Wikipedia

Early Flight

Early Flight is a 1974 compilation album by the American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, released as Grunt CYL1-0437. It features previously unreleased material from 1965, 1966, and 1970 as well as both sides of a non-album 1970 single.

Early Flight
Compilation album by
Jefferson Airplane
ReleasedFebruary 1974
RecordedDecember 1965, November 1966, February 1970
Studio
  • at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World (Hollywood)
  • Pacific High (San Francisco)
  • Wally Heider (San Francisco)
GenreRock
Length32:21
LabelGrunt/RCA
ProducerRick Jarrard, Matthew Katz, Thomas Oliver
Jefferson Airplane chronology
Thirty Seconds Over Winterland
(1973) 		Early Flight
(1974) 		Flight Log
(1977)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar[3]

The first three tracks come from the recording sessions for Jefferson Airplane Takes Off which took place in December 1965 at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World recording studio in Hollywood.[4] These tracks feature vocals by Signe Toly Anderson and Skip Spence on drums. "High Flying Bird", a folk standard by Billy Ed Wheeler, was a key number in the band's early live setlists and a version with Grace Slick on vocals can be seen in the film Monterey Pop.[5] "Runnin' 'Round This World" had been previously released as a B-side on the "It's No Secret" single and appeared on the earliest pressings of Jefferson Airplane Takes Off before RCA deleted it, objecting to its use of the word "trips."[6]

The closing two tracks on side one and the first track from side two come from the recording sessions for Surrealistic Pillow, which took place from October to November 1966 at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World.[7] All three songs were played live around the time of the album's recording as heard on the archival release We Have Ignition, with "Go To Her" first attempted in the studio during sessions for the debut album; the earlier take with Signe on vocals would be included in the box set Jefferson Airplane Loves You.[8] Former drummer Skip Spence penned "J.P.P. McStep B. Blues",[9] which in 1969 would sometimes be played in a medley with "Wooden Ships." Tracks from the Takes Off and Surrealistic Pillow sessions appeared later as bonus tracks on the respective 2003 remasters.[10][11]

"Up or Down", written by guitarist Jorma Kaukonen's brother Peter Kaukonen,[12] comes from the early recording sessions for Bark, which took place in February 1970 at Pacific High and Wally Heider Studios before Marty Balin chose to leave the band. "Mexico" and "Have You Seen the Saucers?" had been previously released as a non-album single in 1970, but this was the first LP on which the two songs appeared.[13] "Mexico" was author Grace Slick's rant against the anti-marijuana initiative Operation Intercept which caused it to be banned from radio in some states,[14] while Kantner's "Have You Seen The Saucers" foreshadowed the sci-fi themes of his solo album Blows Against the Empire later that year.[15] The latter song would also become a regular in Jefferson Starship's setlist during the mid-1970s, where bassist Pete Sears would usually take an extended solo.[16]

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."High Flying Bird"Billy Edd Wheeler2:30
2."Runnin' Round This World" (from single B-side RCA #8679)Marty Balin, Paul Kantner2:21
3."It's Alright"Kantner, Skip Spence2:15
4."In the Morning"Jorma Kaukonen6:25
5."J.P.P. McStep B. Blues"Spence2:48
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Go to Her"Kantner, Irving Estes3:58
2."Up or Down"Peter Kaukonen6:18
3."Mexico" (from single A-side RCA #0343)Grace Slick2:05
4."Have You Seen the Saucers?" (from single B-side RCA #0343)Kantner3:37

Personnel

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Jefferson Airplane
  • Marty Balin – guitar, vocals
  • Paul Kantner – rhythm guitar, vocals
  • Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar, vocals
  • Jack Casady – bass
  • Grace Slick – vocals on "J. P. P. McStep B. Blues", "Go to Her", "Mexico" and "Have You Seen the Saucers", piano on "Mexico" and "Have You Seen the Saucers"
  • Spencer Dryden – drums on "In the Morning", "J. P. P. McStep B. Blues", "Go to Her", "Mexico" and "Have You Seen the Saucers"
  • Signe Toly Anderson – vocals on "High Flying Bird", "Runnin' Round This World" and "It's Alright"
  • Skip Spence – drums on "High Flying Bird", "Runnin' Round This World", "It's Alright" and "J. P. P. McStep B. Blues"
  • Joey Covington – drums on "Up or Down", congas and bells on "Have You Seen the Saucers"
Additional Personnel

Charts

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Chart (1974) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[17] 110

References

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  1. ^ Eder, Bruce (2011). "Early Flight - Jefferson Airplane | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: J". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 27, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  4. ^ Early Flight 1997 liner notes
  5. ^ Tamarkin 2005, p. 140.
  6. ^ Tamarkin 2005, p. 84.
  7. ^ Early Flight 1997 liner notes
  8. ^ Jefferson Airplane Loves You 1992 liner notes
  9. ^ Early Flight 1997 liner notes
  10. ^ Jefferson Airplane Takes Off 2003 liner notes
  11. ^ Surrealistic Pillow 2003 liner notes
  12. ^ Early Flight 1997 liner notes
  13. ^ Tamarkin 2005, p. 215-16, 270.
  14. ^ Tamarkin 2005, p. 215-16.
  15. ^ Tamarkin 2005, p. 232.
  16. ^ "Jefferson Starship - Have You Seen The Saucers - 11/8/1975 - Winterland". YouTube. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  17. ^ "Jefferson Airplane Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 June 2023.

Sources

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Notes

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