Jefferson Airplane Takes Off

Jefferson Airplane Takes Off is the debut studio album by the American rock band Jefferson Airplane, released on August 15, 1966, through RCA Victor. It was produced by Tommy Oliver and engineered by Dave Hassinger. The album features a lineup that differs from the band's later "classic" configuration: Signe Toly Anderson served as the female vocalist in place of Grace Slick, and Skip Spence played drums rather than Spencer Dryden.

Background

Recording sessions began on December 16, 1965, at RCA Victor's studios. Producer Tommy Oliver had a background working with mainstream pop artists, while engineer Dave Hassinger was specifically requested by the band due to his work on the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Sessions continued through December 18, 1965, before resuming on February 19–28, 1966, and March 16–21, 1966, yielding a total of 14 recorded songs.

Shortly before the album's release, RCA Victor's executives grew concerned that lyrics in two tracks — "Let Me In" and "Run Around" — were sexually suggestive or otherwise controversial, and demanded that the band return to the studio to alter them. An early mono pressing also included the track "Runnin' 'Round This World", which was subsequently removed from later pressings after RCA objected to the use of the word "trip" in its lyrics.

Music and style

Jefferson Airplane Takes Off is considered more firmly rooted in folk rock than the band's subsequent psychedelic releases. The album is dominated by lead singer Marty Balin, who wrote or co-wrote the majority of the original material and sang most of the lead vocals. Music critic Jim DeRogatis described the record as being "dominated by Balin's simple folk ballads", complemented by Anderson's harmonies and the band's instrumental arrangements.

Although most of the album consists of love songs, music journalist Richie Unterberger noted that the lyrics were written from an unusually mature "young adult" perspective that was less immediately accessible to the typical teenage pop audience of the era. The band's cover of Chet Powers' "Let's Get Together" — later made famous by the Youngbloods — was seen as an early indicator of the communal idealism that would define the counterculture movement.

Anderson sings lead on the blues cover "Chauffeur Blues", her most prominent solo moment on the record. Lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen's blues influences, which would later define his post-Airplane project Hot Tuna, are evident on several tracks.

Release and reception

The album sold modestly on release. While an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 copies sold in California within the first few months, distribution across the rest of the United States was sparse. Despite this, strong home-state sales pushed the album onto the Billboard 200 on September 17, 1966. It spent 11 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 128 on October 1, 1966.

Contemporary reviewers were mixed but acknowledging of the album's promise. Writing for Mojo-Navigator R&R News, David Harris praised the vocal harmonies between Balin and Anderson and the bass arrangements, while noting that Kaukonen's guitar work was stronger in the band's live performances than on record. Tim Jurgens of Crawdaddy! called it the most important American rock album of that year, while conceding it fell short of its full potential.

In retrospect, the album has been appreciated as an important document of the emerging San Francisco Sound and West Coast psychedelia in its earliest form.

Track listing

#	Title	Writer(s)
1	"Blues from an Airplane"	Marty Balin, Skip Spence
2	"Let Me In"	Marty Balin
3	"Bringing Me Down"	Marty Balin, Paul Kantner
4	"It's No Secret"	Marty Balin
5	"Tobacco Road"	Clay Warnick
6	"Come Up the Years"	Marty Balin, Paul Kantner
7	"Run Around"	Marty Balin
8	"Let's Get Together"	Chet Powers
9	"Don't Slip Away"	Marty Balin, Paul Kantner
10	"Chauffeur Blues"	Traditional
11	"And I Like It"	Marty Balin

Note: Early mono pressings included a 12th track, "Runnin' 'Round This World" (Balin/Spence), positioned between "Tobacco Road" and "Come Up the Years". It was removed from subsequent pressings at RCA's insistence.

Personnel

Marty Balin — lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul Kantner — rhythm guitar, vocals
Jorma Kaukonen — lead guitar, vocals
Jack Casady — bass guitar
Signe Toly Anderson — vocals
Skip Spence — drums

Production

Tommy Oliver — producer
Dave Hassinger — engineer

External links

Jefferson Airplane Takes Off at Discogs