Volunteers (album)

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For the term "volunteer", see Volunteer. For other uses, see Volunteer (disambiguation).
Volunteers
Volunteers cover
Studio album by Jefferson Airplane
Released November 1969
Recorded April 1969 at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco
Genre Psychedelic rock, acid rock
Length 44:13
Label RCA Records
Producer Al Schmitt
Professional reviews
Jefferson Airplane chronology
Bless Its Pointed Little Head
(1969)		 Volunteers
(1969)		 The Worst of Jefferson Airplane
(1970)

Volunteers is a 1969 album by American psychedelic rock band, Jefferson Airplane. It was controversial at the time because of anti-war messages in the songs.[citation needed] The original title of the album was supposed to be Volunteers of Amerika, but pressure from RCA led to this name being dropped.

This was the sixth album recorded by the group and the first to be wholly recorded in San Francisco, at Wally Heider's then state-of-the-art 16-track studio. Guests included Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar, veteran session pianist Nicky Hopkins, future Airplane drummer Joey Covington on percussion, David Crosby, and Stephen Stills. It was one of the earliest 16-track recordings. The back cover of the album shows a picture of the MM-1000 professional 16-track tape recorder built by Ampex Corporation which was used to record the album.

The album has been seen as stereotypical of the hippie philosophy of the time with its anti-war and pro-anarchism songs. The theme of nature, communities and ecology was also explored with the songs "The Farm" and "Eskimo Blue Day". The title track was actually inspired by a "Volunteers of America" garbage truck that awoke singer Marty Balin one morning. The album provoked even more controversy with lyrics such as "Up against the wall, motherfucker" (from the song "We Can Be Together") which appeared on the opening track and "shit" which is said several times on "Eskimo Blue Day". Musically, the album is characterized by lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen's razor-sharp guitar work (the duelling solos on "Hey Fredrick", plus "Good Shepherd" and "Wooden Ships") and the distinctive piano playing of Nicky Hopkins.

This was to be both Jefferson Airplane's founder Marty Balin and drummer Spencer Dryden's last album with the group, (although they did both appear on the "Mexico" single released in 1970 on the song "Have You Seen the Saucers?") signifying the end of the best-remembered "classic" lineup. It was to be the last all-new LP for two years; Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen would now devote more of their energy to their embryonic blues group "Hot Tuna", while Paul Kantner and Grace Slick celebrated the birth of their daughter "China" in 1971.

Even though the album was released in late 1969, the cover photo dates back to 1967, and features the band wearing disguises, and was taken during the filming of a promotional film made for their single "Martha."

A specially re-mixed Quadraphonic (4 channel) version of the album was also released in 1973. The Quad version was available on LP Record, and Reel to reel, and 8-track cartridge tape. The Quad mixes are noticeably different than the usual (2 channel) stereo mixes. A few tracks from the Quad version were included on the 3 CD box set Jefferson Airplane Loves You, however on the box set the 4 channel recordings have been reduced to 2 channels.

The 2004 CD re-release features 5 additional bonus tracks from the group's annual Thanksgiving concert at the Fillmore East, New York in 1969.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 370 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Side One

  1. "We Can Be Together" (Paul Kantner) – 5:48
    • Piano: Nicky Hopkins
  2. "Good Shepherd" (Traditional / Arranged by Jorma Kaukonen) – 4:21
  3. "The Farm" (Paul Kantner / Gary Blackman) – 3:15
    • Pedal Steel Guitar: Jerry Garcia
    • Vocals: Ace of Cups
  4. "Hey Fredrick" (Grace Slick) – 8:26
    • Piano: Nicky Hopkins, Grace Slick

[edit] Side Two

  1. "Turn My Life Down" (Jorma Kaukonen) – 2:54
    • Hammond Organ: Stephen Stills
    • Congas: Joey Covington
    • Vocals: Ace of Cups
  2. "Wooden Ships" (David Crosby / Paul Kantner / Stephen Stills) – 6:24
    • Piano: Nicky Hopkins
  3. "Eskimo Blue Day" (Grace Slick / Paul Kantner) – 6:31
    • Chair: Joey Covington
    • Piano / Recorder: Grace Slick
  4. "A Song for All Seasons" (Spencer Dryden) – 3:28
    • Piano: Nicky Hopkins
    • Vocals: Bill Laudner
  5. "Meadowlands" (Traditional / Arranged by Grace Slick / Paul Kantner) – 1:04
    • Organ: Grace Slick
  6. "Volunteers" (Marty Balin / Paul Kantner) – 2:08
    • Piano: Nicky Hopkins, Grace Slick

[edit] 2004 CD reissue Bonus Tracks

  1. "Good Shepherd" [Live] (Traditional / Arranged by Jorma Kaukonen) - 7:20
  2. "Somebody To Love" [Live] (Grace Slick) - 4:10
  3. "Plastic Fantastic Lover" [Live] (Marty Balin) - 3:21
  4. "Wooden Ships" [Live] (David Crosby / Paul Kantner / Stephen Stills) - 7:00
  5. "Volunteers" [Live] (Marty Balin / Paul Kantner) - 3:26

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Additional Personnel

[edit] Production

  • Producer: Al Schmitt
  • Engineer: Rich Schmitt
  • At the 16-Track: Maurice, Pat Ieraci Mauriceman
  • Produced at Wally Heider Recording Studio, San Francisco
  • Album design: Gut, Milton Burke, Airplane
  • Cover photo: Jim Marshall
  • Back photo: Jim Smircich, photo alchemist
  • PB & J photo: Little Herbie Greene
  • PB & J: Eaten by Gut

[edit] Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1969 Billboard Pop Albums 13

Single

Year Single Chart Position
1969 "Volunteers" Billboard Pop Singles 65

[edit] References

v • d • e
Jefferson Airplane
Marty Balin · Grace Slick · Paul Kantner · Jorma Kaukonen · Jack Casady · Spencer Dryden
Jerry Peloquin · Bob Harvey · Signe Anderson · Skip Spence · Joey Covington · John Barbata · David Freiberg · Papa John Creach
Studio albums
Live albums
Historical live albums
Compilations
Singles
Filmography
Monterey Pop · Gimme Shelter · One A. M. · Woodstock (director's cut only)
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