The Story Behind Jefferson Airplane's House | Bay Area Babylon

[@KyleStansfeld-zi6gc]

Jefferson Airplane are one of my favourites. That’s a great piece of history! I’m sure glad the building is still standing, it’s a masterpiece, so beautiful!

[@patrickparker4576]

I'm watching this from inside the house! So surreal! 😝👍♥️🏆💯

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Amazing! The inside is absolutely stunning.

[@grybnyx]

How are you inside the house?

[@denisestewart5276]

What happened to the dinosaur bones hanging In the front window

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

@@denisestewart5276 They were not there when I went.

[@bkm2797]

I remember their house back in the 70’s when it was painted black and gold, I knew someone who worked for them and was invited to look around, it was beautiful inside with all that wood and super tall ceilings, the craftsmanship amazing. This home really stood out on the panhandle when it was painted black and gold, now that it’s white it looks smaller, or somehow I remember it looking much wider from the outside. Thanks for the history lesson, and the memories. Happy New Years!🎉👍

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Thanks so much! I appreciate you checking out my video. Happy New Years to you too!

[@LucyLennon909]

THANK-YOU for this post! ... JA's compilation album: "2400 Fulton Street" with a photo of this mansion on the back cover, is my 'Go-To Album". 💜

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Thats so awesome. I love that album : )

[@josephnason8770]

In 1974 my older sister lived around the corner at 54 Shrader. I remember checking this place out. The ceiling of the front porch that you see in this video was painted dark blue with stars, planets, moons and comets. I went to a free concert in Golden Gate Park which is across the street with the Starship playing.

[@dancingman60]

When was that? In 84 they played, and Grace mentioned 67 - wonder what other dates!!!

[@NYSteve]

@@dancingman60 i know they did a few in the 70s

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Yes! The porch's ceiling is still painted like you described. I got an inside tour a few months back, and some of the rooms still have their ceilings painted similarly to that, as well.

[@amherst88]

Was able to see the house in all its dark glory on a visit to SF in the 70's -- their music is one of the quintessential 'American' contributions to human cultural history 🖤

[@KyleStansfeld-zi6gc]

Back in the early nineties, I took a bus from Vancouver Canada, down to San Francisco, I was young at the time. I’m a big fan of the counter culture movement, and the Haight Ashbury district. I went looking for this house, but I don’t believe I found it. I wandered around that area in search of it? I didn’t even know if it had existed. I might have saw it, but it was a different colour. I was going by the album cover, from 2400 Fulton St.. I’d have to check my photos. I don’t believe I found it, but I’m not sure, I was pretty young, but how could you forget a building like this. im a painter, and I can’t believe they painted it. Its a huge house with lots of details. Seems like they painted it well. They must of had a lot of friends help with that one! Next time I go to S,F. I’ll have to check it out, it would have been a real luxury home in those days, and when it was first built. I can’t believe that it survived that major earthquake of 1906. I believe most of the destruction came from the fires after., and I guess wasn’t effected. I wonder who owns it now? Do they have tours? I would guess not. Thanks again for that cool history.

[@bkm2797]

It’s on the Golden Gate Park panhandle, this little spot that is easily missed. I knew it best when it was painted Black and Gold, really stood out and for some reason seemed larger in my mind,lol.

[@KyleStansfeld-zi6gc]

&bkm2797 Thanks for the response. I was definitely in the area, and because of the address on the album cover, I’m sure I tried to find it. Just have to check some pictures that are buried away🤣 I believe it was black when I saw it, but was so long ago., something like 30 yeas ago😳😂. It is such a great piece of history. Imagine the stories it could tell, of a time Eve further back in time! Take good care ✌️🇺🇸✌️🇨🇦

[@bkm2797]

@@KyleStansfeld-zi6gc Hope you find them. Happy New Year!🎊

[@KyleStansfeld-zi6gc]

@bkm2797 Thanks my friend! Let’s have a great 2025! Happy New Years to you too!🍾🥳🍾👯‍♀️🪅🪩🪩✌️🤩

[@oyajiblues]

I am no historian, but I met Cassidy when he came in the bar i worked at in maybe 1992 or so. He was at that time a rather high ranked 9 ball player. I have no certainty that is true. But it came from his self centered lips. I worked for the woman who owned the house in maybe 1995 or so. I checked out not only the basement (where i thought I was told they recorded) but the coolest was these back stairs. Kinda creepy actually. That woman and her husband brought the house back to its original glory. I remember that Slick’s house in Marin burned down and supposedly according to tv news when she got there some of the firemen were trying to make off with her memorabilia. BTW to you Haight vs. Richmond District. This is literally just inside the Richmond District it is across from GG park and spitting distance from the Haight. I work (with my band) in North Beach and Paul Kantner was a regular in the Bar and at the coffee shop up until he died. Met him many times, but he would not sit in with us. Lastly, I thought the woman I worked for told me it was already a historic landmark. I thought I even saw a plaque on the wall next to the entrance. Starship was terrible. Airlplane was great.

[@JVProductionsLLC]

Thank you for having me edit this!

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Of course!!

[@patrickparker4576]

​@@BayAreaBabylon415I'm housesitting until Sunday! Hit me up if you want to talk about anything! I wound up making my own KZbin channel after meeting you! It's called Intrepid Chimp. 😜👍

[@frankgentile5383]

2400 Fulton is in the Richmond District, not Haight-Ashbury.

[@raphaelnoz7269]

yeah but come on- it's like 3 blocks away... it's closer to the Haight then to say, 19th and Geary. 😊

[@MikeCohenSF]

Correct.

[@ww2remembered983]

Actually, the house is in the Inner Richmond district.

[@andersdroid]

Yep inner Richmond. My neighborhood. Definitely not the Haight

[@barbarasmith7432]

i remember when this house was painted all black.

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

That must have been a sight to see when driving past it.

[@NYSteve]

i met them more than once, (despite expectations?) most likely the friendliest, nicest rock stars ive met!

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

That must have been an awesome experience. I once saw Paul Kantner in North Beach, but that was as close to meeting any of them as I got. I had heard he kept an apartment there.

[@RebekahCurielAlessi]

​@@BayAreaBabylon415 oh wow - the Caffe Trieste! He used to hang out there, especially outside in the sun. As far as I recall, his picture is above the back counter. 🙇‍♀️ 🎸

[@wallyr.7854]

Awesome history feature about 2400 Fulton and Jefferson Airplane. I’ve always been proud and humbled to be fortunate to live about a mile away from this landmark of a house, ❤️ SF.

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Thank you! SF is such an amazing place, and I love it no matter what : )

[@wallyr.7854]

@@BayAreaBabylon415 Good YT channel, new subscriber 🙌🏼

[@brisguyfoo5687]

Watched the video since I lived next to this house for a couple years when I first moved to SF in 82. It was black and owned by Jefferson Starship who, contrary to the video, changed their name in 1974. Also contrary to the video they didn’t sell until 1986. As another commenter mentioned, there was a mural on the ceiling of the portico that was pretty cool.

[@carolcyr8553]

Thanks for this excellent video. I never knew Airplane had a house, and such an imposing one at that. They were an excellent band. I used to have "Surrealistic Pillow" on vinyl. I wonder why Grace Slick didn't show up to the induction ceremony? Was she not invited or something?

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Thanks so much! That is a great question as to whether she was invited or not. I tend to believe she was but I cannot confirm that 100%

[@carolcyr8553]

@@BayAreaBabylon415 Actually, after I posted this comment I looked it up, and apparently Grace feels that rockers over 50 are a joke, so she didn't want to appear. She was 10 years older than all the other members of the band, so she would have been pretty old by the time of the induction ceremony. I don't agree with her of course - us people over 50 are pretty cool! But I can understand her feelings.

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

@@carolcyr8553 Thank you for letting me know. Very interesting!

[@pommelhorsepommelhorse8731]

I've seen a few interviews where she tells about a weird nerve related malady she suffered in her feet - and that's why she didn't go.

[@lindacorwin9066]

"Bless It's Pointed Little Head". You're welcome.

[@TRSongbook]

Just one thing: There is no "The" in the band's name. It's Jefferson Airplane.

[@LethalBubbles]

they mean "the" as in "the house" not "the jefferson airplane"

[@TRSongbook]

@@LethalBubbles ??? So the lead singer was the Grace Slick? 0:13 "...this mansion was once home and headquarters to the iconic rock band, The Jefferson Airplane"

[@Cobbmtngirl]

Why was Grace Slick absent from the RRHOF induction ceremony?

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Great question. I would love to know as well.

[@traildoggy]

Grace stopped performing. In interviews she has said that she doesn't think people over 50 should be rock stars and it looks silly. Kind of a shame, really. There was a very talented younger singer who played with Starship in the later years.

[@georgedaly9288]

Cool!

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Thanks! Please check back for more historical rock n roll locations.

[@georgedaly9288]

@@BayAreaBabylon415 Your welcome,I will! I subscribed too!

[@ronlight7013]

2400 Fulton Street is not Haight Ashbury.

[@MikeCohenSF]

Correct. It's Lone Mountain or Richmond District.

[@user-jv9qz2bu1r]

no, but close

[@ronlight7013]

@ nothing’s too far from the Haight, but just the same, boundaries is boundaries

[@JChow-e1c]

They sere a great band.

[@Martin-iv6lq]

"The Jefferson Airplane" was their official name. They eventually dropped the "The" to be more marketable to the public

[@NYSteve]

i believe it's also proper English...the Jefferson Airplaine....capatilize 't' if its the begin(ning) of a sentence

[@TRSongbook]

Citation? Although there certainly were references to the band as "The Jefferson Airplane" early on (e.g., Fillmore posters BG1, BG4, BG5, dating from Feb-May 1966), the earliest handbills dating from 1965 (e.g., Family Dog 2.8, SF Mime Troupe Appeal II) refer to the band as "Jefferson Airplane" (but include "The" in the names of other bands such as The Great Society and The Charlatans). I think what we're seeing is a correction, not a name change - from BG10 on, the band is referred to as Jefferson Airplane. Note a similar progression for Quicksilver Messenger Service - "The" in BG0 and BG4, no "The" from BG7 on. From San Francisco Nights (Sculatti and Seay): "Per Kantner, 'A friend of Jorma's had a dog named Blind Thomas Jefferson Airplane. Jorma, being into the blues, had thought up the name as a sarcastic comment on white California people trying to adopt funky names... We hadn't found a name we liked, so we said "we'll call ourselves Jefferson Airplane until we think of something good..."'"

[@stevenbudnick1252]

Any insight on the house in Bolinas in Marin? Heard that was a cool place too

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Not yet but I will look into it. Thanks!

[@jamesmack3314]

Pillow is one of the greatest records in history

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Agreed!!!

[@John_Fugazzi]

I wish the new owners hadn't painted the pillars.

[@pommelhorsepommelhorse8731]

I'm doing things that haven't got a name yet

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Excellent! You are ahead of the game.

[@edisonaardvark2163]

So you couldn't get inside.

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

I did.

[@averagenetfool]

Uh, is that it over there?

[@larryzink8978]

70's? uh uh.

[@BayAreaBabylon415]

Yes....Check it out: www.sfgate.com/obscuresf/article/sf-2400-fulton-jefferson-airplane-17751356.php

[@JJNoire]

No need to use modern footage (fire, earthquake) when talking about historical events.

[@Mr.-J-2024]

Who owns it now?

[@mineralt]

Never thought this band was anything special….thin rhythm section, melodies are meh, no guitar hero, vox are forgettable

[@JChow-e1c]

Exaggerations and some lies.

[@el_puma_real]

If you’re gonna tell a proper story of hippies and other counterculture stuff in San Francisco, it all has to happen in the Haight Ashbury. Even if it didn’t. 😆

[@michaelalan1270]

it was always black

[@patrickwalker2357]

A unnecessary use of the word mansion, try to use the word house , it’s a well appointed house not a mansion! . One does not have silk wallpaper, one hangs the wall with silk.

[@user-jv9qz2bu1r]

im sticking to mansion, haha

[@patrickwalker2357]

@ it’s your choice to be ignorant

[@djohnspangler]

The columns insist on mansion status

[@patrickwalker2357]

A unnecessary use of the word mansion, try to use the word house , it a well appointed house not a mansion!

[@kenhoyer8601]

Crap piece.