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From: RushTrader
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  • it's weird to see these 60's psychedelic maestros playing this music...

  • is this from SNL??

    That was the great thing when bands preformed live without machines--if you fucked up it was real and you kept on playing!!

  • I love how grace is singing the lead right along with him, without a mic.

  • FRIDAYS!!!

  • I saw the Jefferson Starship in 81 and they really blew me away. But there opening act was amazing. They blew the JS away. They were the 38 Special.

  • There are worse pop songs in history, but what on Earth were Paul Kantner and Grace Slick (and David Freiberg) doing in this schlok machine? (Making a few bucks, I guess.) This incarnation of Jefferson Starship can't lay a finger on the 70s version (with Marty Balin). And NO version of Jefferson Starship comes close to the quality, the musicianship, the integrity or the soul of the original band -- Jefferson Airplane.

    The Airplane at its worst was pretty bad, but it was better than this!

  • @JonathanDaddy

    Hungry troll is hungry.

  • True about the nerd invasion obviously if they had some decent security like the hells angels these guys would never have made it on stage.... someone would be going home with a cowbell sticking out their whats-it.

  • Cheeky dig at the bassplayer when he goofs at 1:56, singer gives him the thumbs treatment at 1:58 very cool.

  • @mrblushy :-/ He hits the wrong note? I can't hear it on these crappy laptop speakers, DARN!!!

  • @snookerc2208 yup its there alright,free yourself from those tinny speakers,do youself a big favor cheers.....

  • This song and Count On Me were their 2 best songs..IMO

  • need more cowbell at 0:22 !

  • one of the all time most underated guitar players on this planet, craig c. is so fucking awesome!

  • Comment removed

  • Rocking the Cummings look.

  • So good, what a singer. He sounds more Grace Slick than Grace Slick does! Top guitar too. What's Gene Wilder doing on backup vocals at the end?!!

  • Mickey Thomas is STARSHIP!

  • I'll just say this.. I'm 26. THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME. They were playing their fricking asses off.

  • Double track that cowbell.

  • Just heard this song for the first time on Dublins best radio station, Radio nova. I know fuck all about the band but i love this track.

  • I saw this when it aired on "Fridays" when I was a kid. It was a cool live performance then - now I think it's extra cool because how many modern self-absorbed music acts would let non-musicians join them during their TV performance?

  • Makes me sad when you realize how crappy today's music has become.

  • More Cowbell...

  • wowowowow \m/\m/

  • That guy just single-handedly brought back the cowbell gag.

  • Loved this line-up of the band. Mickey Thomas fresh (sort of) off of singing "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" for Elvin Bishop. Dunbar on drums. And yay "Fridays" for getting some great talent. Remember when they had Devo singing "Through Being Cool" while walking on those weird conveyor belts? :-0

  • Loved this line-up of the band. Mickey Thomas fresh (sort of) off of singing "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" for Elvin Bishop. Dunbar on drums. And yay "Fridays" for getting some great talent. Remember when they had Devo singing "Through Being Cool" while walking on those weird conveyor belts? :-0

  • I'm pretty sure that was the cast of the TV series "Fridays" that came out on the stage to sing the last minute or so of the song with the group. Fridays was an early '80s attempt to duplicate the style of Saturday Night Live. It didn't last long, but had a great cast, including Michael Richards, who played Kramer on Seinfeld. This is one of my fav Starship songs. Mickey Thomas does have some awesome vocals!

  • Great live version. Super voice! Don't hear that kind of quality now ah days.

  • I love the slight gap in the recording around 3:27. It looks like someone was about to record Les Miserable. Juding by the font used on the tv when it says stop and play, I had a tv/vcr combo where the words looked just like that. RCA I think. Thanks for posting.

  • @drewper73 LMAO!!! That recording gap brought back memories: "Quick! Hit record, I love this song!" ... "OH NO! You taped over dad's copy of the Reagan inauguration!!!"

  • Too bad you couldn't see Ansley Dunbar playing that monster drum fill starting at 3:22. Everytime I hear this song on the radio I listen for that fill, being a drummer and all. This song is even better if you have an ex-girlfriend named Jane like I do.

  • goddamn what a fucking voice. dude can sing his ass off. probably has little or no ass.

  • Not great sound, but awesome performance, back in 81! No, thats not Grace Slick on lead vocals, lmfao! She did rejoin the band and sang backup with Mickey!

  • Wicked Guitars.

  • Nice interruption at 3:33. Looks like someone almost taped over an old VHS tape. (My kids don't even know what a VCR is).

  • @pappppie i dont even know what a DVD is...

  • great live version....more cowbell please. 

  • I can't recall where I heard or read it, but during the "Freedom At Point Zero" tour, a wicked flu bug was workig its way through the band. At one point, Ainsley Dunbar (apologies if I misspelled that) had a bucket beside his drum set so he could throw up. You have to admire the man. To be feeling like absolutely death on a soda cracker and still able to get on stage and rock the house is true professionalism.

  • I can't recall where I heard or read it, but during the "Freedom At Point Zero" tour, a wicked flu bug was workig its way through the band. At one point, Ainsley Dunbar (apologies if I misspelled that) had a bucket beside his drum set so he could throw up. You have to admire the man. To be feeling like absolutely death on a soda cracker and still able to get on stage and rock the house.

  • Two days before I was born. I agree Mickey still shines. A great band.

  • Jefferson Airplane/Starship "Jane"

  • Voices of pure rock.............beautiful GRACE SLICK

  • @elisamia84 Grace Slick has a mustache? ;) She was not part of the band when they released this song.

  • MORE COWBELL!

  • how does a band actually sound this good live

  • @FolarTheGreat I saw them in 1984 and 1986--they were the best live band I've ever seen. Nobody is phoning it in and Mickey Thomas sounds better live than in the studio.

  • @TheBeautifulbooboo so true, so jealous

  • "Ah, Las Musica, Las Musica de los Jefferson Starship." Loved Fridays, and watched this live after my mom and dad had gone to bed. Kiss, Journey, Cheap Trick...some great old bands on Fridays.

  • Grace was never a roadie for Hendrix but Lemmy was. anyway This album and Modern Times Were great. Mickey and Grace Together were awesome.

  • he has some vice.they sound a bit like toto

  • I need some more cowbell...

  • ARRRRRRGH @ 3:27!

  • grace slick and lemmy from motorhead used to be roadies for hendrix , and lace a white house garden partys bowl of punch with liquid lsd, how fuckin rock n roll is that.

  • Piano and Guitar synch is terrific! What a voice!

  • those 2 cuces behind grace look like the wild n' crazzzzy guys from s.n.l.

  • I am pretty sure this is from the show "Fridays". Fantastic show with Larry David, Michael Richards, Melanie Chartoff, Rich Hall . . .

  • @jcristiano Totally remember "Fridays" now that you mention it. I remember watching the "Rasta Claus" skit with my elderly grandmother. I was about 15. Anyways, the African American character in the skit had a big reefer plant for a Xmas tree and had sparklies all over it. My grandma does, "Well, ain't that a pretty Christmas tree, kids?" Thanks for reminding me.

  • Aynsley Dunbar! What a MF!!!! One of the best and totally grooves this song!

  • Anybody know what show this is? SNL maybe? I thought the cowbell might be Byron Allen, but it turns out it was JS' violinist.

  • ! I LOVE how near the end the VHS skips and we see a split-second of a commercial for Fairfield County Buick!!!! HA hahahahhaaaaaaa!!!!!!

  • I think the other guys just came out to get some more coke from Grace. That being said....what a great song and yes...this was hte best version of Jefferson Anything to me as well.

  • dat mother fucker has some PIPES!!!

  • @dewaynecullen Yes, yes he most certainly does.... They don't make them like that anymore.... too many Justin Biebers pumping out diarrhea to the ears..

  • MAN, that has to be hard for the band and especially Mic to play with a person on stage that doesn't do much....

  • Grace Slick is Rock 'n Roll, even when she isn't singing, awesome tune

  • More COWBELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • @jamjax sorry didn't read the comments. ... couldn't resist the cowbell observation. I didn't want to make the obvious coked out jokes though. Who's the spinal tap guy on lead. hahaha. Thomas can sure sing though. Gotta give him that.

  • who didn't see a nerdy "needs more cowbell" coming?! get original dude! need more coke 'stache!!!

  • Frickin great version of a great song by a great band with a great singer....

  • man he can sure sing what a great live vocals !!!

  • well that was freakin' epic!

  • 2:10 ......gotta be a contender for guitar hero...

  • this was on "Fridays", right? I remember the "take a pill" guy....

  • downright smoking indeed

  • true .. bad ass

  • wow- HEAVY!!

  • best version on  you-tube.

  • Love the keyboards!!!!!!!!

  • dude makes that top note looks so easy! hats off to mt!

  • love those early 80's BC Rich guitars

  • piss off mate

  • Cause he's Mickey Thomas!

  • Craig Chaquico is the reason for their best songs...

  • How does Mickey sustain notes with ease like that? Naturally gifted. :)

  • i want what she is having

  • Rockin!

  • Kudos!!!

  • jesus, this is wicked. god mickey you r great!

  • I think this song was the idea for Aldo Nova's "Fantasy"

  • love this song

  • i wasn't gonna <3 this, but then i saw the bass player at 2:15...

  • This came from a show called "Fridays", which was sort of a take-off on SNL.  It is where Michael Richards (Kramer on Seinfeld) got his start. Great video, and this is where Jefferson Starship was setting it's sights on best corporate rock band of the 80's. "Freedom at Point Zero was an awesome album, BTW! And Craig Chaquico is one of the best guitarists ever, as exemplified here.

  • I didn't know Derek Smalls was in Starship?!?!?

  • I got a feva' and the only cure is more cow bell!

  • @icefan847 LAWL! Thumbs UP for you! :)

  • Brutal! What a killer. Beautiful!

  • Craig sure was and is underrated.

  • Cool bich!!!!The purple guitar that is.

  • did that guy have but one shirt....and purple?

  • I remember this perfromance on "Fridays", the show that featured Michael Richards as a cast member.

  • Gotta love Grace walking around stage, rockin' back and forth, smilin', hand clappin' and pretty much not doing much else!

  • More cowbell.

  • Icky Mickey.

    Pfui!

  • It was good that Aynsley Dunbar found a good job after being canned from Journey for "refusing to adapt to the simplicity of the new music".

  • I'm glad, too, that he got another gig, but Jefferson Starship wasn't any more complicated music than Journey. If he did get canned from Journey for that reason, he didn't stick to his guns. After Starship, he went to Whitesnake. Not very complicated either.

    In the end, it's a good thing he exited Journey. It made way for the Steve Smith years!

  • In the liner notes from Journey's box set it says that Dunbar was very talented but was playing way too much for the simplicity of the songs and would warm up during their songs for his drum solo's. Journey was touring with Montrose at the time and started taking an interest in their drummer Steve Smith. Dunbar was fired because his skills didn't suit the bands new direction, which was from instrumental specialists to song stylists.

  • ive never seen a lead guitar wearing prescription glasses...thats maybe why they suck live, even though they had a few good songs. Just hate the lead guitar and his GLASSES, so corny, nerdy...dunno

  • didn't know former relief pitcher Dennis Eckersley sang for Starship,which act changed their name more John Cougar or Starship???

  • That's Doug Henning, silly.......

  • Stop goofing around guys, that's the Hall & Oates guy.

    Seriously though, killer voice and great tune!

  • 4/3/81 is the day I turned 12! :)

    Love this band saw them alot during the 80s in San Jose.

  • Man this song killed me when it came out. Had come home from night classes at college to find my beautiful live-in girlfriend, Jane, was no longer mine. She split with nothing but a one sentence note left behind. Every time this tune hit the airwaves I died again but couldn't change the station. A killer tune, dammit, and a great vocal performance. Never got over the girl or the band. Check out their other gut wrencher "Sara". Starship had a real melodic sense in those days.

  • cool song...a tseunami is never any fun as with us an earthquake...a wave to catch...like Roman Law!..(No! Save!)

  • Look at the singer toward the beginning...."We need more cowbell." LOL

  • This was a great version of this song (a real live version, instead of synched to a recording), but wow, the drums sound absolutely awful. Very poorly miked.

  • I like the sound of the drums. Listen to the original and other recordings Aynsley Dunbar (the drummer) is on. His drums generally sound like that, recorded or live. That's just his sound, so the miking is fine.

  • Indeed :)

  • I'm sorry, but there's only so many tambourines that can be played at once on any rock song, no matter how good that song is, and here there's at least 3 too many...!

    Perhaps that's why there's no room for the cowbells...?

  • We need more cowbell, God damn it!!

  • i got to meet some of these guys in outside of driggs idaho in 91" i think-wow what a treat-they were so kind people-

  • One of the best rock songs ever!

  • Think that was the show called "Fridays". Great rocking version of the song.

  • hey... why did marty feldman run on to the stage twords the end? thanks for posting, this is an overlooked classic

  • Grace is just so deep into the song that she is grooving to the music.

    In fact, she isn't acting any different than anyone else, especailly near the end.

  • Cool.

    Very cool.

  • Grace does look likes she's on acid, lmao. great song!!!!! (:

  • Unreal lead guitar work on this one!

  • Cowbell anyone????

  • Grace Slick is on ACID here .. she seems lost.

  • That was awesome...this is why I'm thankful for youtube...made my day!!!

  • I've always loved this song. Never have seen Starship but I did see Mickey Thomas with "Little Gadgets" in the early 80's at a very small club in San Mateo, Ca.

    Big band that included a horn section. Very cool that he chose to play a very small venue for only a few hundred.

  • Allmusic really slams this era of the band. It's rock and roll man!!!

  • fuckin grace....lurkin...

  • I know I'm probably in the minority here...but to me this is the definitive line up of the "Jefferson Starship" Some powerful and passionate players here.

  • I agree with ya. Mickey apparently still has a group together.

  • I agree, I prefer this, the hardest rocking lineup, sadly they were soon to become "Starship".

  • @Upyrazz Nope, I totally agree. Jefferson Airplane was antiquated and I never liked Kantner anyway. "Jefferson Starship" was great. "Starship" sucked IMO....it's always been Kantner's band and Airplane has been back many years and they suck. This was by far the best line-up! Grace and Mickey played off each other great - two great singers...and Craig was smoking hot and very under-rated I believe at the time. At this time they recorded and performed their best songs too. Just my three cents.

  • @DickLodge68 AIRPLANE WAS ANTIQUATED ? IT WAS THE 60'S..THEY WERE GREAT...STARSHIP SUCKED!!!!! JORMA AND JACK WERE THE BEST. HOT TUNA WAS INCREDIBLE !

  • @dragontigerbull Yes, I think Airplane is antiquated...now. There was a shitload of '60s bands and very few of them stand the test of time. If Jefferson Airplane didn't evolve, they would have died out - just like Hot Tuna or Herman's Hermits or whatever.

  • @DickLodge68 IF " WE BUILT THIS CITY ON ROCK AND ROLL" IS EVOLVING THEN YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT MUSIC...AND HOT TUNA WAS A 70'S BAND..JORMA AND JACK LEFT AIRPLANE AND EVOLVED..NUFF SAID

  • @dragontigerbull "Jefferson Starship" was great. "Starship" sucked IMO...that's what my original post said. If you don't even take the time to actually read someone's comments and just come here to argue, then find it elsewhere. Even Slick said she hated "We Built this City".

  • @Upyrazz I had little interest in Jefferson before Craig came in on guitar. That changed with "Find Your Way Back".

  • @Upyrazz You are so not in the minority. I think that, after time has past, lots of people realize that Mickey Thomas was (and still is at the age of 61) an amazing singer--and Craig Chaquico was a great guitarist.

    It was the times they were in that were unkind to this incarnation of Jefferson Starship.

  • My fave line-up.

  • Grace Slick was not the original female singer of Jefferson Airplane. The founding female singers name was Signe Anderson

  • those sunglasses on the bass player, lol!

  • OMG, horrible!! They sold out.

  • This kicks- no sell out here

  • If the Airplane got their hands on this equipment earlier, who knows what they would have sounded like? Yeah, quite a few acts got on the power pop bandwagon: the above, Asia(reaping the rewards their former bands sowed), Santana, Ides of March("Vehicle") leader Jim Peterik with Survivor, and Van Halen, changing direction with Diamond Dave('1984") with the most unmistakeable keyboard sound of all of them.

  • Amazing live performance. Mickey as usual kicking ass, belting his vocals out.

  • NEEDS MORE COWBELL!!

  • is that chyna in this band?

  • Grace Slick, one of the original founders of this band.

  • no shit its a joke!

  • Is that cousin larry from perfect strangers dancing on stage?!?!?!

  • i think it is! what happened around 3:35

  • I love this song.........

  • temazo

  • the guy with the least futuristic guitar has the most futuristic sunglasses

  • Love it, oh the memories.Thanks for the post:D

  • Tight... way to go Jefferson Starship!

    Looks like some of the cast from Friday's tv show (Darrow Igus on cowbell)

  • More Cowbell.

  • This is absolute class - The GFreedom at Point Zero LP is astonishing and if anyone has a film of them playing the Awakening or the title track from it I'd give aything to see that. Aynsley Dunbar, Peter Sears, Craig Chaquico, Paul Kantner and Mickey Thomas - the most underrated line up of all the Air/ Ships. Thanks for posting.

  • Grace was so petty here!

  • I remember reading in this 70's magazine "Crawdaddy" about how Grace was screaming outside Marty Balin's room to come out and fuck her! Of course, Marty didn't want any part of Grace. What characters.