefferson Starship and now a high school English teacher), and daughter China (a former MTV VJ and actress). After joining the late 1960s San Francisco rock scene's exodus to suburban Marin County by briefly relocating to Bolinas, California in
21463-676: The show drunk in Ringo Starr's dressing room, "barking at everyone". Stills's Madison Square Garden show was professionally recorded and remains unreleased, sans a clip of "Go Back Home" performed in early 1972 on The Old Grey Whistle Test . Two additional acoustic tracks were released on Stills 2013 box set Carry On . In 1971, Billboard magazine ranked him at No. 34 top singles artist, No. 44 top album artist, No. 14 top singles male vocalist, No. 12 top new singles vocalist, No. 17 top album male vocalists, No. 14 top new album artist, number 73 top producers, and ranked his debut album number 70 in
21632-474: The side of the stage and come out and sing 'White Rabbit' and see what Paul did. Paul never got the joke, but he liked it, the audience liked it, and that's how it started." Kantner and his Jefferson Airplane bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. The induction ceremony marked the first performance by most of the "classic" lineup of Marty Balin, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Spencer Dryden and Kantner since 1970. Grace Slick had to miss
21801-492: The song " Wooden Ships " with David Crosby and Stephen Stills , but was not credited initially due to pending litigation with Jefferson Airplane's first manager. Balin praised Kantner's music, but said Kantner was difficult to get along with and that he refused to do the music of others. With Jefferson Airplane, Kantner was among the performers at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1966, the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and
21970-552: The stage by Hells Angels "guards" after he pulled out a revolver during the Stones' performance. Dryden was dismissed from the band in February 1970 by a unanimous vote of the other members. He felt burned out by four years on the " acid merry-go-round" and was deeply disillusioned by the events of Altamont, which, he later recalled, "did not look like a bunch of happy hippies in streaming colors. It looked more like sepia-toned Hieronymus Bosch ." He took time off before returning to music
22139-485: The start and end of the year, happened in Maui. As CSNY attempted to record an album tentatively called Human Highway . This album was never finished due to infighting. But after one final 1973 Manassas tour, during which CSN and CSNY reunited during the acoustic sections both at Winterland Arena concerts, a reunion was in the cards, and Manassas was over. Stills then sold his Surrey home and relocated to Colorado. The last date of
22308-585: The summer of 1965, singer Marty Balin saw Kantner perform at the Drinking Gourd, a San Francisco folk club, and invited him to co-found a new band, Jefferson Airplane. When the group needed a lead guitarist, Kantner recommended Kaukonen. As rhythm guitarist and one of the band's singers, Kantner was the only musician to appear on all albums recorded by Jefferson Airplane as well as Jefferson Starship. Kantner's songwriting often featured whimsical or political lyrics with science fiction or fantasy themes, usually set to music that had an almost martial rock sound. Although
22477-400: The top male vocalist of 1976, and Stills and Young as the number 6 duo, number 3 new duo, and number 20 best new artist of 1976. Stills, as Gold Hill Publishing, was having hits publishing for the band Firefall and Joey Stec during this time, so much so that Billboard ranked him as the number 97 publisher of 1976. Stills's performances with Crosby and Nash in late 1976 and early 1977 led to
22646-487: The tour made little money for the group, but album sales saw a boost: the CSNY compilation album So Far reached number 1 in the US and sold 6 million copies. After another aborted attempt at recording a CSNY album after the tour, Stills signed with Columbia Records in late 1974. In 1973–1974, Stills was recording another solo album called As I Come Of Age , which was put aside for the CSNY reunion tour. Many songs were used for
22815-486: The tour without him, as most of the shows are sold out or close to it and we have to honor our contracts and our fans who bought tickets and put on the best show possible," the band said in its official statement. "We will dedicate every show to Paul until he is well enough to rejoin us onstage." Kantner returned to the group later on in the year, in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jefferson Airplane with special shows that also featured Grateful Dead tribute group Jazz
22984-458: The year end album charts. Additionally, Cashbox ranked Stephen Stills 2 as the No. 51 album of 1971, and his debut as No. 52. In late 1971, Stills teamed up with ex-Byrd Chris Hillman to form the band Manassas . Their self-titled double album was a mixture of rock, country, blues, bluegrass and Latin music divided into different sections and peaked at number 4 in the US. It was certified US Gold
23153-421: Was Surrealistic Pillow , its 1967 breakout album. Slick provided two songs from her previous group: her own "White Rabbit" and " Somebody to Love ", written by her brother-in-law Darby Slick . Both songs became breakout successes for Jefferson Airplane and have ever since been associated with that band. The Great Society had recorded an early version of "Somebody to Love" (under the title "Someone to Love") as
23322-430: Was "the heart and soul of Buffalo Springfield". After Buffalo Springfield disbanded, Stills began working with David Crosby and Graham Nash as the trio called Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN). In addition to writing many of the band's songs, Stills played bass, guitar, and keyboards on their debut album . The album sold over four million copies and at that point had outsold anything from the three members' prior bands:
23491-400: Was Thompson, a friend and staunch supporter of the band and a former Chronicle staffer, who had convinced reviewers Ralph Gleason and John Wasserman to see the band at the Matrix. Thanks to Gleason's influence, Thompson was able to book the group for appearances at the Monterey Jazz Festival . The group's debut LP Jefferson Airplane Takes Off was released on August 15, 1966. The album
23660-407: Was a Big Guy up there willing to talk to me, I was willing to listen. But nothing happened. It was all just like a small vacation." It was his second brush with serious illness or injury, having suffered a serious motorcycle accident in the early 1960s: "I hit a tree at 40 miles an hour head first and nearly shattered my skull. I had a plate in there for a while." The injury from the motorcycle accident
23829-565: Was a minor hit for The Mojo Men in 1967. After the disintegration of Buffalo Springfield, Stills played on half of the Super Session album with Al Kooper in 1968, including a cover of Donovan's " Season of the Witch " that received heavy radio play on progressive FM radio formats. Mike Bloomfield was slated to play on the other half of the album but failed to turn up for the second day of recording. The album sold well and charted at No. 12 on
23998-455: Was a return to Kantner's musical roots featuring covers of 1950s and 1960s protest songs from the American folk music revival . In late 2010 Kantner started to compile collections of "sonic art" performed by him and various artists, including a mix of cover songs, sound effects, and spoken word, releasing multiple volumes under the title "Paul Kantner Windowpane Collective". On March 25, 2015, it
24167-548: Was also kept on the album. The group sang the song with both lines intact during their Dick Cavett appearance, thus becoming the first known persons to utter those words on national broadcast television. In the printed lyrics that accompanied the album, the line was transcribed as "up against the wall fred". In December 1969, the Airplane played at the Altamont Free Concert at Altamont Speedway in California. Following
24336-573: Was an American rock band formed in San Francisco , California in 1965. One of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock , the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to achieve international commercial success. They headlined the Monterey Pop Festival (1967), Woodstock (1969), Altamont Free Concert (1969), and the first Isle of Wight Festival (1968) in England. Their 1967 breakout album Surrealistic Pillow
24505-570: Was an influence on Mitchell's dulcimer sound, since she first discovered the instrument at Big Sur in 1969. Mitchell had observed Stills' aggressive, rhythmic style and transformed it into a unique rawness. She embraced her new sound, which can be heard on the 1970 album Blue . In 1972, Stills was credited as the rock 'n' roll band in "Blonde in the Bleachers". His multi-musicianship and knowledge can be seen in these guest appearances on her albums. Stills infamous rendition of Mitchell's " Woodstock "
24674-447: Was born in 1971. Kantner and Slick released two follow-up albums. Sunfighter was an environmentalism-tinged album released in 1971 to celebrate China's birth. China appears on the album cover, and the track list includes "China", a song written and sung by Slick about her new baby. Kantner and Slick made news again in 1972, when they were accused of assaulting a policeman after their Akron, Ohio concert. 1973's Baron von Tollbooth and
24843-415: Was bought out for $ 750. In December 1966, Jefferson Airplane was featured in a Newsweek article about the booming San Francisco music scene, one of the first in a welter of similar media reports that prompted a massive influx of young people to the city and contributed to the commercialization of hippie culture. Around the beginning of 1967, Bill Graham took over from Thompson as manager. In January
25012-498: Was comparatively unsuccessful and reached number 84 on the US charts. In 1977 and 1978, Stills played only one solo engagement, at the Bread and Roses Festival in 1978. After a four-day residency at the Roxy in January 1979 with original CSN bandmate Dallas Taylor on drums, Stills spent most of 1979 on tour in the US playing with his California Blues Band. One of these dates in early 1979 included
25181-434: Was credited with saving Kantner from serious complications from the cerebral hemorrhage; the hole left by the accident relieved the accompanying cranial pressure. Grace Slick returned for 1981's Modern Times . The album, which peaked at No. 26, featured "Stairway to Cleveland (We Do What We Want)," a Kantner-penned declamatory punk rock pastiche inspired by a phrase uttered by Nite City guitarist Paul Warren . It marked
25350-485: Was delayed when the band ran into conflict with their label over the content of songs such as "We Can Be Together" and the planned title of the album, Volunteers of Amerika . "Volunteers of Amerika" is a corruption of the Volunteers of America charity, the term being in vogue in 1969 as an ironic expression of dissatisfaction with America; after the charity objected, the name was shortened to Volunteers . A few days after
25519-486: Was dominated by Balin, who provided most of the lead vocals and had a hand in writing all of the original material, including "It's No Secret" and "Come Up the Years." It also contained covers of " Tobacco Road ", Dino Valente 's " Let's Get Together ", and " Chauffeur Blues ", which became a signature tune for Anderson. RCA Victor initially pressed only 15,000 copies, but it sold more than 10,000 in San Francisco alone, prompting
25688-459: Was incredible, transforming her song into an electric, rock 'n' roll song. In late 1968, Stills joined forces with David Crosby (late of The Byrds ) and Graham Nash (late of The Hollies ) to form Crosby, Stills & Nash . Several of Stills's songs on the group's debut album , including " Suite: Judy Blue Eyes " and "You Don't Have to Cry", were inspired by his on-again off-again relationship with singer Judy Collins . The album reached No. 6 on
25857-423: Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Balin left the band in 1971. After 1972, Jefferson Airplane effectively split into two groups. Kaukonen and Casady moved on full-time to their own band, Hot Tuna . Slick, Kantner, and the remaining members of Jefferson Airplane recruited new members and regrouped as Jefferson Starship in 1974, with Balin eventually joining them. Jefferson Airplane received
26026-540: Was invited to temporarily join the Jimi Hendrix Experience on tour as their bass player, but was held up by previous commitments with CSN&Y. His biggest regret was not making a full album with Hendrix. In early 1971, on the French music show Pop 2, Stills talked about the influence that Hendrix had on him as a person and a musician: Jimi [Hendrix] probably had more effect on my music than anybody else. He defined
26195-427: Was my baby, and I kind of had the tracks in my head," Stills said. Wanting to tour and needing additional musicians to fill out their sound, the band invited former Buffalo Springfield member Neil Young to join them for their first tour and second album to make the group the quartet Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (initialized as CSN&Y). The first tour started in August 1969 and finished in January 1970, followed by
26364-563: Was nine years old, he was diagnosed with partial hearing loss in one ear. The hearing loss increased as he got older. Stills dropped out of Louisiana State University in the early 1960s. He played in a series of bands, including the Continentals, which then featured future Eagles guitarist Don Felder . Stills also sang as a solo artist at Gerde's Folk City , a well-known coffeehouse in Greenwich Village . Stills eventually ended up in
26533-428: Was not a drummer, singer-guitarist Skip Spence (who later co-founded Moby Grape ) was then invited to replace Peloquin. Spence quickly adapted and made his debut at the Matrix in September. In October 1965, after the other members decided that Bob Harvey's bass playing was not up to par, he was replaced by guitarist-bassist Jack Casady , an old friend of Kaukonen from Washington, D.C. Casady played his first gig with
26702-483: Was not allowed to attend her funeral; his father sent him to the circus instead. After his mother's death, his father, who was a traveling salesman, sent young Kantner to Catholic military boarding school. At the age of eight or nine, in the school's library, he read his first science fiction book, finding an escape by immersing himself in science fiction and music from then on. As a teenager he went into total revolt against all forms of authority, and he decided to become
26871-519: Was one of the most significant recordings of the Summer of Love . Two songs from that album, " Somebody to Love " and " White Rabbit ", are among Rolling Stone ' s "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The October 1966 to February 1970 lineup of Jefferson Airplane, consisting of Marty Balin (vocals), Paul Kantner (guitar, vocals), Grace Slick (vocals, keyboards), Jorma Kaukonen (lead guitar, vocals), Jack Casady (bass), and Spencer Dryden (drums),
27040-459: Was recorded with many other album tracks at Neil Young's facility, Redwood Digital, in Woodside, California. Looking Forward was the eighth and final studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their third and final with Neil Young. This CSNY reunion resulted in CSNY reunion tours 2000 CSNY2K, 2002 and 2006 reunion tours, their first since 1974. The CSNY2K tour of the United States and Canada with
27209-567: Was released in 1982, reaching number 8 in the US and was certified Platinum. The album featured the Stills-written top twenty hit "Southern Cross". In 1983, the CSN live album Allies , was released featuring Stills's number 45 hit song "War Games". CSN toured yearly from 1982 to 1989, except during 1986, due to David Crosby's prison sentence. In 1984, Stills released his first solo album in six years, Right by You on Atlantic Records . This would be
27378-498: Was released on The Muse Concerts for a Non-Nuclear Future . In 1979, Stills's wife filed for divorce, which was finalized on July 12, 1980. After playing some European dates in 1980, and with Graham Nash joining him for the German dates supporting Angelo Branduardi , Stills and Nash decided to record a duo album together. The record company refused to release this album without David Crosby, so they added him and CSN's Daylight Again
27547-449: Was reported that Kantner had suffered a heart attack . "Paul's health took a bad turn this week," the members of Jefferson Starship said via a Facebook post. "He's in the hospital, stable and undergoing tests to find out exactly what's going on, but doctors suspect he had a heart attack. He is in the best possible care and we are sending him all of our best wishes, good thoughts and healing vibes." The band also stated that they're "continuing
27716-424: Was sad to see. He didn't do anything to take care of his health with all his drinking and everything, smoking cigarettes all the time, pushing himself too much. He asked me to join him for this last go-round. He'd been touring around the world and I talked to him and said, 'You better be careful. Take care of yourself. You've got a grueling schedule.' He just said, 'Don't worry about me. I can do anything. I'm strong as
27885-502: Was soon replaced by Mickey Thomas , who had previously achieved success as a member of the Elvin Bishop Group . Freedom at Point Zero , a hard rock album dominated by Kantner compositions, was released in November 1979; it marked the band's last Top Ten album (peaking at No. 10) and included the No. 14 "Jane" , a collaboration between Freiberg, musician Jim McPherson, Kantner and Chaquico. Kantner's new wave -inspired "Girl with
28054-521: Was the historic dance at the Longshoremen's Hall in San Francisco on October 16, 1965, the first of many " happenings " in the Bay Area, where Gleason first saw them perform. At this concert they were supported by a local folk-rock group, the Great Society , that featured Grace Slick as lead singer, and it was here that Kantner met Slick for the first time. A few weeks later, on November 6, they appeared at
28223-523: Was their most political venture, showcasing the group's vocal opposition to the Vietnam War and documenting their reaction to the changing political atmosphere in the United States. The best-known tracks include " Volunteers ", "We Can Be Together", " Good Shepherd ", and the post-apocalyptic " Wooden Ships ", which Paul Kantner co-wrote with Crosby and Stills, and which Crosby, Stills & Nash also recorded on their debut album. RCA raised objections to
28392-471: Was unable to perform his set with the Doors and was hospitalized; keyboardist Ray Manzarek sang all the vocals. It was also during this tour that Slick and Morrison allegedly engaged in a brief sexual relationship, described in Somebody To Love?, Slick's 1998 autobiography. Jefferson Airplane's fourth LP, Crown of Creation (released in September 1968), was a commercial success, peaking at No. 6 on
28561-474: Was videotaped in color and augmented by developments in video techniques. It has been frequently re-screened and is notable for its pioneering use of the Chroma key process to simulate the Airplane's psychedelic light show. After Surrealistic Pillow , the group's music underwent a significant transformation. The band's third LP, After Bathing at Baxter's , was released in December, 1967, and eventually peaked in
#342657