The Jefferson Airplane - "We Can Be Together" and "Volunteers" - The Dick Cavett Show - 1969

The Jefferson Airplane performed "We Can Be Together" and "Volunteers" on The Dick Cavett Show - 1969. They came directly from the Woodstock concert for the taping of this show. Also appearing on this show were Joni Mitchell, David Crosby and Stephen Stills.

[@jlk566]

I remember watching it live, I was jumping around doing air guitar and my dad was yelling at me..the show was over and they just kept playing..they are my heros....true patriots. Freedom Fighters

[@unfortunatebeam]

More people should be watching this, it's television history!

[@Sargebri]

Yep, especially for Grace singing the infamous line "Up against the wall m***********" on live television.

[@unfortunatebeam]

@@Sargebri well if you could say it on tv then, surely you can say it on KZbin now, let's see: motherfuckers. Did it work?

[@renansmed]

I´m watching JA in this moment

[@chasbodaniels1744]

Left to right: Nicky Hopkins - piano Paul Kantner - Rhythm guitar, vocals Grace Slick - Vocals Spencer Dryden - Drums Marty Balin - Vocals Jorma Kaukonen - Lead Guitar Jack Casaday - Bass

[@roadkillsrus]

I'm just impressed they actually got to play. So many shows back then were just miming to recordings. The Airplane often protested this in their own ways. Jorma, for instance, would hang weird stuff off his guitar, so much stuff in the way that anyone with a clue knew he wasn't actually playing because the toys would interfere with the strings vibrating.

[@davidbonds3571]

I'm curious as to whether ABC censored the original airing. The unexpurgated lyrics are clearly audible: "In order to survive we steal, cheat, lie, forge, f**k, con and deal..." and "Motherf****r tear down the wall."

[@Sargebri]

Yep. Also, when they appeared on a Canadian television show Grace used an electric plug for a microphone.

[@wirebrushproductions1001]

I'm impressed that they got the whole song on the air. At 4:00, "Up against the wall, motherfucker" was a real surprise, given that it was 1969.

[@gingergeezer3685]

@@wirebrushproductions1001 Shoot, that would get bleeped out now.

[@jimrebr]

My first concert was Jefferson Airplane in 1968, they were absolutely fantastic!! The light show was called Headlights out of San Francisco, they traveled with the Airplane. It was my 13th birthday & I loved the JA, I still do, they were the real deal. When I was 12, my grandpa rented an Apartment a block from the Swing Auditorium, and I laid out on a hot summer night, on a lawn recliner and listened to a full Airplane concert, I swore I was going to be indoors seeing the concert & less then a year later my bff 👯 and I went to see the Airplane for my 13th birthday.❤️🎸✨👏

[@MaxVonStark]

I was 10 years old in 69...grew up on the revolutionaries........

[@abakiplas]

Yep and it’s still affecting me now 😂

[@AaronWauters-jm7we]

We should be together one of the greatest songs of all time.

[@rmdomainer9042]

Amazingly steady "hallogallo"/joy division style drumming here in the beginning. Makes the song even better.

[@Survivor-15n]

Dick Cavett opened the door to a lot of great music just like Ed baby!!

[@Survivor-15n]

A great band and Jorma’s still touring at 83!!

[@bk5470]

My favorite band of all time and forever!

[@josephcomuniello964]

Loved Jefferson Airplane, Good ole days!!!!✌️😢

[@MikeBlitzMag]

And they managed to follow through with their "Up Against The Wall" proclamation in We Can Be Together. Well, the MC5 DID set the stage for that earlier in the year.....

[@Tipi_Dan]

The MC5 were junior to the Jefferson Airplane. The Airplane were friends of Guy DeBord, who wrote the words for this song, excerpted from a little known document entitled "An Open Letter To The Hippies". Already a hard core Airplane Freak, I stood in line early the morning the MC5's first record came out. Within 3 weeks I had given the record away. Their music was harsh and unlistenable. Important message, but they were all message, no "sound". They sucked on acid. Now I wish I'd kept that album, I could sell it for big bucks. Apparently there are a few bewildered wanderers out there who think MC5's first album was good.

[@MikeBlitzMag]

@@Tipi_Dan Aside from being subjective, that is peripheral to the point being made, which was that the MC5's recorded in October 1968, released in January 1969 debut was banned in some circles for its incorporation of the so-called "F bomb" in the introduction to the second track on side one. The Jefferson Airplane followed suit in using that so-called "F bomb" later that year in We Could Be Together, and received comparatively little backlash for it. To 21st century students of the form, that may sound like much ado about nothing. But at the time, it was still an issue that was still regarded in some circles as an affromt to the generally accepted consensus on such issues.

[@jamescorrigan7999]

I am old enough to have seen this show, when it was originally broadcast, in August of 1969, just after Woodstock. Amazing, as we had just recently gotten our first color TV, I thought that network censorship was pretty strict in the '60s. But the Airplane were , as best I remember, the first to utter the word "fuck" on US network television. Lines like " all your private property is target for your enemy " also slipped through. An amazing, and memorable, performance.

[@villedocvalle]

There will always be rebels to the establishment

[@flaxjimdiaz9989]

"Up against the wall mother fucker"amazingly not censored!

[@davidb2206]

@@flaxjimdiaz9989 I don't hear it in this recording as alleged by Wikipedia. Do you or is Wiki simply wrong again as with so many things?

[@em7dim9]

@@davidb2206 yep, it is definitely there

[@BenneWill]

@@em7dim9 What song. What part of the clip?

[@Sargebri]

Ironically, they didn't perform "We Can Be Together" during their Morning Maniac Music set at Woodstock.

[@news603redux]

For anyone interested, The Doors were on PBS in April of '69 {five months before this} and said 'motherfucker' in the song Build me A Woman.

[@gailh21]

RIP Paul Kantner.

[@brötzmannsax]

We are forces of chaos and anarchy, everything they say we are, we are, and we are so very proud of ourselves...

[@RaxOldies]

Too bad the 'young folks' today don't have the same pride and energy and devotion to a cause..... put down those phones, and get your asses back to the streets !!

[@Malkmusianful]

@@RaxOldies the George Floyd protests showed us that the revolutionary spirit still lives on remember: your protests in the '60s (remember the 1968 DNC riots and the 1967 Detroit riots) had your fair share of looters and burned-down Arby's, but both ours and yours had one goal in mind: the police are way too militarized. they're too brutal. we've exhausted peace. now it's time for drastic action.

[@RaxOldies]

@@Malkmusianful Thank you !! The miliarized police have been trained by Israel's IDF forces for years now...those rubber bullets w/metal pellets inside...those huge ugly tank-like vehicles etc. The one thing I admit is different from our day (Chicago, MLK, RFK, the war etc) is the huge amount of firepower the 'other side' has now, and I agree..it's way past time for people to hit the streets, and I am glad to see the passion again. I knew it had to be just a matter of time. When a woman gets shot 8 times while sleeping...when a man is shot while jogging...when a man is killed with a knee on his neck because he passed a phony 20 dollar bill....and on & on.....it's time!!! More power to them !

[@RaxOldies]

***Also couldn't help but notice...in our marches & protests, & the moratoriums...we didnt have skateboards,bicycles,scooters, and cell phones !! (And I don't remember ever being involved in any destruction and looting.) Chicago got pretty ugly tho~~ I just remember ours being more 'peaceful' Not like Antifa style tactics like not allowing somebody to speak at the home of free speech...Berkeley..where Mario Savio started the Free Speech movement in 1964. Things seem to have become more violent mainly for the sake of violence. All of society seems less tolerant now. I still applaud the people becoming more engaged...as long as they keep their eyes on the prize.....thanks for responding !! Stay safe out there !!!

[@eldiablo7862]

George Floyd was turd that died due to his own choices in life

[@GoBigC]

And the infamous f-bomb at 3:58!

[@ultimatehistoryofcgi8897]

absolutely unclear thats why unnoticed and uncensored

[@kensims4086]

I heard it plain as day...

[@RaxOldies]

also 2:05

[@Malkmusianful]

@@ultimatehistoryofcgi8897 probably because Jefferson Airplane had a serious song and also nobody really thought about singing profanity on a song, much less a single put out by a major label

[@ultimatehistoryofcgi8897]

@@Malkmusianful well mc5 did profanity song in 1968 and it was released in 1969 on album

[@quicknessstyle]

2:01 In order to survive we steal cheat lie forge fuck hide and deal

[@inhock4chineserocks]

RIP Marty Balin

[@jesusalvarezservin8448]

Conservo aun este vinyl Volunters desde hace más de 50 años

[@dreamyblue44]

Total classic footage, yay! :)

[@mthivier]

Funny thing is that tightass Ed Sullivan made the Stones and the Doors that change words in songs that weren't profane or dirty by any stretch of the imagination (the word "night" in the case of the Stones, and "higher" for the Doors), on the off chance that someone *might* be offended; meanwhile, here, Cavett let the Airplane sing an actual profanity, "motherfuckers", without being sensored.

[@jameskaplan263]

Well this was 5 years or so later...

[@trans8010]

Dick Cavett didn't care about censors or critics. He went up against Richard Nixon and covered the entire Watergate affair, had threats from the White House to stop, but kept it going.

[@davidb2206]

Where? Can you identify the time hack in this recording where it occurs? I don't hear any profanity.

[@news603redux]

@@davidb2206 3:57, I saw it live. They didn't have 8 second delay back then.

[@devildart]

@@davidb2206 there are two f-bombs. One at 2:05 and one at 3:57.

[@richardrybinski2320]

Nicky Hopkins on piano....

[@chasbodaniels1744]

I came here from reading a wonderful biography by Julian Dawson titled “… and on piano … Nicky Hopkins” Great insight into his life and his amazing career.

[@fawltyborstals]

3:56 "up against the wall, motherfucker!" first use of "motherfucker" on US television

[@patcshea53]

First and last probably😂. That's the best part of a truly beautiful song - right up there with Eskimo Blue Day which made very good use of "Doesn't Mean Shit to a Tree." That's some good song writing right there is what that is!!!!

[@marcusdedge3586]

Ah cool !!!! They actually had the real trip in it ! Far OuT Man !!

[@conduite6721]

The first use of "fuck" in american television!

[@johnpendarvis7885]

Back when you had to tune by ear.

[@DavidPerry-do6xt]

I was gonna say that you but you beat me to it.

[@lucassmith4524]

Was the first time the word 'Fuck' was said on National Television.

[@casperguylkn]

As well as , we cheat, lie, forge, FUCK, hide and deal! Truly.

[@goteamdefense]

excellent

[@davidb2206]

Some odd things. Though it appears to be live, at 2:30, she puts down the mic, yet her vocal track continues. Same thing at 6:08.

[@em7dim9]

​@@cooper57m It is not a sync issue. You can see that right before 2:30 she is singing the exact words you here. Then she brings down the mic but her singing continues at the same level. Even more obvious at 6:08. Sadly the audio does appear to be pre-recorded. And this means that Cavett knew 'motherfucker' was in there.

[@bradfordpauler2538]

You're hearing Marty and other voices continue when she lowers her mic, she stopped singing for a second, bit thanks, you made me look!

[@mmherman]

Agreed. That was Marty Balin’s voice continuing after Grace lowered her mic

[@nickmcginley4570]

They were live. She was the first person to saying the word motherfucker on television, during this performance. That is how and why I found this video. It is very hard to hear though. If I was not listening for it, I doubt I would have noticed.

[@Survivor-15n]

RIP Nicky,Marty,Spencer and Paul🌺🌺

[@michaelcraig9449]

Grace said MOTHERFUCKER on Dick Cavett. I wonder if it was live on tv, or not?

[@janetfullwood3319]

Taylor Swift cant hold the dimmest candle to this!

[@casperguylkn]

Yeah totally cool, that they got away with it! Lotta people appreciated and understood the message. It just wasn't to be profane.

[@blueridger28]

So is this really TVs first F bomb?

[@davidb2206]

@@cooper57m What is the time hack in the video? I still don't hear any.

[@timothyehrler4325]

Jack was the straw that stirred the drink!

[@stevekohut9888]

First time the words FUCK and MOTHERFUCKER were said on tv in America. No, it wasn't bleeped out at all...

[@rukeyser]

Brilliant even tho I kept waiting : "Volunteers" backwards ❤ Everything but the verse that names the revolution and its *VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA*

[@鵺屋敷の管理人鵺太郎]

ジェファーソン・エアプレインば日本に来なかった。一説では、バンドのメンバーとライトショウのメンバーとライトショウの機材の航空運賃が桁外れに高くなり、日本の興行業者が二の足を踏んだとか。

[@alainpaum]

I love the plane the best ever ;

[@terryjones54]

spencer always had those cool hats. speaking of profanity, for a short time kplr ch 11 carried the cardinals games.once they didnt break away fast enuff, the anouncer said "man, I fucked that up!"

[@vinniethefinger7781]

One of my favorite groups with one of the best balladeers of his time, Marty. I just want to say that the sound of this is horrible. Dick should have ponied up some additional cash to get a proper recording. I took my kids to their first concert, guess who it was 🤠 I was blessed several years later to score tickets to a Yorma and Jack performance at Fur Peace Ranch. Awesome time with two legends.

[@leegleason]

We are obscene lawless hideous danger dirty violent and (not so ) young (anymore) - although some of us still remember our values from back in the day.

[@roelchristianrosauroii575]

3:57

[@dcculver2]

2:02 also

[@YouTubetyrantfascistslosers]

What happened???

[@roelchristianrosauroii575]

@@KZbintyrantfascistslosers f bomb

[@cookaboorra]

download the video; open it in VLC player; settings: equalization Hall; spatialisation yes. Enjoy as it should have been !!!! ù

[@firetaker25]

Nothing like the San Francisco, "Chinese music" sound of Jefferson Airplane, in the history of the world, for all time. Don't you agree?

[@sportsmediaamerica]

This performance pales when compared to the soaring studio recording.

[@direwolfmusic]

The first time anyone said fuck on tv in america apparently. And she says it twice!

[@brötzmannsax]

Grace was NEVER a conformist, and the day after Woodstock nobody gave a fuck...

[@Adam-s4j]

I do feel that the song volunteers could be misinterpreted, but I think it’s really about human nature and of course I don’t endorse any forms of violence or cheating or stealing, but you know everything they say we are maybe we aren’t

[@robinbailey3052]

Jorma has a Man bun!

[@Adam-s4j]

Hello hello hello cold blacksmith

[@ayylmaooooo]

When does she swear? I didn't catch it.

[@BirdsnBlooms1]

Grace swears at 3:57...she says, hands up the wall, Mother FucXer. lol

[@carlosarturosousagarridole9361]

BirdsnBlooms1 thanks!

[@carlosarturosousagarridole9361]

BirdsnBlooms1 Balin too.

[@thismycollection334]

She says, "Up against the wall..."

[@ultimatehistoryofcgi8897]

absolutely unclear thats why unnoticed and uncensored

[@Theasworld1984]

But what was the point of her dropping the explicitive if it wasn't an actual lyric in the song?

[@notmyrealname007]

But it IS an actual part of the lyrics, in more than one place. "In order to survive we steal, cheat, lie, forge, fuck, hide, and deal" and "Up against the wall, motherfuckers"

[@davidbonds3571]

It was an actual lyric. "We Can Be Together." Originally on Volunteers, also on Worst of Jefferson Airplane. "In order to survive we steal, cheat lie forge Fred con and deal" with Fred replacing the F-bonb is how it was printed on the lyric sheet. Also "Up against the wall, Motherf***er!" Also on the Woodstock recording, see "The Woodstock Experience," a 2 CD set with the Woodstock concert and Volunteers each on one disc.

[@SmoochieJMcBride]

more bass

[@beachdog67]

Unfortunate the the union sound guys at the network didn't have a goddam CLUE about mixing a rock band. Of course, in their defense, they WERE mixing to a 3" TV speaker with a response profile roughly equal to a telephone handset.

[@Ken-sj4jg]

Hey, Ed Sullivan could do it every Sunday.

[@d.g.990]

On an episode of the Dick Cavett Show, they sang "We Can Be Together" and sang "Up against the wall muthur f----r"

[@hydeparkdirector2756]

The performance may be uncensored NOW in its archival format, but it was definitely bleeped back in the day.

[@sukie584]

+Hyde Park Director, no it was performed unbleeped. probably the censors didn't realize in advance because if they listened to the record in advance the mix on m'fer was lower... they were more concerned with phrases they could hear like "couldn't get much higher" .. Ha!

[@frik4frak]

Nope! Not on the show, on re runs but not that night! The show had no idea they would be saying, singing that until they did. By the time they realized they sang THAT, it was too late, it was out! First fuck on TV! Thank you Grace Slick!

[@brianbelton3605]

@@frik4frak Yes! I love it.

[@davidbonds3571]

They may have got away with it because of the time slot. Wasn't Cavett on opposite Johnny Carson?

[@Ken-sj4jg]

Where is the audio level on this track, sounds like in your basement with 190 limiters....VERY POOR QUALITY.

[@conduite6721]

Yes? This is a television show in 1969, it is not meant to have studio quality Edit: actually, no, the people there just didn't know how to mix apparently

[@davidkrause6990]

Tear down the wall!

[@jackgrant7356]

Im even more of a fan of Dick Cavet than Jefferson Airplane.

[@oppothumbs1]

I keep wishing this was the Mailer - Vidal debate instead

[@SMC84601]

✌

[@Survivor-15n]

Was Joni Mitchell Dick’s co-host??

[@jimrebr]

Joni was supposed to be the main guest, but JA and CSNY showed up straight from playing at Woodstock. Clive Davis wouldn’t let Joni play at Woodstock, she was upset about that, but so happy to have her friends make it back for a really good show. Joni wrote the song Woodstock and played it on Cavette that day. CSNY covered her song on DejaVu.

[@jjsentertainmentreviews1842]

How did They get away with Saying Mfer

[@nickmcginley4570]

It is barely noticeable. Plus I think it was being broadcast live.

[@DougHealy]

up against the wall

[@rainertrebbin-vf7nt]

[@creedinc4932]

The first time someone said motherfucker on live television.

[@ernesttenesmus6757]

One of the best things about Beat Club? No Dick Cavett.

[@roadkillsrus]

Hmmm. Maybe it was Kantner or Cassidy. or all of them at various times? Anyway. The concept stands.

[@oppothumbs1]

Doesn't Grace say "mother-ucker" in this video. I don't like them enough to watch .

[@Survivor-15n]

Sexy Grace Slick🥀🥀

[@cjmacq-vg8um]

i really like jefferson airplane. its rather ironic that instead of a peaceful revolution we're getting a social collapse. i guess this clip is the one where jefferson airplane didn't alter a word out of the lyrics of one of their songs. (i still couldn't hear it.) all fine and good. (the "fish cheer" is still one of my favorite parts of the woodstock album.) but now we can't get rid of the damned "f" word! its literally everywhere. its all over youtube, its in movies, songs, rap can't exist without that damned word, its on t-shirts, bumper stickers and protests signs. both sides repeatedly use the word in public, around kids and as a verb, adverb and noun. this isn't a good thing. its an indication of social degredation. the incessant and unjustified overuse of expletives in everyday public situations is a sign of immaturity, disrespect, apathy and low intelligence. i think its time we grow the hell up. maybe then we might actually have a better world.

[@DavidPerry-do6xt]

And the technology was so primitive

[@jts3339]

The current crop of musicians are too concerned about profit to contribute to changing the political system like the bands of the 60’s. You won’t see Taylor Swift and the “Swifties” trying to change political corruption.

[@skittleinc9586]

First man bun

[@chasbodaniels1744]

Yeah, not a good look though.

[@jamesrippner672]

Volunteers is a miracle

[@jhassett2]

The good news is no one gives a shite about any of this today....which we must hope will be the fate of extinction rebellion

[@mybingobrain]

Awful stage presence but fantastic music with the best message!

[@legasiguy551]

This mix sucks! I know it was the 1960s but didn't they have mixing boards back then?

[@legasiguy551]

BOOOHOOOOHOOOOHOOO!!!

[@tophilactic]

up against the wall