''Splashdown'' is a

Hot Tuna Hot Tuna is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 by former Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen (guitarist/vocals) and Jack Casady (bassist). Although it has always been a fluid aggregation, with musicians coming and going over the ...

album released in 1984 containing the tracks from a previously unreleased live acoustic performance that had been played on the short-lived radio station WQIV in the mid-1970s. During the recording, news of the

Apollo–Soyuz Apollo–Soyuz was the first crewed international space mission, carried out jointly by the United States and the Soviet Union in July 1975. Millions of people around the world watched on television as a United States Apollo spacecraft docked ...

mission returning to Earth after the first USA-USSR rendezvous in space reached the station, and the astronauts' radio transmissions were played at the same time as Jorma and Jack continued with "Police Dog Blues." The transmissions mixed with the song were preserved for this release as the last track of side 1. The album was Hot Tuna's first release on

Relix Records ''Relix'', originally and occasionally later ''Dead Relix'', is a magazine that focuses on live and improvisational music. The magazine was launched in 1974 as a handmade newsletter devoted to connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead concer ...

, and one of the first Relix releases.

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 ...

was signed on as a solo artist to the label as well. In 1997 an expanded version of the album was released as Splashdown Two.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, William Ruhlmann wrote, "At the time, Hot Tuna recently had released its ''

America's Choice ''America's Choice'' is the fifth album by the American blues rock band Hot Tuna, recorded in 1974, and released in 1975 as Grunt BFL1-0820. The album was also released in Quadraphonic as Grunt BFD1-0820. The first of the "Rampage" trilogy album ...

'' album, but this set harks back to the group's 1970 debut album, ''

'', both in its acoustic format and in the selection of mostly folk-blues standards. The performance also has an informality and intimacy that rivals the debut. Casual fans are likely to find the album redundant, but more fervent followers rejoiced when this album appeared nine years after the broadcast occurred and five years after the group's apparent demise."

Track listing

Side A

Death Don't Have No Mercy "Death Don't Have No Mercy" is a song by the American gospel blues singer-guitarist Blind Gary Davis. It was first recorded on August 24, 1960, for the album ''Harlem Street Singer'' (1960), released by Prestige Records' Bluesville label durin ...

" (

Rev. Gary Davis Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis (born Gary D. Davis, April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972), was a blues and gospel singer who was also proficient on the banjo, guitar and harmonica. Born in Laurens, South Carolina and blind since infancy, ...

) – 6:43 #"I Am the Light of This World" (Davis) – 4:00 #" Embryonic Journey" (

) – 2:05 #"Police Dog Blues" (

Blind Blake Arthur Blake (1896 – December 1, 1934), known as Blind Blake, was an American blues and ragtime singer and guitarist. He is known for recordings he made for Paramount Records between 1926 and 1932. Early life Little is known of Blake's life. ...

) / "Splashdown" (U. S. Astronauts) – 4:04

Side B

#" Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" (Davis) – 2:57 #"

I Know You Rider "I Know You Rider" (also "Woman Blues" and "I Know My Rider") is a traditional blues song that has been adapted by numerous artists. Modern versions can be traced back to Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Deceitful Brownskin Blues", which was released as ...

" (Traditional) – 5:09 #"Keep On Truckin'" (

Bob Carleton Robert Louis Carleton (November 8, 1894, Missouri — July 13, 1956, Burbank, California) was an American pianist and composer of popular music. He grew up in St Louis, Missouri, the son of a saloon keeper, and was earning a living by age 15 a ...

) – 4:15 #"Candy Man" (Davis) – 5:47

Personnel

– acoustic 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

Production

*Toni A. Brown – liner notes *Maureen Hunter – cover art *Leslie D. Kippel – photo of Jorma, record concept *Dave Patrick – photo of Jack *Brooklyn Bridge Publications – layout *Barry Glassberg – tape

Notes

References

{{Authority control Hot Tuna live albums 1984 live albums Relix Records live albums