| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[2] |
Early Flight is a 1974 compilation album by the American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, released as Grunt CYL1-0437. It features previously unreleased material from 1966, 1967, and 1970.
The first three tracks come from the recording sessions for Jefferson Airplane Takes Off and feature vocals by Signe Toly Anderson and Skip Spence 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. 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 before Marty Balin chose to leave the band. "Mexico" 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
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "High Flying Bird" | Billy Edd Wheeler | 2:30 |
| 2. | "Runnin' Round This World" (from single B-side RCA #8679) | Marty Balin, Paul Kantner | 2:21 |
| 3. | "It's Alright" | Kantner, Skip Spence | 2:15 |
| 4. | "In the Morning" | Jorma Kaukonen | 6:25 |
| 5. | "J.P.P. McStep B. Blues" | Spence | 2:48 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Go to Her" | Kantner, Irving Estes | 3:58 |
| 2. | "Up or Down" | Peter Kaukonen | 6:18 |
| 3. | "Mexico" (from single A-side RCA #0343) | Grace Slick | 2:05 |
| 4. | "Have You Seen the Saucers?" (from single B-side RCA #0343) | Kantner | 3:37 |
Personnel
- Marty Balin – guitar, vocals
- Paul Kantner – rhythm guitar, vocals
- Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar, vocals
- Jack Casady – bass
- Grace Slick – 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 – drums on "In the Morning", "J. P. P. McStep B. Blues", "Go to Her", "Mexico", and "Have You Seen the Saucers"
- Signe Toly Anderson – vocals on "High Flying Bird", "Runnin' Round This World", and "It's Alright"
- Skip Spence – drums on "High Flying Bird", "Runnin' Round This World", "It's Alright", and "J. P. P. McStep B. Blues"
- Joey Covington – drums on "Up or Down", congas and bells on "Have You Seen the Saucers"
Additional Personnel
- Jerry Garcia – guitar on "In the Morning" and "J. P. P. McStep B. Blues"
- John Paul Hammond – harmonica on "In the Morning"
Production
- Pat Ieraci (Maurice) – production coordinator
- Mallory Earl – mixing engineer
- Mixed at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco
- Mastered at The Mastering Lab, Hollywood
- Acy Lehman – art direction, cover design
- Craig DeCamps – inner spread design
References
- ^ Eder, Bruce (2011). "Early Flight - Jefferson Airplane | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: J". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 27, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
2 Craig DeCamps – inner spread illustration[1]
Notes
- Early Flight (Vinyl gatefold). Jefferson Airplane. New York City: RCA. 1974. CYL1-0437.
- ^ Craig DeCamps, RCA staff designer