Can anyone read the lyrics included on Deep Space / Virgin Sky? Not me! Does anyone else mourn the absence of those tiny treasures wrapped around, and with, the vinyl of yesteryear?
Provided as a public service, a listing of my collection of Airplane vinyl and accompanying artifacts. There are plenty of Airplane fans who were born after the band crashed; I guess some of these folks have in hand mostly CDs. The 1970s and 1980s repressings of the catalog by RCA often omitted the inserts, and gatefolds like that on Baxter's were replaced by the standard jacket.I don't have original pressings on many of these discs (Volunteers for one!) Can you help me fill the gaps in my list? Send me any omissions from the list, and I'll update it . My EMail address is dan_paolino@yahoo.com
Jefferson Airplane Takes Off - RCA Victor LSP 3584 RE (stereo),
LPM-3584 RE (Mono) (1966);
cross-idenitified as TPRS-0173
Front Jacket - Color photo of band (w/ illo of Nipper at Gramophone)
'A Dynagroove Recording'
Back Jacket - B&W photo (Paul on right side, Marty on left),
notes by Ralph J. Gleason, band profiles ('Marty Balin, twenty-three, leader
and singer.'). Also a box describing the RCA 'Dynagroove' recording system.
Track listings and times.
Surrealistic Pillow - RCA Victor LSP-3766 (stereo), LPM-3766
(mono) (1967)
Front Jacket - Band shot at Matrix (Grace with recorder, Marty
with soprano sax, Paul with violin, Spencer with banjo), illo of Nipper
at Gramophone
Back Jacket - Collage of photos (b&w) of individual band
members, with superimposed negative of front jacket photo, track listing
with times.
After Bathing at Baxter's - RCA Victor LSP-4545 (UPRS-5525),
(1967)
Vinyl copy purchased in 1980's identified as RCA Victor AYL1-4718,
Previously released as AFL1-4545.
Outer Jacket - Wrap around illustration by Ron Cobb (airplane
towing banner with album title).
Inner Jacket - Photos of individual band members (color):
Sleeve - inked cartoons by band, "After Bathing at Baxter's" poem by Gary Blackman. Sleeve has inked ID number LOP/LSO-1511. Illos signed as "Nosreffej Enalpria 67".
Crown of Creation - RCA Victor LSP-4058 (WPRS-0550) (1968)
Front Jacket - Double image band photo, superimposed over mushroom
cloud (Color)
Back Jacket - Identical image - Album credits, track listings
and times.
Insert - b&w photo of Brumus; lyrics on opposite with photo
of Maurice. (29.2x48.9cm)
Bless its pointed little head - Alive at the Fillmore East/West
- RCA LSP-4133 (WPRS-3666) (1969)
Front Jacket - b&w photo of Jack after Sept. 1968 (?) mansion
party.
Back Jacket - b&w photo of band hijinks, track listings
and times.
Insert - poster w/ album title, blue on white; opposite, childlike
color drawings of pointy headed creatures by Bill Thompson (29x38.2cm)
Volunteers - RCA Victor LSP-4238 (XPRS-0256) (1969)
Front Jacket - "Paz chin-in" b&w photo over red and blue
tinted US flag.
Back Jacket - b&w photos of individual band members, cartoon,
crossword (without clues, but with a secret message), album credits, photo of Maurice, track listings
and times.
Insert - Two sided, b&w with photos and illos. One side
is Paz Progress, phony newspaper. Other side has lyrics,
track credits (9x18in).
The Worst of Jefferson Airplane - RCA LSP-4459
Front Jacket - Gold print on black, 'Worst' in hot pink.
Back jacket - Gold print on black, track listings and times.
Sleeve - heavy brown stock
Label - reproduction of archaic Victor label, w/ Nipper.
Bark - Grunt FTR-1001 (APRS-8409) (1971) - Afterthought Production
Corp.
Jacket - Fish (with teeth) wrapped with brown paper and twine.
Sleeve - heavy brown stock
Insert - Front - Blue on red - Lyrics;
Other Front - Brown and blue on red - "What you can do with the bag"
(30.5x61.0cm)
Shopping Bag - (My Mom threw it out! Sorry!)
Long John Silver - Grunt FTR-1007 (BARS-8531) (1972)
Jacket - Unassembled cigar/stash box with interior color illo
("Perfect Dream") and photo (suspicious leafy substance), track listings
on rear.
Sleeve - Color photo of cigars with JA band, one side has lyrics
superimposed.
Thirty seconds over Winterland - Grunt BFL1-0147 (CARS-4644)
(1973)
Front Jacket - Flying toasters illo
Back Jacket - Color performance shot, with lightshow backdrop,
track listings and times, personnel and credits
Sleeve (glossy) - front - band photos (color + b&w), back
- Gruntman illo
Early Flight - Grunt CYL1-0437 (1974) "068" on spine of jacket
Outer Jacket - Wraparound purple tinted photo w/ green pterodactyls,
track listings.
Inner Jacket - Notes by Bill Thompson, track listings and times,
musical credits, smudgy b&w head shots of band, San Francisco skyline,
illo.
Flight Log 1966-1976 - Grunt CYL2-1255 (1977)
2 disks - "1098" on spine of jacket
Outer Jacket - Blue, faux scrapbook. Front -
B&W photo - Jefferson heads grafted onto bodies of B-17 crew.
- Back - Track listing.
Inner Jacket - Silhouettes of various
flying creatures and machines, black on blue.
Booklet - 12 pages, B&W and color photos,
history by Patrick Snyder.
Sleeves - Two different, glossy, with color reproductions of
covers of albums extracted in Flight Log,
along with musician credits.
Blows Against the Empire - Paul Kantner*
- RCA Victor LSP-4448 (ZPRS-9053) (1970)
Front Jacket - Illo - flying carpet / phoenix on black
Back Jacket - Flying tri-tit towing ripped bale
Inner Jacket - Illo (b&w) lunar landscape : Bust of Paul
as cannibis medusa (left); album credits (right)
Sleeve - B&W illos, photos, including portraits of Paul,
David Crosby, Jerry Garcia by Grace. Additional poems/lyrics.
Booklet - 8 pages, track credits, lyrics. B&W photos, illos,
some by Grace (27.9cmx22.9cm)
* Earliest pressings alleged to not have "Jefferson Starship" on spine/cover
Sunfighter - Paul Kantner/Grace Slick -
Grunt FTR 1002 (1971)
Outer jacket - Color
collage - baby China lifted above sunset sea
Inner jacket - Color light show triptych
Sleeve - B&W of Grace at piano w/ Navy jacket; Paul in military
school uniform; both circa age 7; Lyrics to "Pets" by Jack Traylor
Booklet - Glossy wrap-around cover identical to Jacket
(minus text); Interior B&W drawings by Grace, lyrics, musician credits;
Center spread is a color shot of Rorschached thundercloud over
the Grand Canyon; 16 pages (21.3cm x 21.3cm)
Manhole- Grace Slick - Grunt BFL1-0347 (1973)
Front Jacket - Grace self-portrait (color)
Back Jacket - cartoonish illo (color) of recording console/studio, musicians
Booklet - eight page, B&W - Grace's musings on Spain, lyrics,
musicians by track. (29.2cmx29.2cm )
Label - Lists side one as "Right Side Up", side two as "Upside Down"
Baron von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun - Paul Kantner, Grace
Slick and David Freiberg-Grunt BFL1-0418 (1973)
Front Jacket - Color illo - Three muscular figures before snow-covered mountain.
Back Jacket - Color illo - Torsos, mission plan to the lua de queijo verde.
Sleeve - glossy - Side A Lyrics, with more anatomical drawings, busts of
Hippocrates, Aristotle, DaVinci, Galen. Other side - Side B lyrics, Slick, Kantner, Freiberg eyes
superimposed on X-rayed skulls.
Insert - Glossy B&W, minimal Illo, track times and credits.
(30cm X 30cm)