''Early Flight'' is a 1974

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

by the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

band

Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to ac ...

, released as Grunt CYL1-0437. It features previously unreleased material from 1966, 1967, and 1970 as well as both sides of a non-album 1970 single. The first three tracks come from the recording sessions for ''

Jefferson Airplane Takes Off ''Jefferson Airplane Takes Off'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band Jefferson Airplane, released on 15 August 1966 by RCA Victor. The personnel differs from the later "classic" lineup: Signe Toly Anderson was the female vocali ...

'' which took place in December, 1965 at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World recording studio in Hollywood. These tracks feature vocals by

Signe Toly Anderson Signe Toly Anderson ( ; born Signe Toly; September 15, 1941 – January 28, 2016) was an American singer who was one of the founding members of the American rock band Jefferson Airplane. Early life Anderson was born Signe Toly in Seattle, Wash ...

and

Skip Spence Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence (April 18, 1946 – April 16, 1999) was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was co-founder of Moby Grape, and played guitar with them until 1969. In the same year, he released his only s ...

on drums. "Runnin' 'Round This World" had been previously released as a B-side on the "It's No Secret" single. The closing two tracks on side one and the first track from side two come from the recording sessions for '' Surrealistic Pillow'', which took place from October through November, 1966 at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World. Tracks from the "Takes Off" and "Surrealistic Pillow" sessions appeared later as bonus tracks on the respective 2003 remasters, albeit with different mixes. "Up or Down" comes from the early recording sessions for '' Bark'' which took place in February 1970 at Pacific High and

Wally Heider Studios Wally Heider Studios was a recording studio founded in San Francisco in 1969 by recording engineer and studio owner Wally Heider. Between 1969 and 1980, numerous notable artists recorded at the studios, including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jeff ...

before

Marty Balin Martyn Jerel Buchwald (January 30, 1942 – September 27, 2018), known as Marty Balin (), was an American singer, songwriter, and musician best known as the founder/leader and one of the lead singers and songwriters of Jefferson Airplane and ...

chose to leave the band. "

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

" and "Have You Seen the Saucers?" had been previously released as a non-album single in 1970, but this was the first LP on which the two songs appeared.

Track listing

Personnel

;Jefferson Airplane *

– guitar, vocals *

Paul Kantner Paul Lorin Kantner (March 17, 1941 – January 28, 2016) was an American rock musician. He is best known as the co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and vocalist of Jefferson Airplane, a leading psychedelic rock band of the counterculture era. He cont ...

– rhythm guitar, vocals *

Jorma Kaukonen Jorma Ludwik Kaukonen, Jr. (; ; born December 23, 1940) is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist. Kaukonen performed with Jefferson Airplane and still performs regularly on tour with Hot Tuna, which started as a side project with bassist J ...

– lead guitar, vocals *

Jack Casady John William "Jack" Casady (born April 13, 1944) is an American bass guitarist, best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. Jefferson Airplane became the first successful exponent of the San Francisco Sound. Singles including " So ...

– bass *

Grace Slick Grace Slick (born Grace Barnett Wing; October 30, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter, artist, and painter. Slick was a key figure in San Francisco's early psychedelic music scene in the mid-1960s. With a music career spanning four decades, s ...

– vocals on "J. P. P. McStep B. Blues", "Go to Her", "Mexico" and "Have You Seen the Saucers", piano on "Mexico" and "Have You Seen the Saucers" *

Spencer Dryden Spencer Charles Dryden (April 7, 1938 – January 11, 2005) was an American musician best known as the drummer for Jefferson Airplane and New Riders of the Purple Sage. He also played with Dinosaurs, and the Ashes (later known as the Peanut Butt ...

– drums on "In the Morning", "J. P. P. McStep B. Blues", "Go to Her", "Mexico" and "Have You Seen the Saucers" *

– vocals on "High Flying Bird", "Runnin' Round This World" and "It's Alright" *

– drums on "High Flying Bird", "Runnin' Round This World", "It's Alright" and "J. P. P. McStep B. Blues" *

Joey Covington Joseph Edward Covington (born Joseph Edward Michno; June 27, 1945 – June 4, 2013) was an American drummer, best known for his involvements with Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship. Early life Though best known for his work w ...

– drums on "Up or Down", congas and bells on "Have You Seen the Saucers" ;Additional Personnel *

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...

– guitar on "In the Morning" and "J. P. P. McStep B. Blues" * John Paul Hammond – harmonica on "In the Morning"

Charts

References

Notes

* {{Authority control Jefferson Airplane compilation albums 1974 compilation albums Albums recorded at Wally Heider Studios Grunt Records compilation albums