Another thing I love about Grace’s singing is that she often sings slightly out of step to Marty and Paul. She often doesn’t really harmonise, but sings different words and sounds, almost as counterpoint to the others.
One of the best examples of her feisty, ballsy, anthemic style is the fifteen minute title track to her solo album Manhole. She sings in Spanish, she has someone appearing from her ear, she sings her heart out and outsings the entire orchestra and band behind her. Magnificent stuff.
This comparison with Marty is a none starter for me. Marty was ‘conventional’. Grace was inspiring - she lead and inspired a generation. Marty seemed laid back; Grace was outspoken. She wrote outlandish lyrics: the aforementioned Lather, Silver Spoon (about cannibalism), and the closing tracks on three albums, Sketches of China, *Hyperdrive *and Epic #38, amongst many others.
I agree with Hyperelastic: I would love to meet her. I used to work in the record business back in the late '60s and '70s, and met some ‘rock stars’, most of whom were either just ordinary or prats. If someone is a musical hero, it’s all too easy to have one’s illusions shattered when you come face to face with the reality. I somehow think Grace wouldn’t let me down.
Darby Slick was her husband’s brother, not Grace’s brother.
Most of the rest of that post is inaccurate in various ways as well. Read Grace’s autobiography, Somebody to Love.
Her first lover in the group was Jack Cassidy, followed by Spencer Dryden. She didn’t hook up with Kantner until 1970, long after he had taken control of the band. She says that Jack Cassidy was the one who invited her to sing with the band.
Although Kantner used Jefferson Starship for the Blows Against the Empire album, the group itself wasn’t formed until 1974 and Balin joined in early 1975 in time for their second album. He wrote the hit song “Miracles,” (as well as “Caroline,” which was on the first album) but none of their three later #1 songs. In fact, “Miracles” is the only one of their singles he ever wrote, I believe, and Red Octopus the only album he contributed to in a major way.
You can argue that it was an important album that established them as a group with a distinct identity to Jefferson Airplane. But most of the fans of JS were a younger crowd than fans of JA and they didn’t know or care much about Balin.
I don’t think he’s underrated. To me he’s always been given proper credit. I liked his songs and I liked his voice, but he could have been taken out of the band more easily than either Kantner or Slick.
Well, she’s a bit, uh, radicalized (who’da thunk?) but she’s looks self-assured and smiling and at her age that’s s-u-c-c-e-s-s in my book, no matter what laurels one may rest upon.
For me, Grace is at her magnificent peak on the album “Bless Its Pointed Little Head”, three songs in particular:
3/5 of a Mile in Ten Seconds
The Other Side of This Life
and especially
It’s No Secret
I love how she sometimes shares the lead, but also leaves Marty alone with the lead while she goes off on her own. Paraphrasing something I read about her ages ago- Her voice is a golden thread, weaving and soaring in and out of the song.
One minor side quibble: Marty’s CONSTANT filling spaces with “Yeah!”; detracts from his performances, IMO.
And the AMAZING Jack Casady is for another thread of its own.
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I saw Terry Fator in Vegas a couple of years ago. Partway through the show, Grace (and some other Starship guy whose name escapes me) came on stage and sang a couple of songs, including “We built this city”. The woman can still belt 'em out.
According to Wikipedia, Jefferson Starship only had two top ten hits (Billboard Hot 100). “Miracles” reached #3 and “Count on Me” reached #8. Marty may not have written “Count on Me,” but he sang the lead vocal.
I took my claim that Kantner’s taking control of the band depended upon his sexual relationship with Slick from an interview I heard with Jorma Kaukonen. I think that is probably as reliable a source as Grace’s autobiography.
Whether or not it was Jack Cassidy who first approached Grace about joining is beside the point. It was clearly still Marty’s band at that time.
You are right about Darby Slick, though. Brain fart there.:smack:
That’s only if you count Jefferson Starship and Starship as different bands. The three #1 hits that Exapno alluded to were released under the latter name.
I was counting “We Built This City,” “Sara,” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” all of which featured Grace, even though the official name of the band was Starship. Lots of other people have included those songs with no complaints or comments, starting with post #2. And it answers the OP’s question of “how long did she stick around?”
Well, either she’s right or wrong about their relationship starting in 1970, and she’s pretty specific about it. Was Kantner in charge of the group before then? I don’t know that for certain either, but their history sure seems to indicate it. I’m not going to press the point, though, because I just don’t know enough.
