Jefferson Airplane, featuring Signe Anderson, vocals and Skip Spence, drums. This was the original lineup of the band which would help shape the San Francisco sound. I don’t normally post music by the same band twice in one week, but this week has been especially strange, particularly those of you who have followed Jefferson Airplane for any length of time.
Yes, we had the loss of Paul Kantner three days ago. But we also had the loss of the Airplane’s original lead singer, Signe Anderson on the very same day. And maybe because Anderson left the band just prior to their landmark breakthrough that she wasn’t as well remembered as the more visible Kantner. But Signe Anderson was a founding member, and perhaps because she represented the more folk-oriented side of Jefferson Airplane is one reason she hasn’t been remembered for her inestimable contribution to the success of the band. I understand there are a number of different stories and a number of different versions over Signe Anderson’s abrupt departure and Grace Slick‘s abrupt appearance as the new voice of Jefferson Airplane. Whatever it is, the fact of the matter remains that a founding member of a pivotal band has passed away.
Those of you who remember Jefferson Airplane’s first album Take Off, are well familiar with Signe Anderson’s voice. Those of you who aren’t, this concert comes just prior to her leaving and gives you an idea of what the original lineup sounded like in a concert setting.
Sadly, the recording is at low-volume – even though it is a soundboard and not an audience tape, it suffers from a lot of background noise. I did my best to get rid of as much as I could, and try to preserve the sound, but it may still take some patience. This is a rare and historic example of a band during their formative period, just prior to their meteoric popularity. So, please take in the spirit it was presented; as a tribute to a fine singer, whose contribution can’t be stressed enough and who left us on the same day as her bandmate.
RIP: Signe Anderson (1941-2016)
