Jefferson Airplane - Winterland Arena 1972-09-22 (Bootleg)

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mp3
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Last Flight is an authorized recording released in the United Kingdom, taken from the last live performance of the San Francisco rock group Jefferson Airplane prior to the band's dissolution in 1972. The concert was held at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco, and selected tracks were released on the 1973 album Thirty Seconds Over Winterland. Last Flight consists of the entire concert with the exception of the encore, Marty Balin's "You Wear Your Dresses Too Short", previously released on the Jefferson Airplane Loves You box-set. Balin sings lead vocals on "Volunteers" much to the surprise of the audience since he left the band in late 1970.

A cover sticker announces this is "the first authorised release" of Jefferson Airplane's final concert performance before their 1970s breakup, held at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco on September 22, 1972. That show, along with others, was tapped for the 1973 live album Thirty Seconds Over Winterland, a seven-track LP that ran less than 40 minutes, whereas this double-CD set runs over an hour and 43 minutes and contains 20 selections. Of course, professional recording equipment was present, and, even though this seems like only a semi-legitimate release, the result is good sonic quality for the most part. There is, however, a strange edit at 5:46 in the 11-minute "Feel So Good," indicating that something went wrong somewhere along the line. Otherwise, this is an effective performance by the late-period Jefferson Airplane, the band that produced Bark and Long John Silver, which serve as the sources for half of the selections.

Jefferson Airplane - US Single 1968

Only the opener, "Somebody to Love," "Wooden Ships," "Crown of Creation," and the closer, "Volunteers" (which includes a reappearance from departed singer Marty Balin), date from before 1970, and there are some songs that belong in the repertoire of Airplane spinoffs, such as "Come Back Baby," from Hot Tuna's First Pull Up, Then Pull Down, "Papa John's Down Home Blues" from Papa John Creach, and "Diana" from Paul Kantner and Grace Slick's Sunfighter. ("Blind John," as Slick hints in a stage remark, was about to be heard on Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart's guest-filled solo album Rolling Thunder.) The set list makes sense for a band that was, in effect, ending a tour intended to promote Long John Silver, but fans might have hoped for a show that summed up the whole of Jefferson Airplane's career as its final concert statement. Of course, at the time nobody was acknowledging that this show was the final statement; it just turned out that way (until the 1989 reunion, that is). 

Notes: Please note that Bill Graham introduced the band on this recording, mentioning David Freiberg, who appeared on most of the songs now being offered. The percussionist was noted to be John Barbata instead of Covington. Balin appears only on the final track. The comments by Bill Graham at the end of each disk suggest that there may have been 2 sets or 2 shows on that date. The answer is there were 2 sets.

Jefferson Airplane - US Single 1972

As far as we know, Thirty Seconds Over Winterland (TSOW) songs were taken from shows at Chicago and San Francisco in the fall of 1972. Some copies of much of a complete show have made the rounds and many of us have passed them along. We suppose that a hole in the history of JA involves what was recorded on what night, from what set, from what source, from what mix, etc. Due to the generosity of Dave Tamarkin, we now have what is likely the best version of 09-22-72 that can be found. Seems so to us. Perhaps you will think so, too.

The show is complete in representing all the songs known to have been performed at Winterland, most notably the rarely performed (Bastard) Son Of Jesus and a different version of When The Earth Moves Again than that spread previously. The seed tapes required some fixes, mostly due to highly variable levels, as well as removing some digi-pops, dropouts, etc.

An unavoidable cut will be found at 5:48 on track 6 of disk 2 (Feel So Good). There are some other minor cuts, such as the beginning of the introduction by Bill Graham on track 1 of disk 1. We suspect that very little of substance is missing. No equalization or tape hiss reduction was employed. If TSOW was sweetened in studio before release, such may be apparent from noticing a few errors in performance. Not many, but a few. This is classic, soaring JA at the end of their run.

Jefferson Airplane - US Single 1970

By 1972 Jefferson Airplane had evolved from the psychedelic folkrockers whose classic Surrealistic Pillow had soundtracked 1967’s Summer Of Love. Vocalist/founder Marty Balin was gone, though he rejoins the group for one of the high points here: an extraordinary, rousing encore of Diana/ Volunteers that would have had the hippy audience screaming for the revolution.

Taking Balin’s place as singer for this tour was David Freiberg (ex-Quicksilver Messenger Service), while veteran electric violinist Papa John Creach had joined in 1970 and former Turtle Johnny Barbata provides drums. The four remaining members from their heyday would soon split: lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady concentrating on bluesy side project Hot Tuna; frontwoman Grace Slick and Paul Kantner (vocals/guitar) forming Jefferson Starship. Despite this, and Airplane’s disappointing Bark and Long John Silver, they were still formidable live. Kaukonen shines with fiery soloing on Twilight Double Leader and Feel So Good. Grace Slick is in fine form throughout, her powerful voice soaring over the maelstrom of sound as the group stretch out.�While fans of …Pillow will find the heavy blues-rock of Come Back Baby or boogie of Papa John’s Down Home Blues far from essential, the superb, loose version of Somebody To Love will delight them.

Jefferson Airplane
1972-09-22
Winterland Arena
SF, CA
KSAN FM Broadcast

* Grace Slick – vocals 
* Paul Kantner – vocals, rhythm guitar 
* Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar, vocals 
* Jack Casady – bass 
* John Barbata – drums, percussion 
* Papa John Creach – electric violin, vocals on "Papa John's Down Home Blues" 
* David Freiberg – vocals, tambourine, guitar on "Blind John" 
* Marty Balin - vocals on "Volunteers" 

*** (not included at the offical release  + many of the songs is longer on this bootleg)

Disc 1:
01."Introduction by Bill Graham" – 1:14 
02."Somebody to Love" (Darby Slick) – 4:39 
03."Twilight Double Leader" (Paul Kantner) – 4:30 
04."Wooden Ships" (David Crosby, Kantner, Stephen Stills) – 6:17 
05."Milk Train" (Grace Slick, Papa John Creach, Roger Spotts) – 4:09 
06."Blind John" (CJ Stetson, Peter Monk) – 4:27 
07."Come Back Baby" (traditional, arranged by Jorma Kaukonen) – 7:01 
08."The Son of Jesus" (Kantner) – 5:13 
09."Long John Silver" (Jack Casady, Slick) – 5:15 
10."When the Earth Moves Again" (Kantner) – 3:55 
11."Papa John's Down Home Blues" (Creach, Spotts) – 5:26 
12."Eat Starch Mom" (Kaukonen, Slick) – 5:35

Disc 2: 
13."John's Other" (Creach) – 6:08 
14."Trial by Fire" (Kaukonen) – 4:24 
15."Law Man" (Slick) – 2:40 
16."Have You Seen the Saucers?" (Kantner) – 4:04 
17."Aerie (Gang of Eagles)" (Slick) – 3:30 
18."Feel So Good" (Kaukonen) – 11:00 
19."Crown of Creation" (Kantner) – 3:23 
20."Walking the Tou Tou" (Kaukonen) – 5:11 
21."Diana / Volunteers" (Kantner, Slick / Balin, Kantner) – 5:21 
22."Dress Rap" > "You Wear Your Dresses Too Short" - 14:30 ***

Part 1: Link
Part 2: Link
or
Part 1: Link
Part 2: Link
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