Jefferson Airplane - featuring Papa John Creach - San Francisco, 1970

In 1970, Dean and Dudley Evenson moved to San Francisco with their newly purchased Sony Video Portapack. Their very first video with their new camera had been of Jefferson Airplane at the Fillmore East in NYC. Once in the Bay area, they became involved with Jefferson Airplane and set up a meeting at their mansion near Golden Gate Park with their manager, Bill Thompson. They were sufficiently impressed with this media form and gave a few hundred dollars to purchase a 16-foot camera cable so their concerts could be videotaped.
That opportunity came up rather quickly with a big event at Winterland which brought together the Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and Quicksilver Messenger Service. The concert the night before had been broadcast live on PBS but this night they were allowed to videotape it. There was an intensity surrounding the evening because the day before, Janis Joplin's death had shocked the tight knit San Francisco rock world. Marty Balin had been a close friend of Janis and was not going to perform, but the other band members felt the show must go on.
It was an electrifying concert with everyone in rare form. The Quicksilver Messenger Service and Grateful Dead played first. The "Workingman's Dead" had become very popular over the summer so the crowd was wild with excitement. Then the Airplane came on. An additional twist was the introduction of Papa John Creech, an elderly blues fiddler who added an incredible power improvising on his violin as Grace Slick wailed away in a song dedicated to Janis. Dean was on the stage in all sorts of contortions, getting weird angles at the feet of the performers. No one seemed to mind our presence in the midst of all this energy.
#JeffersonAirplane
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Video by Dean & Dudley Evenson

[@Jay-hb1hy]

Grace Slick, the Goddess of Rock🙏!!!

[@rca88]

Setlist: 0:00 Have You Seen The Saucers 4:46 Mexico 7:05 Good Shephard 15:02 Somebody To Love 18:32 Jam (with Papa John Creach and Carlos Santana) Carlos is most clearly seen around 19:15. @Peter Rodenberg - I saw Jack grinning at Joey Covington too 17:22! Great moment!

[@fegwahi5931]

I just found this diamond! I wonder if the original is in color. In any case, a great performance with power and gusto. I had the chance to see Paul Kantner perform in NYC and salute him at the end, a year or so before he passed away. It was great to meet one of my heroes. Sadly, many are gone by now, including Balin, Signe, Covington and Spencer. But their legacy lives on!

[@seanb300]

Never seen this amazing footage. Thank-you

[@justinmckay5765]

If ever there was a recording deserving of remastering, this is it!

[@GrandmaSmith-jn1uy]

Yes! This is so good, but we have such great tech now. We would love to see what could be done! I saw JA when they were touring with Papa John Creach! It was in Williamsburg, VA. VA is still not over the 'Southern Man" stage, but much better than when I was a kid, It was quite a shock and a thrill that JA came so close to home. I saw a lot of their parents were with them, so I think it was a way to get family together and vacation! They were good with Papa John! My sister studied the violin before we moved to VA, so I love the instrument! Papa John had a real affinity with Airplane!!!! What a thrill! I love the blues - they make me happy! The music just moves me.

[@garybelenke4370]

Thank you. There is so little video available of this era's JA. What a find!

[@richgaluppo4417]

I have been enjoying this video clip for years; and I thank you for bringing it to new Generations !!!!!!!!!!

[@bobgregory3572]

Got turned on to J.A. In ‘67 and been listening ever since. Love Grace and Paul says follow the muse

[@enzoviglione2013]

J been in love of Grace for 50 yrs !!

[@marcuswatt9727]

As Taggart said to Hedley Lamarr, 'Ditto'.

[@robertocbishop]

That was staggering. Probably the best Airplane footage I've ever seen. Definitely the closest!

[@carolynnangle4492]

What a treat!!! This is important footage of this band during this time period.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Absolutely Legendary

[@ethanmaximus8050]

I know Im randomly asking but does any of you know a method to get back into an instagram account? I stupidly forgot the login password. I love any help you can give me.

[@leroyaron7854]

@Ethan Maximus instablaster =)

[@raymondpierotti8414]

If you like death throes. It is like watching the end of King Kong.

[@keith_kar8166]

Paul is really rockin it on guitar, great rhythm section overall! Best footage I've seen of The Airplane. Big fan since my teenage years.

[@bluzmansb5683]

This is truly a hidden gem.. this was the night after Janis Joplin passed away down in Los Angeles at the Landmark hotel. Marty Balin was too distraught to come out and perform as he was very good friends with Janis. Grace took over the stage and carried the show. She is definitely at her prime here. She is also pregnant with her daughter China. She looks absolutely radiant and her voice is completely mesmerizing in its power. She is loose and improvising in her arrangements. Her killer vibrato is at its finest in these numbers. In these times before auto-tune and all the other enhancements that singers use today Grace got up there and belted it out. She is truly the Grand dame/ queen of '60s rock.

[@joedebacco1480]

This video is fantastic! I saw them at the end of November 1970. Grace was very pregnant then. Not singing much and standing in back behind the large speakers. Great video here. Thanks.

[@GrandmaSmith-jn1uy]

@@joedebacco1480 I'll bet there was not much room for much air in her lungs by then! I honor her stamina just for touring or hanging around with the band! She was a strong woman. What a voice. I just love her and her voice!

[@michellewatters1386]

Really? I love Janis Joplin. Talking about Timothy Leary too!

[@donaldgehre5964]

@@michellewatters1386 Right after the Weather people broke him out!

[@haintedhouse2990]

well put. Grace stepped up to the plate while Marty mourned Janis. Grace is in top form here.

[@LanceSom]

Awesome footage! Grace’s voice is at the height of its power! Thank you!

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

It sure is! Phenomenal moment!!

[@raymondpierotti8414]

This was after Altamount am I correct? @@SoundingsMindfulMedia

[@sjprairie3213]

most probably was there. Experience

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Radical!

[@pennyscottwarner]

His Rickenbacker...not loud enough

[@edhartman5466]

g Great footage for this time period! Is Grace pregnant with China here?

[@haintedhouse2990]

probably. it was around Joey Covington and Papa John Creach's addition.

[@60sbaby456]

Yes

[@yee6038]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jonathanh8187]

The band still near its peak but beginning their downward slide. Joey Covington's drumming is pedestrian at best; Spencer Dryden's absence is all too apparent. And a sample of the band without Marty Balin who would soon be gone for good.

[@tonyischotter3360]

I love grace since I was a little baby boy in the sixtyd I was afraid of those crazy hippy girls grAce was diffe outlay a little out there if u trip more than 12 timex you sre considered kegLly unfiagnided insane that nothing Compared to .y vacating recreational delinqwint nutty vutMen regeme I injected that's why here in the swamps and loving the mosquitoes re a ond possems seers bats nit t be Onex I NY belfry anduxk rats ground houggys I dont no

[@scottd5084]

The sheet was just starting to hit the fan. Although, the airplane stated Marty was feeling ill, it was more like he was getting sick and tired of the JA and the direction the band was heading. A bloated Grace, Jorma and Jack starting it up with Tuna, no more was the “ JA loves you!” Lots of inner fighting as Grace constantly argued with Marty. Paul, being Paul, took Graces side, but also attempted to intervene the peace with Marty. The booze, drug and now lots of money burning in their pockets as the airplane would start doing Levy and Camero jingles. It was a turbulent time and even a band as talented as the JA could no longer pretend this was “The summer of love and everything was Groovy..”

[@chriswilliams6404]

Marty wasn't there because his friend Janis Joplin had died the day before. Grace isn't bloated, she is pregnant and looked (and sounded) fabulous.

[@MinneapolisSkip]

She’s not bloated, she pregnant. Buffoon

[@haintedhouse2990]

i don't buy the "Grace and Marty constantly argued" bit. Marty withdrew after Grace joined and brought with her the 2 hits that made Airplane rich and famous. Marty said "on stage we would burn each other down - off stage we rarely talked."

[@shoelesshunter2599]

Too much talent, and all with different interests. Kantner was the creative force of JA and a visionary songwriter, and with Slick and others did some of their best stuff with the 3-4 albums that followed the breakup. Jorma, Jack and Hot Tuna were and are great, but it's clear in hindsight that they had to follow their own course outside of JA.

[@tonyischotter3360]

Just Tracey name miss cluck that attitude her persona and hippy ways she was wilder than miss partridge and Josey of the wossey rated and makes Joan jett look like a novice well she i

[@tonyischotter3360]

The giddily guy well it aD a effort but kids w t anyway at least a couple a measured the pull bid jack and give him a cold bud it something u kids were tripping what ever you bad swing some of that junk this way im ready lids well fro. N y c it crazy well it been like tbay hete and who the c cares I sure do not

[@donaldgehre5964]

The night before was a quadraphonic broadcast on KQED FM and channel 9 tv. Obviously spoiled by Dusty Street announcing Janis' death. Been 50 years since I've seen any of this-portabacks (video) were still quite new and the various generations since'70 are, well...Still a great taste of the Airplane showing the effects of touring a few years, Grace's pregnancy and Jack and Jorma looking trim and...Despite the video quality, a rare glimpse into the scene (with many, many hangers on) of the most exciting band in the world at the time. Grace, the force of Nature.

[@lastnamefirst4035]

Methamphetamine will keep you trim 😀 Jorma talks about his meth days in his book Been So Long

[@timtim36457]

An absolute gem of a video posting. Rare, surreal beauty of a moment in time. For the die hard fan of JA of that era this is a real treat.Merci very much..Its almost too hard to watch...its so rare of a film...it was all downhill from there. Grace was somethin....

[@workingmansdead44-ug8hl]

hey this is pretty great,never saw it before,good stuff😎👍

[@musicalSFCat]

Jefferson Airplane was my very first concert experience as a very young child growing up in San Francisco, at Golden Gate Park - 1969. This truly brings back pleasant flashbacks.

[@musicalSFCat]

Btw, Subscribed. Cheers.

[@MichaelTobin-m1d]

GREAT ...my picture taken Haight & Ashbury on July 20,1969...I was 11...Coit Tower Telegraph Hill for the Moon Landing...many years later chasing the Dragon i went to the moon...but now I'm Back

[@robertspencer2647]

The airplane had some of the most interesting songs in rock history.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Totally! Rock on!!

[@terenzioamelino354]

Absolutely!

[@shorelineboy]

What a fantastic find absolutely brilliant 🌈🌈🌈🐂🐂😎😎😎🌞🌞🌞🍄🍄🍄🍄. Saw JA at the Isle of Wight in the U.K. 1968 . Took this soul and ska and Motown fan somewhere else loved this band ever since 🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈😎🌈🌈😎😎😎😎😎

[@robertsousa9550]

Grace’s rap during Somebody to Love is totally about Janis having just passed away.

[@GrandmaSmith-jn1uy]

Yes, that was bound to happen. Janice was like so many geniuses, she was too different from most folks. This puts a terrible strain on their feelings of self worth and encourages any depressive tendencies. We have lost too many great young artists to addictive drugs and it is even worse now We cannot watch even the greatest musicians all the time!

[@jackdepalma]

Jorma on good shepard plays that guitar. Sounding like the psychic adelic airplane of 1968.

[@JeffJacenty]

My first concert was when Airplane released Surrealistic. Saw them in Asbury Park. Been a lover of them ever since.....

[@keith_kar8166]

Love the Airplane, great recording, historic. Thankfully someone preserved this!

[@donaldgehre5964]

The greatest band in the world at this tlme You had to be in attendance to grok their energy-and I was lucky enough to be in those circumstances more than once.

[@edhartman5466]

Treasure those memories!

[@adamcarrey9115]

Grace Slick was damn good looking.

[@kevinkreusling6373]

@@adamcarrey9115 she used to model before she became a singer songwriter. peace

[@adamcarrey9115]

@@kevinkreusling6373 Not surprising.

[@kevinkreusling6373]

@@adamcarrey9115 your a hard dude. No shrooms. They still work. 70

[@MikeJones-ti6pc]

Lookat Carlos Santana Jamming at the end hitting it "Out-of-the-Park"!!!!

[@KaptainKopter]

Outstanding! Best band at its best! This is super special! Miss you Marty

[@brotherbill2586]

Terrific covers of Saucers/Mexico - Grace is lovely as ever here. Great find !!!

[@neilfriedman]

Hi Brother Bill, first night without a quarintine concert, but finding this made up for it.

[@bobmiller6074]

Thank you for this window into my memories. So many moments from Airplane to Hot tuna are flooding in. Fair to say that these guys could jam!

[@edhartman5466]

Treasure those memories!

[@barrybirkel4873]

Happy Birthday Grace, Airplane the greatest U.S. Band , none better .!!!! Saw them when so many said they were washed up, they impressed the whole crowd, so great.!! Washed up NOT !

[@PeterLRuden]

Thank you for posting this. Been in love with the Airplane and Gracie for 54 + years.

[@tedheslin9777]

Stumbling on to this has me ecstatic. Grace, and the whole band, in spectacular form.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Totally legendary!

[@danallshaw1131]

Damn..Grace voice is beautiful live.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Yes!

[@danielgiraud1118]

@@SoundingsMindfulMedia : Big eejit ! Aren't ye ashamed tae offer us this shit ? The sound is catastrophic ! Abominable ! Thou art the shame of Amerika !

[@tylerkessler4021]

This was amazing

[@thesantanamigoschannel1244]

Carlos Santana and Papa John Creach on the last song at 18:30.

[@albertsiniscalco1373]

WOW ,,,, Grace sounds and looks so cool. Somebody to Love is just off the charts.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Super off the charts !

[@EddieBryan]

Met Dean and Dudley in 1975 when they were traveling in a school bus in Gainesville, FL. Sara had just been born and Eva was about 5 I guess. Granola. We went to Stephen's Farm in Tennessee but first we visited the Rainbow Gathering in Arkansas. That was a treat. Or was the Rainbow second? I remember we parted ways after the Rainbow Gathering. My lady friend Catherine and I took off to Virginia where some other young people were living in a commune, The Cuckoo Farm that was very near Walden II.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

So Awesome!!!!!

[@scottjackson163]

Grace!

[@rubicon-oh9km]

The Airplane right at the release time of Blows Against The Empire. This is phenomenal stuff.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Thanks!!!!

[@dmellis]

I don't even recognize that version of Have You Seen the Saucers. Is it even the same song?

[@spencerdawkins]

@@dmellis - if you check the version on 30 seconds over winterland, it is, most of the way through, but then Grace either breaks into another song I've never heard before or just just starts riffing, and I'd say it's a 50-50 chance of either possibility.

[@paulvon2378]

really?

[@pamela-vi7rp]

Good Shepherd a little eerie today Awesome footage🕊️ Papa✨ John ✨Creech

[@thomashumphrey7395]

This is cool. Psychedelic Papa John Creach violin and Joey Covington? killing it on drums.

[@russcohen3779]

Love love love

[@semmcstevenson]

I know it’s not nice… and iv been a Huge Airplane fan since 1989 when I was 12… but getting rid of Spencer for Joey Covington was a HUGE mistake. Joey is kind of brutal. No feel. At all. Just bangs away. It didn’t take them long to realize that… John Barbata saved them. He is one of the BEST. I have a hard time listening to the stuff with Joey on drums.

[@jonathanh8187]

I can't imagine what they were thinking. It's not "power drummer" vs. "touch drummer". It is first-class, inventive drumming with great touch (Dryden) vs. someone just pounding away (Covington). Barbata was a vast improvement over Covington, but still, to my mind at least, lacked Spencer's touch. Listen to Jorma, Jack and Spencer on "Bless Its Pointed Little Head" to get a sense of the Airplane's instrumentalists at their height.

[@peterrodenberg2686]

Jack's smile at 17:22!

[@bassthang2277]

Jack playing a Danelectro Longhorn bass on the jam at the end.

[@NicArpMusicator]

Thank you! Crazy to have such great audio with these images. I wonder what the film format was? From this point forward, we got both Hot Tuna and the Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra (PERRO)-what a legacy! It took the engineers a bit to get Good Shepherd right, but Grace provides the cover and then it so takes off rhythmically, and Jorma is brilliant here. This is just a super tight band at this point. And this footage is a great reminder of why Grace Slick is the legend she is, and how this band could freaking JAM.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

This was filmed on 1/2 inch video tape on a sony portapack. Thanks so much for the love!

[@RobHollanderMusic]

Love Grace's intensity here, the rare selections, and Carlos Santana. Thanks for this great clip!

[@SDsailor7]

Is Carlos Santana in the video?

[@spiritof6663]

@@SDsailor7 Yes, he can be seen jamming with his guitar just behind Jorma during the final Creach-led instrumental.

[@Hoosit]

Greatest "garage band" ever...more please!

[@mrnobodybutyou7218]

Thanks for this!

[@williamhiles7404]

Grace Slick....the most Enchanting Voice in RnR. I can't get enough of it. Such a creative mind. Comes from being Experienced. LedHed Pb 207.20 🎶 🎸 🎹

[@awakenlove5858]

A+

[@TheSecondNature]

Jorma's tone in Good Sheperd is insane

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Totally!

[@ChromeDestiny]

Great support vocals from Grace and a killer groove during the solos too. I used to like the version on Sweeping Up The Spotlight best but this might be a new favourite for me.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

@@ChromeDestiny Thank you so much!! Was such a thrill to be there to video such an amazing moment in musical history.

[@lethrbear32]

Starting with Have You Seen the Saucers, so amazing. It's one of my favorite later Airplane tunes.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Rock on!

[@joeray_skrha]

I remember seeing Papa John several times in my life... 1972 in Cleveland with the Airplane and then 1975 solo at the Ambassador Theater in St. Louis... He encore number when he was on tour with his own band was Judy Garland's SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW... Papa always brought the house down... When he played with Airplane, his hot number was Milk Train... I think he played that at Woodstock also...

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

We will be releasing more Papa John Videos soon!! Stay tuned!!!

[@EddieBryan]

I really only know of Papa John Creech because an eclectic music loving friend of mine, Jack Collins, had an album of his. Did Creech play with Taj Mahal. They too were popular at the time, 1971.

[@davidcawrowl3865]

"Electrifying" is right.

[@zatkie91]

Amazing journey; thanks so much!

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@borutgregoric5487]

The best

[@Little_Muskrat13]

Time transport me to 1970 !!!

[@muttley918]

Righteous indeed 🖖🏼

[@redcherbonne]

Wow!! An amazing performance by the Jefferson Airplane. I never heard Grace Slick sound like this. She sang with such energy and power.

[@georgekrucko4446]

Awesome band

[@ThePooneil]

stunning footage! Thank you for sharing!

[@Veghead]

Fantastic. Thank You!

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

You are welcome!

[@joeblevins1058]

joey covington was a poor replacement for Spencer. Very generic. Spencer had his unique raga stylings

[@nicholasnewgarden4767]

I've reached Papa John nirvana. Drop the violin.

[@katarinask139]

15:02 Somebody To Love😍

[@Lestatkatt1]

Amazing footage! Thank You!

[@jimhardy-p3i]

Grace is looking a little rough in this one...still sings like a mother though

[@bobipijanmanov1289]

That night is look like that everybody is bleeding after Janis leaving

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Truth.

[@jonathanh8187]

Great document of The Airplane perhaps just past the height of their powers. Kantner, Slick, Kaukonen and Casady are locked in. It never feels quite complete or right without Marty and Joey Covington is not going to make anyone forget Spencer Dryden.

[@dmellis]

Spencer Dryden was a huge loss but Joey Covington doesn't sound that bad here.

[@haintedhouse2990]

@@dmellis love Airplane, love this clip but i don't get my hopes up knowing Joey Covington's back there. sorry not a fan.

[@ZOOTSUITBEATNICK1]

outstanding vid...one of my favorite bands...thanks so much!

[@TheSecondNature]

Is that Santana jamming at the end?

[@rubicon-oh9km]

Yes it is.

[@JohnJohn-jy5ub]

Oh what a gas this groovy movie is It is my hope that Bill Graham illegally filmed JA and the vault will swing open someday

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Thanks!

[@tedheslin9777]

Oh my god, wouldn’t that be spectacular. I just discovered this vid. Every Airplane fan has their favorite period. For me, 1969-1974. Viewing this has had me say OMG numerous times. I’m a big Bark, Long John Silver fan with Manhole thrown in. Would love to find footage of the 1974 Manhole era tour. Started in Rhode Island and on ... Also would love video footage from the last night they played together.

[@billd.8082]

Thank you, I love you!

[@scottdaniels-rx2ql]

Classic! Thank You

[@GratefulZen]

Pretty slick!

[@daveredman4978]

how did you get suck good sound? please u/L the quicksilver set.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

Dean and Dudley had an audio recorder at the concert

[@trufom6926]

If you want to hear and see papa john, you have to go to about 18:30 of this mis-titled video.

[@SoundingsMindfulMedia]

As someone who has worked in the music industry their entire life, I am not sure why you think this video is mis-titled. You can always watch our version of just Papa John: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWe2cnaErrp1n9U

[@Deanrite]

Definately was a great band to see live. They were loud but musically very accomplished. Recordings and videos could never do them justice, poor recording quality. Only "Thirty Seconds Over Winterland" comes close.

[@4Naturalgreen]

It’s hard to believe how few people did what these guys did. There should be tons of footage from shows like this. Instead, there’s practically none. Seems like nobody had the foresight to film the bands, just audio recordings mostly. Jorma knew Janis the longest, and was probably the closest to her.

[@jeffreydeuitch2146]

Who is that between Jorma and Jack who is playing guitar? It looks like Carlos Santana. Did he play with them on occasion? He was part of the SF scene.

[@Scion-cy6wj]

not bad video, but good Lord, that is horrible bootleg sound ...... C-minus at best ... doesn't represent this great band well at all - lots of professionally recorded video out there of the Airplane

[@peternelligan6780]

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE LOVE LOVE JOHN MAYALL BAND TURNING POINT ALBUM COOL JERK SONG

[@jettrink7510]

Just carry on Good Shepherd for 35 min.

[@laurentrousseau5433]

Hope the final jam exist in is full version. Great concert.

[@frankfeldman6657]

Am I the only one that doesn't miss Marty?

[@BOBBOTO]

What an odd comment. His vision got them in flight. Loved him in the Airplane. Did not care for his ballad stuff with Starship, but obviously many did. Why would you make such a comment?

[@thomasmazur6916]

E😢performance

[@russcohen3779]

Love love love love love love ❤❤❤❤❤

[@justinfrappier1185]

Wow! Used to listen to this as a teenager in the 70’s and still in my 60’s it gives me goosebumps

[@marytresham9164]

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