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Title: Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner dies at 74
Source:
SF Gate
URL Source: http://www.sfgate.com/music/article ... Kantner-dies-at-74-6791483.php
Published: Jan 29, 2016
Author: Aidin Vaziri
Post Date: 2016-01-29 21:27:24 by Stoner
Keywords: None
Views: 589
Comments: 7
Paul Kantner, one of the giants of the San Francisco music scene, died Thursday. Mr. Kantner, a founding member of the Jefferson Airplane, was 74 and had suffered a heart attack this week. His death was confirmed by longtime publicist and friend, Cynthia Bowman, who said he died of multiple organ failure and septic shock. Mr. Kantner had a string of health problems in recent years, including a heart attack in March. Autoplay: On | Off With Jefferson Airplane, Mr. Kantner pioneered what became known as the San Francisco sound in the mid-1960s, with such hits as “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit.” The Airplane was renowned for thrilling vocal gymnastics by singers Marty Balin, Grace Slick and Mr. Kantner, the psychedelic blues-rock sound developed by guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bass player Jack Casady and the LSD-spiked, ’60s-era revolutionary fervor of its lyrics. The band was formed in 1965 in a Union Street bar called the Drinking Gourd, when Balin met Mr. Kantner and expressed his interest in creating a “folk-rock” band. It didn’t take long for the Airplane to attract a sizable local following, enough so that when fledgling promoter Bill Graham opened his legendary Fillmore Auditorium, the Jefferson Airplane served as the first headliner. Related Stories 5 essential Jefferson Airplane songs Jefferson Airplane impressed Chronicle critic early on Bill Thompson, manager of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, dies Grace Slick's art doesn't have to speak for itself The Airplane was the first of the so-called “San Francisco sound” bands to sign a recording contract with a major label, and in August of 1966, its debut album, “Jefferson Airplane Takes Off,” was released. Slick joined the band a year later and songs like “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” became national hits as the love children came streaming into San Francisco. Headliner at festivals The group quickly became an integral part of the ’60s rock scene, from the Matrix club to Golden Gate Park’s “Human Be-In” to Monterey Pop. The Airplane’s high point may have been its sterling early-morning performance at Woodstock, while its nadir may have come only months later, at the violence-plagued Altamont concert, when Balin was knocked unconscious by the rampaging Hells Angels. After the band was grounded by feuds and a lawsuit, Mr. Kantner and Slick transformed the group into Jefferson Starship in 1974, taking the name from a Kantner solo album. When Mr. Kantner left the Starship in 1985, he accepted an $80,000 settlement in exchange for a promise not to use the names “Jefferson” or “Airplane” without Slick’s consent. Slick stayed with the Starship and had a hit with “We Built This City” before the band folded in the late 1980s. Stayed in San Francisco A sometimes prickly, often sarcastic musician who kept his own counsel and routinely enraged his old bandmates — they sued him for trademark infringement (and settled) after he started his own version of Jefferson Starship in 1991 — Mr. Kantner became something of a landmark on the San Francisco music scene, the only member of the band still living in town. “Somebody once said, if you want to go crazy go to San Francisco,” he said. “Nobody will notice.” Mr. Kantner was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 for his work with the Jefferson Airplane during the band’s glory years — from the breakthrough 1967 “Surrealistic Pillow” album through Woodstock and Altamont. “We never made plans,” said Mr. Kantner. “Well, we made plans, but they went awry. It was good to have a plan in case they didn’t go awry.” He maintained a strenuous touring schedule, performing regularly with some version of the Jefferson Starship name. His group sometimes included Balin, as well as David Freiberg of the Quicksilver Messenger Service, another leading Bay Area band from the ’60s. “When I look back on it, that’s probably longer than any of the other bands I’ve been in,” Mr. Kantner said. Paul Lorin Kantner was born in San Francisco on March 17, 1941. His father, a traveling salesman, sent Mr. Kantner to military school after his mother’s death. He sought escape in science fiction books and music, before being inspired by Pete Seeger to become a folk singer. He attended Santa Clara University and San Jose State College before dropping out to pursue music. When not on the road with his band, Mr. Kantner was a fixture at Caffe Trieste in North Beach. “I’ve always loved San Francisco better than anywhere,” he said. “It’s always had its problems, but just the weather alone, the views. This corner alone has proved so nourishing.” Mr. Kantner is survived by three children; sons Gareth and Alexander, and daughter China. Funeral arrangements are pending.
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#1. To: Stoner (#0)
Was a fan of Jefferson Airplane. Starship - not so much.
In a Cop Culture, the Bill of Rights Doesn’t Amount to Much This guy fired Grace for bravely speaking the truth... Grace Slick was a real piece of work, an original.
Probably my all-time favorite TeeBee moment was accidentally tuning in to the ABC program "20/20" back when Hay-Raldo was a up and coming Affirmative Action His-Panic "reporter" and made the mistake of interviewing Gracie Slick and thinking he could use her to build his rep as a "hard-hitting reporter". He was sweating like a priest at a Cub Scout meeting within a few minutes of the interview starting,and actually looking like he wanted to cry before it was over. Playing "gotcha" with Gracie Slick turned out to not be one of his better ideas. Come to think about it,the other favorite moment also featured Hay-Raldo and "20/20". He was once again posing as a man while interviewing the retired SF SGM that was heading up a private security company that had been hired by Coca Cola to go into Columbia and free their senior rep in Columbia that had been kidnapped and held for ransom by the communist guerrillas there. Kidnapping US executives for ransom was a real popular thing to do in Columbia in the early 70's. Anyhow,Hay-Raldo asked his "hard-hitting questions",and wasn't real happy with how it ended up for him. The guy flat told him that they sent agents into Columbia to track down the kidnappers and their families,and then requested a meeting. At the meeting he told the head kidnapper,"Your wife is named xxx,your son is named xxx,your parakeet is named xxx. You all live at xxx." He then gave a similar reading to the other kidnappers in the room with the boss,and ended by telling them all,"That man will be released unharmed with no ransom paid within 24 hours,or you and everybody in your families will die." The retired SGM ended the interview by looking Hay-Raldo in the eye,and saying "I know who you are and I know how you operate and edit tapes to lie about people to further your career. If you do this to me I will personally track you down and kill you." Beads of sweat immediately started rolling down Hay-Raldo's face as he started stuttering and saying on camera,"You saw it! You saw it! This man just threatened to kill me! If something happens to me you know who did it!" I really thought he was going to faint from fear for a few minutes. IIRC,that was his last broadcast on 20/20. Truly some great teebee! The Coca-Cola executive was released unharmed with no ransom paid,and AFAIK,no more have been kidnapped and held for ransom since them,and it's been over 30 years. Turns out that old SGM was a real "people's person",and knew how to talk with people to get them to compromise. ISLAM MEANS SUBMISSION! Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
Gerry Rivers did make the first airing of the Zapruder film on his Good Night America show back in 1975.
LOL, man I would love to have seen that !! Si vis pacem, para bellum Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don't Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God. There are no Carthaginian terrorists. President Obama is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people. --Clint Eastwood
LOL, man I would love to have seen that !! Sadly,this was before the day of affordable VCR's,so I don't have it recorded. If I did,I'd play it every time I was having a bad day in order to cheer up a little. Give that so much has now been digitized,it might be available from ABC or some other source that has 20/20 archives. If you look,look for episodes involving Hay-Raldo between 1971 and 1975. You might just find it. If you do,PLEASE send me a PM with the URL. ISLAM MEANS SUBMISSION! Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends.
Paul Craig Roberts
#2. To: Stoner (#0)
Balin's reluctance to tour had kept the band off the road for over a year, and Slick's alcoholism increasingly became a problem, which led to two consecutive nights of disastrous concerts in Germany in June 1978.[4] On the first night, fans ransacked the stage when Slick and the band failed to appear. On the second night, Slick, in a drunken stupor, shocked the audience by swearing and making sexual references throughout most of her songs. She also reminded the audience that their country had lost World War II, repeatedly asking "Who won the war?", and implied that all residents of Germany were responsible for the wartime atrocities.[5][6] After the debacle, Kantner asked for Slick's resignation from the band.
#3. To: Stoner (#0)
#4. To: TooConservative (#2)
Grace Slick was a real piece of work, an original.
#5. To: sneakypete (#4)
#6. To: sneakypete (#4)
" The retired SGM ended the interview by looking Hay-Raldo in the eye,and saying "I know who you are and I know how you operate and edit tapes to lie about people to further your career. If you do this to me I will personally track you down and kill you." "
#7. To: Stoner (#6)
" The retired SGM ended the interview by looking Hay-Raldo in the eye,and saying "I know who you are and I know how you operate and edit tapes to lie about people to further your career. If you do this to me I will personally track you down and kill you." "
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