Added: 3 years ago
From: aurora1957A
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  • My soul was there...

  • a nice version but I must say that the CSNY version is better

  • beautyfull song and grat video.

  • wow. my eyes welled-up with tears listening to this version. brought back so many memories from the period.

  • a very good song. Thank you for posting it.

  • I might piss off some people here.......but.....JA's version is more art......CSN's version is more pop.

  • Kantner says "coat", not "coke" - clean out them ears!!! These folks shared houses, studios, practice spaces, etc. with The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver, JA, CSNY, etc. There was tons of "cross pollination" between these artists.

  • the cameraman was tripping. he couldn't focus the lens.

  • This was originally written by Crosby & Stills. Kanter got a writing credit because he changed "I can see by your coat.." to "I can see by your coke..."

  • @jg90278

    That ain't the way Kantner tells the story lol

  • @jg90278 It was originally written by Crosby and Stills had a line or two and then Kanter added a couple of lines.

  • @jg90278 That wasn't what changed. It is at the end of the song.

  • AURORA1957A THANK YOU,Merci pour cette sublime chanson.

  • "We are leaving

    You don't need us"

    Yep. That's what we did, because that's how it was. Grace could really sing when she reached down into her soul and gave it everything she had.

  • gorgeous version most of us only knew csns

  • I'm 23 and watching the history "woodstock Generation" made back in the 60s I realize WORLD IS SICK AND NEEDS TO BE HEALED.

    peace everyone.

  • I personaly think this version is better

  • It all worked for a short while.

  • @15bluethings Yeah, for a minute or two there it was something, wasn't it?

  • Brilliant, timeless, powerful, and more urgent than ever (the message that is).

  • is Balin singing some Delfonics?

  • ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ If you smile at me you know I will understand. Cause that is something everybody everywhere does. In the same language. ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪

  • Grace Slick proved that she can look good even in priest chasuble.

  • This song is so freakin great...with JA's and CSNY's versions all so richly done that no matter which version one hears, the response is a deep stirring...love it!

  • Reading through the comments of this awesome song, I noticed how many lament the loss in direction and quality of music today. I agree. Considering that today the conditions that caused Jefferson Airplane, and so many others, to write such powerful songs are even worse than they were in the late '60s and early '70s, one must ask serious questions about the efforts by the Powers that Be in manipulating and preventing the younger generation from rising up.

  • 3:13 - 3:19 CHILLS DOWN MY BAAACK!!!

  • Music today is about fucking greed and money. There's no meaning to music today. It's so very fucking sad that less then 40 years music has gone to shit.

  • @Shortyrock1972 there are enough small labels, selfpromoted music and bands that just pop up in the subgenres when they really feel like publishing music , with enough passion (and different jobs) to not bow to publishers or public demand, so there is plenty if you dig..

  • The studio version has some things that are missing from this performance. Yet somehow, this live performance seems so much better overall than the studio version. And monotony doesn't kill you here like it does in the stuido version. Really neat to watch.

  • jerry garcia played in this video?

  • The words of this song chill me ... do bands think anymore today?

  • both versions of this song (Jefferson airplane, csn&y)came out in the same year. The melody written by Crosby and the lyrics by Paul Kantner and Stephen Stills. All of these folks were friends and played on each others albums. I think they referred to themselves as the planet earth rock n roll orchestra. See Mickey hart's rolling thunder, David crosby's if only I can remember my name, Jefferson starship's blows against the empire.

    This song rules! So timely right now! All you haters need

  • φιλε αλκη , αυτο πρεπει να το δεις

  • It brings me so back.............

  • JEFFERSON AIRPLANE LOS MAS GRANDE DELROCK PSICODELICO JUNTO A CHARLY GARCIA Y ROLING STONES SAY NO MORE

  • The pure concept of "beauty" and "emotion" in music

  • Anybody who feels that jorma and jack were not the guiding forces of this outfit needs to hit replay..Loved this whole thing..but it's quite easy to see why Hot Tuna was born.

  • @localguitarlegend1 Sorry I really have to disagree. I firmly believe that Kantner was the force that drove the band forward. Having said that though, I also believe that it was Jack and Jorma who made Kantner's vision come to life.

  • @localguitarlegend1 Jorma and Jack were fine instrumentalists, but really, the vocals are what made this band what it was. Marty and Grace created a dynamic/dialoguge that was unique in rock history. Without Marty and Grace, what would they be? Yeah, right...Hot Tuna? Please.

  • @zoznack They were a POP band after Jorma and Jack left.

  • @ichupichu Did they become a pop band BECAUSE J and J left or was that simply the direction in which they wanted to go? I think the latter.

    J and J = fine sidemen. Period. They didn't sing or write and barely moved on stage. They did what good sidemen do.

  • @zoznack Yeah, and that's why they were still called the Jefferson Airplane after two sidemen left........Oh, wait a minute......

  • @localguitarlegend1 I think EVERY member of a band plays the driving force to some extent. They all contribute something. I never listened to 'Hot Tuna' actually, but heard they were great,

  • Awesomeness simply drips from every note ... thanks for posting this!

  • Good song but; I do slightly prefer the CSN version myself.

  • This is the closest Paul Kantner ever got to writing his SF masterpiece. The _idea_ of the song is certainly a post-nuclear nightmare, with some hope in there for good measure. It is the cold war at its height. Obviously Crosby did quite a bit for it musically but the story-line is good old Paul.

    Both versions are great but the Airplane had a certain Grace, and a certain Jorma and Jack, that CSN lacked.

  • Maravilhoso

  • who ever hates it f*%^ u

  • THE PATH TO THE NEW LIFE...

  • What is that crap up the front? Yes, this song is a Kantner/Crosby creation and here you have a great JA version of it. It's a mega mind-expanding song for those able to interface. ... Hey-ho!: try your best!, ... and come alive or not, according to your choice! ...

  • I like both versions them & CSN -both a little different in their own way..

  • I'm not the kind of person who say things like: "things used to be better". But in terms of music, hell popular music really used to be better. 60's and 70's Rock forever!

  • This song is about the aftermath of a nuclear war. Those in the ships are escaping from the devastation. The purple berries reference concerns radiation sickness while the "silver people" are wearing protective suits. The images of desolation on the video are perhaps from the nuclear bomb tests at Bikini. A similar but bleaker theme was pursued in The House at Pooneil Corner. Those of us who were adults in the Sixties were always aware of the threat of nuclear annihilation - Cuban Crisis 1963.

  • What a great version, so high, so beautiful. I never knew Paul had part in writing it.

  • wagging the nuclear dog all those years ago controlled generations of folks, i recall the pricks having us hide under our seats. the only real threat by nuke other than a terrorist act would have been from the japanese who actually developed the bomb before us but used their heavy water up in production and were unable to replenish it quickly enough, that folks would have been a bad thing

  • wow! I loved this stuff and to see it a long time later, Paul, Grace, Jorma - all of them...almost too good.

  • I'm a big fan of both the Airplane & David Crosby (and C,S,N&Y).

    The C, S & N version is far superior.

  • @kerrgal In your opinion. :)

  • this is greenwater i had a dream about in 1969- it was the up coming war in and across the Ocean in the east,so our peace freaks hung in there and remember peace,i will think "we" always tried to help- That's what our brotheras and sisters dreams are about-Douglas

  • Always loved this song since I heard it on the CSN debut album. And on the Airplane's Volunteers album. Great sci-fi rock which Paul did well also with Crown of Creation although he did lift some verbatim lines from the Chrysalids. Don't blame him, loved the book myself. Thanks for the posting Aurora.

  • This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever. It almost brings tears to my eyes.

  • Intelligently constructed vid that does credit to the great music of the Airplane. Well done aurora, thanks for posting.

  • Can anybody explain Jorma's sound? The texture is magnificent. Is it the guitar or amp?

  • @dreama505

    The guitar mostly. He played a Gibson 345 stereo guitar. He could set the 2 different channels offered by stereo sound to different things. The first channel he put through a wah pedal (crybaby), and the second through an Ampeg Scrambler fuzzbox. he could use one channel or the other, or both. He used Fender twin amps.

  • Great!!!!

  • Growing up with that fear of being nuked formed our personalities. as a kid I stood in a field ninety miles from San Francisco and watched the sky filled with bombers. It was called an exercise by the radio and TV. Found out thirty years later that it was the real thing. They were called back thank God. This song gave me hope that someone out there was sane!

  • Jorma's leadbreak is hot.  Tasteful and has great feeling ............and that's what it's all about.

  • I would have to lean towards the CSN version but Airplane does an admirable job here... its darker and raw as hell but that's what's cool about it. Guitar solo is great too.

  • Great background effects !! One of my favorite Airplane Classics.

  • this song has always reminded me of the book 1984 for some reason

  • the song was wrote by crosby and stills or grace slick?

  • @cristipardi89

    Kantner, Crosby, and Stills

  • @cristipardi89 kantner, not slick

  • @cristipardi89 Crosby, Stills and Paul Kantner.

  • The song was wrote on a boat during a 4july if i´m not wrong. Funny fact: Both versions (CSN and JA) are registered as "Original Version"

  • @cristipardi89 i think it was written by stills,crosby and kantner, even though kantner is not credited on the original booklet of the album "crosby,stills &nash" where the song appeared for first time

  • @francescovitrani Kantner wasn't credited on CSN's version because of legal issues. In the 2006 re-release of the CSN version, Kantner's name is added.

  • @cristipardi89 ...was written by Crosby, Stills, and Kantner for Grace Slick.

  • Comment removed

  • @ddoukopou This is a different version. Check out the album version from Volunteers.

  • @Smron Its a really good recording, but its better live i think. i wasnt sure bout balins humming in the intro tho.

  • It's just as good as the CSN version.

  • love this song!

  • beautiful

  • Go ride the music

  • I'm ridin'.

  • I like their verion better than Crosby, Stills and Nash's version.

  • Great song, thanks for posting this version!

  • Did Marty shop at a different clothing store than the rest of the band? Love it!

  • lol probably

  • marty balin and grace! respect them for the eternity! BONE CHANSON!

  • This particular recording is far from the Airplanes (pretty rough) best. Listen to a other recordings of this on albums then pass judgement. CSNY and the Airplane are different...CSNY's beautiful harmonys and a distinctively mournful sounding Grace Slick on the Airplanes more psychedelic version.

  • You would have had to have been there... and I was...

  • se me pone la piel de gallina

    que cancion increible

  • csn version is better

  • Apples & oranges dude...just different. Both versions are superb.

  • @heyjudy1 I disagree. I like CSN's version, but apples and oranges? Life is not that easily comparable. Sorry.

  • @yumpladukfoo Well heck, i like apples and oranges...diff sure...but both delicious!

  • @heyjudy1 hah, but they`re all a bunch of fruits. hahahahah.

    ;) don`t mind me, I`m having too much fun.

  • goosebumps

  • Marty the best voice ever

  • excelente material; 5*****

  • WOW!! Thanks for posting. This video is magical, especially the last minute and a half. Lead solos were too long back then, but still, what a great version!! CS&N were cool, but boring compared to the Airplane IMO. Great drumming and bass at the end too.

  • Did Grace have relations with the band members

  • Does a Pope shit in the woods? Is a bear Catholic?

  • So is that a yes or no no need to be sarcastic lol

  • You make a hell of a Caucasian Jackie.

  • You're a dandy if you do

  • Everyone but Marty, or so he said.

  • what?

  • Yes.

    Marty Balin and Paul Kantner.

  • This is cool. But I prefer the CSN version. The guitar solo is really cool in this version.

  • You can tell by watching and listening that their primary goal was to MAKE GREAT MUSIC!!!

    Think about how  musicians today think like that....

  • Surely one of the Best song ever. This one is MUCH better than the original C.S.&N. One (imho)

  • this was written by several musicians like David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Paul Kanter, Jerry Garcia and Jorma Kraukonen

  • WOW A MASTERPIECE, A TRUE MASTERPIECE...yes compared to today;s standard of music. it is not prepackaged, but HOLY SHIT it is REAL.......

  • Yup, real music played by real musicians. That's the difference - these guys know what they're doing!

  • that be a mean wave to surf!!!!!1

  • CSNY's studio version was better.

  • I suppose you don't like the sound

    of a Ship's Creaking at Anchor/slip.

    It really set the stage.

    Artificial maybe but so appropo!

  • Wow, Grace didn't sound like herself at the beginning. In any case, she has a beautiful voice!

  • saw jorma jack kantner and bromberg acoustic on the pier of the hudson in manhattan do a very special performance back in the 90s

  • Another thing the CSN version of this song didn't have, besides Grace and Jorma and Jack, was Jerry Garcia. But it was also great in its own right.

    What a great, great video of a fantastic song. Thank you for posting it.

  • You must try my purple berries.

  • a better time-a better USA, what happened to us?

  • A better time? Yeah cose we didn't have arthritis. What was so good about the early 70? Pollution (Ohio River on fire). Vietnam. 3-mile Island. A crook in the Whitehouse. Troops firing on Students in Ohio. The FBI taking pictures and "filing" anybody who had long hair... It was the same old crapola... Except we were much younger and didn't care.. all we cared about was the music... Love and Peace...

  • Indeed ... not much has changed since then ... it is still all about money, power and greed ... very frustrating that the learning is soooo slow ... however, the effort back then was unique, in that it became a universal movement in its fundamental thought about Love and Peace.

  • @joegilbert31 True man. True... Music Died.

  • @joegilbert31 we stopped doing anything. get out the vote, or get the frying pan and the wooden spoon, go for a walk, talk to your neighbor, go jam with your neighbor....who m i to tell you

  • Beautiful video, beautiful song.

  • "WITHGRACESHALLWE..."

  • the music of now it's simply crap thats it, and the way of thinking of the artists now is only sell them dics D:, that's not be a good musician

  • you just have to look harder- but there is always good music- i am a big 70's fan but i find great music all the time-

  • all the bands you mentioned as crap 40 years ago were 100 percent better than most of todays music ! i dont think you know any thing about music ! your just trying to be a ass hole !

  • its hard to belive that we went from such absoulutly wonderful music like this to the crap we have today ! etc. rap , hip hop, country , even the new pop music like american idol is such awful music ! sob !

  • Look at who some of the top-selling artists of 1970 were - Ray Stevens, Bobby Sherman, Tom Jones, The Jackson 5. We listened to just as much crap 40 years ago on AM radio as there is today on American Idol. Now as then you can find the artists who are making great music but you will have to:

    1. stop listening to the crap, and

    2. search for the good stuff.

    This wonderful JA video has less than 14,000 views. Most of my favorites aren't very popular. That's okay, I found them anyway.

  • by labling all of those genres crap you only show how narrow minded and ignorant you personally are about music. hip hop for example probably doesn't appeal to you because you are incapable of empathizing with the culture and the hardship that fuels the lifestyle..maybe i'm wrong, i don't know you, but i'd also assume you just listen to the wrong hip hop. try the Roots for musicianship. you don't have to like it obviously. but jefferson airplane wasn't pop music. it was lovely freak music.

  • Jorma is probably my favorite guitarist. Has anyone listened to his playing on Crown of Creation?

  • Oh yeah!! My favorite living guitarist! But Jack's bass defines the title song from that album. IMHO

    :)

  • @GetBackJack123  Yes.

  • @GetBackJack123 Crown Of Creation was always my favourite

  • Of all the groups that emerged from San Francisco in the mid to late sixties, the airplane's music most embodied the tribal anguish with war-time spiritually dead america, the camaraderie of psychic survivors, their longing for a union with nature and love and ecstasy in a world far from napalm, madison avenue and the church pew on sunday.

  • Grace had such a beautiful voice

  • hell yeah

  • Before anyone else does, I'll correct my error - Cuban Crisis was 1962,

  • This song is about the aftermath of a nuclear war. Those in the ships are escaping from the devastation. The purple berries reference concerns radiation sickness while the "silver people" are wearing protective suits. The images of desolation on the video are perhaps from the nuclear bomb tests at Bikini. A similar but bleaker theme was pursued in The House at Pooneil Corner. Those of us who were adults in the Sixties were always aware of the threat of nuclear annihilation - Cuban Crisis 1963.

  • yeah thats the way I had always took it, Paul being a big SF fan probably had read "On the Beach";

    I grew up in the 60s scared shitless about being nuked by the Ruskies, then later as an adult living in a state capital I just assumed I was on ground zero - it was always in the back of my mind somewhere probably until the wall came down in Berlin, what an odd sense of relief that was...

  • On the Beach is a great book.

  • @aurora1957A "On The Beach" and "Alas, Babylon"......I agree, I was terrified in 1962, wondering if I'd make my 11th birthday, and how long the canned food in our basement would last.

  • @vonroon23 And thats your interpretation. But not what

    David and Paul intended with the song. Yes we had to live in fear then

    and now. It's the Republican control of the people. We may never rest.........

  • jes open yer heart sweety and let that light shine

    :)

  • Call me stupid or whateveryou like , I'm

    sure there was a message to wooden

    ships but I dont get it Someone help me out here ,please!

  • for many many years now, I have always assumed the songs I dont get are a product of someones drug induced hallucinations. In this song, when Marty sings about eating purple berries, well, if he isnt referring to drugs then I REALLY dont know

  • mightymack: it`s about hoping that this stupid careless society ends soon...and that on the other side of all this stupidity and gross human behaviour (2009 and ongoing...) there will be some sort of redemption. the metaphor used is a 3rd world war where nobody even knows who has won; as there`s only the 2 characters in the story left on earth.

    if you want to go into further detail, I would suggest googling "wooden ships lyrics"; if you still don`t get it then, well...dunno.

  • So long as we have things like youtube these incredible songs can live on forever.

  • fantastic

  • Comment removed

  • DaveH001 is spot on. It was so easy to take everything for granted in the 60s and assume that the same levels of achievement would continue. Such disillusion that was to follow and not only in rock music.

  • As far as I'm concerned this is as good as rock music gets. Combine a classic song and fabulous talent and magic happens. I don't think we appreciated the musical riches we enjoyed in the late 60s and early 70s nearly as much as we would have if we could have foreseen the mindless stuff that would follow. Thankfully more and more footage from the era keeps being discovered. Many many thanks to aurora for posting this treasure.

  • sweeet!!

  • i just don't know why spencer dryden left the band

  • Because Grace stopped sleeping with him?

  • and give thanks...

  • RAISE THE AWARD INTO THE AIR...

  • This simply just blows me away. Great song. People need to get a clue.

  • Well TheDutchHippie we also want a time machine so we could go back and appreciate it more.

    '67 was heaven

  • I wish I had a time machine so I could experience what all you lucky old have experienced.

  • We were going to winterland to see CS& N, but Crosby's girlfriend was killed in a car accident right before the gig. the Airplane repaced them that night & Stills & Nash did this with the Airplane than night. Great show.

  • Thanks, Aurora! That wave in the background is cool!

    And it's a fair wind, blowin' warm,

    Out of the south over my shoulder,

    Guess I'll set a course and go...

  • Finally a live version with the original band members! I have been searching for something like this for years! The reunion clip in probalby the early 90's of Paul, Grace and Marty was up for awhile here on youtube but I cannot find it anymore. If someone has it post it up!

  • With the exception of the new drummer as the video poster indicated.

  • wild

  • Listen to this song. And commit yourself to peace before this lonely reality is realized. Get activist and tear down the Military Industrial complex.

    Stills - Crosby - Kantner got it right on this one. Can I have some of your purple berries?

  • Strange and beautiful video ... I love this song. Thanks for sharing.

    I want to marry Grace, was so pretty... I love her!

  • It's nice, though Grace was out of tune(as frequently did) Peace!

  • sounds ok for live performance.

    After tuning a few pianos I got used to the stretch etc.