Jefferson Airplane Was Relaunched as Jefferson Starship 50 Years Ago
On March 19, 1974, Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of the influential San Francisco psychedelic band the Jefferson Airplane began a new chapter when they launched a new group called the Jefferson Starship.
The Jefferson Starship emerged out the final lineup of the Jefferson Airplane, and out of a number of side projects Kantner and Slick recorded during the early 1970s.
Joining Kantner and Slick in the original Jefferson Starship incarnation were singer/multi-instrumentalist David Freiberg, guitarist Craig Chaquico, drummer John Barbata, bassist Pete Sears, and electric violinist Papa John Creach.
Freiberg, Barbata, and Creach had been members of the Jefferson Airplane when the group disbanded in 1972.
The name Jefferson Starship was first used as the moniker for the star-studded collective of musicians who accompanied Kantner on his 1970 solo side project Blows Against the Empire. That album also featured a song called “Starship.”
Various future Jefferson Starship members also contributed to the 1971 Kantner-Slack collaborative album Sunfighter; the 1973 album Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun, which was credited to Kantner, Slick, and Freiberg; and Slick’s 1974 solo effort, Manhole.
The Jefferson Starship’s Early Years
Jefferson Starship’s debut album, Dragon Fly, was released in October 1974. The album featured the song “Ride the Tiger,” which became a popular tune on rock radio. Meanwhile, Jefferson Airplane co-founder Marty Balin contributed lyrics and lead vocals to the song “Caroline.”
Dragon Fly peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, and was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of more than 500,000 in the U.S.
Balin, who had quit the Jefferson Airplane in 1971, wound up becoming a member of Jefferson Starship in 1975.
With Balin in the group, Jefferson Starship reached its commercial peak with its second album, Red Octopus, which spent four non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1975. It included the No. 3 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Miracles.”
Lineup Changes
Creach left the band in 1975. Prior to the recording of Jefferson Starship’s 1979 album Freedom at Point Zero, Balin, Slick, and Barbata also departed, while singer Mickey Thomas and former Journey drummer Aynsley Dunbar joined the fold. That album featured the hit “Jane.”
By 1981, Slick had rejoined the band. As the 1980s progressed, Kantner became unhappy with the commercial direction of the Jefferson Starship, and he left the group in 1984.
Jefferson Starship Becomes Starship
The band continued on with a reconstituted lineup, and dropped the “Jefferson” from its name, becoming Starship. That band had huge commercial hits in the mid-to-late 1980s with the Hot 100 chart-toppers “We Built This City,” “Sara,” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”
The Jefferson Starship Returns
After the Jefferson Airplane got back together for a reunion album and tour in 1989, Kantner launched a new version of Jefferson Starship in 1992 that also featured Balin, Creach, and Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady. Creach played with the group until his death in 1994 at age 76.
More lineup changes occurred over the ensuing years, with Freiberg returning to the band in 2005, and Balin exiting for a final time in 2008. Kantner passed away in 2016, and Balin died in 2018, but the Jefferson Starship has continued on. The current lineup features Freiberg, drummer Donny Baldwin, singer Cathy Richarson, keyboardist Chris Smith, and guitarist Jude Gold. The band’s latest album, Mother of the Sun, was released in 2020,
Jefferson Starship’s 2024 Tour Plans
The Jefferson Starship has a bunch of concerts lined up for 2024, including a series of joint shows with The Marshall Tucker Band. You can check out all of the band’s upcoming dates at JeffersonStarship.com.
