JEFFERSON STARSHIP – SPITFIRE LP – Nr MINT A2/B1 UK GRACE SLICK

Jefferson Starship – Spitfire
(Grunt Records  1976  BFL11557)
Matrix No’s: A2/B1 – UK Pressing

Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
– a little wear around edges
Inner Sleeve has small splits

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Jefferson Starship is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1974 by a group of musicians including former members of Jefferson Airplane. Between 1974 and 1984, they released eight gold or platinum selling studio albums, and one gold selling compilation. The album Red Octopus went double-platinum, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1975. The band went through several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the Jefferson Starship name. The band name was retired in 1984, but it was picked up again in 1992 by a revival of the group led by Paul Kantner, which has continued following his death in 2016.

The group was formed by former Jefferson Airplane members Kantner and Grace Slick, and evolved from several solo albums they had recorded and a business decision to connect the two bands. They were joined by David Freiberg, Craig Chaquico, John Barbata, Pete Sears, and Papa John Creach. Former Airplane frontman Marty Balin subsequently joined the group in 1975, and the following year’s album Spitfire was a top five hit. Slick and Balin both left the group in 1978, leaving the remaining members to recruit Mickey Thomas as their replacement. Slick rejoined the group in 1981, which continued with minor chart success. Kantner quit in 1984 and took legal action towards using the name; the remaining members became Starship. Kantner reformed the group as Jefferson Starship: The Next Generation in 1992, which toured regularly throughout that decade and into the 21st century. Following Kantner’s death, the group continued with new members; Craig Chaquico filed a lawsuit against them in 2016 for continuing to use the name, and the suit was consequently settled.

Spitfire is Jefferson Starship’s 1976 follow-up to the chart-topping Red Octopus (1975). This album quickly scaled the charts, spending six consecutive weeks at number three in Billboard and going platinum.

Track listing

Personnel

• Grace Slick – vocals, piano on “Ozymandias” and “Switchblade”
• Marty Balin – vocals
• Paul Kantner – vocals, rhythm guitar
• John Barbata – drums, percussion, lead vocals on “Big City”, vocals
• Craig Chaquico – lead guitar, vocals
• David Freiberg – vocals, bass on “Switchblade” and “Big City”, keyboards on “Cruisin'”, “Dance with the Dragon”, “Hot Water”, “St. Charles”, “Don’t Let It Rain”, “With Your Love”, and “Love Lovely Love”, Arp on “Ozymandias”
• Pete Sears – bass on all tracks except “Switchblade” and “Big City”, piano on “Dance with the Dragon” and “Don’t Let It Rain”, Mellotron on “Hot Water”, keyboards on “St. Charles” and “Big City”, organ on “Ozymandias” and “Switchblade”, Moog on “Ozymandias” and “Switchblade”

Additional personnel

• Bobbye Hall – percussion, congas
• Dave Roberts – string and horn arrangements
• Steven Schuster – saxophone on “Don’t Let It Rain”

Production

• Jefferson Starship – producer, art direction
• Larry Cox – producer, engineer
• Steve Malcolm – assistant to the engineer
• Pat Ieraci (Maurice) – production coordinator
• Bill Thompson – manager
• Cassandra Gaviola – dragon princess
• Paul Dowell – amp consultant
• John Langdon – label art
• Gribbitt! (Chris Whorf, Tim Bryant) – album design
• Ron Slenzak – cover photography
• Shusei Nagaoka – illustration
• Recorded and Mixed at Wally Heiders, San Francisco
• Mastered by Kent Duncan, Kendun Recorders, Burbank