Jefferson Starship: “St. Charles” (1976)
Got six or seven minutes to spare? That’s all it takes to come to an appreciation of what distinguished Jefferson Starship from Starship.
Before the Mickey Thomas-fronted corporate rock of “We Built This City” and “Find Your Way Back”, Jefferson Starship, as you might expect of a band that arose from the ashes of 60’s San Francisco psychedelic rock outfit Jefferson Airplane, operated like a harmonious musical commune.
All seven band members shared in the writing credits on Spitfire, 1976’s follow-up to the massive Red Octopus album, and vocals too were a democratic affair.
The vocal and writing styles of Marty Balin, Paul Kantner and Grace Slick, though distinct from each other, came together in a wondrous stew, their layers of vocals weaving with instrumental virtuosity aplenty to create magic on songs like “St. Charles”.
David Freiberg, Pete Sears and lead guitarist Craig Chaquico (who joined the band as a teenager) are the unsung heroes in the musical mix. There’s a lot to listen to, and listen for, in a Jefferson Starship song.
There is nothing like this in the catalog of the band’s 80’s incarnation. But “St. Charles” was actually released as a single in ’76, peaking at #64.
And it’s 6+ minutes of bliss.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/10/03/songs-you-may-have-missed-185/
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/06/08/recommended-albums-19/
Every Moment Has A Song 