It started with Jefferson Airplane ....
While remaining best known for his
contributions to the pioneering San Francisco psychedelic band Jefferson
Airplane, Marty Balin also enjoyed a successful solo career, scoring a Top
Ten hit in 1981 with "Hearts." Born Martyn Jerel Buchwald in Cincinnati, OH
on January 30, 1942, he was raised in the Bay Area and later attended San
Francisco State University; though he initially pursued a career as a
painter, after appearing in a production of West Side Story Balin
turned to music, issuing the solo singles "Nobody But You" and "I Specialize
in Love" on Challenge in 1962. Two years later he joined the folk combo the
Town Criers, followed by a brief stint with the Gateway Singers; in 1965,
Balin met singer/guitarist Paul Kantner at the local club the Drinking
Gourd, and together they formed Jefferson Airplane. Initially a folk-rock
venture, the group quickly came to epitomize the nascent psychedelic scene,
scoring a gold record with their 1966 debut LP Jefferson Airplane Takes Off;
although vocalist Grace Slick was the focal point of hits such as "Somebody
to Love" and "White Rabbit," Balin's soulful tenor proved a pivotal element
of their sound as well, and he also wrote key compositions including
"Today," "Share a Little Joke," and "Volunteers."
However, long-standing ego clashes with
Kantner and
Slick
forced Balin out of
Jefferson Airplane in 1971; he then formed the short-lived
Bodacious D.F., which issued their lone, self-titled album two years
later. In early 1975 he rejoined the newly-rechristened
Jefferson Starship, contributing perhaps his most memorable effort with
the smash single "Miracles." Balin also sang lead on the hits "With Your
Love" and "Count on Me," but he again left the group in 1978, penning the
rock opera Rock Justice before mounting a solo career with 1981's
Balin, which generated "Hearts" and its follow-up, "Atlanta Lady."
After issuing 1983's
Lucky, he next joined
Kantner and fellow Airplane alum
Jack
Casady in the
KBC
Band; in 1989, all three participated in a
Jefferson Airplane reunion which yielded a new studio album and tour
before sputtering out. In 1991, Balin issued
Better Generation and two years later joined
Kantner's
Jefferson Starship—The Next Generation project, concurrently continuing
his solo career with 1997's Freedom Flight. 1999's
Marty Balin's Greatest Hits assembled re-recordings of past favorites.
Words from allmusic.com.
Marty
Balin -
Balin
"First album from Marty Balin"
The Tracks are:
Hearts,
You Left Your Mark On Me, Lydia!, Atlanta Lady, Spotlight, I Do Believe In
You, Elvis And Marilyn, Tell Me More & Music Is The Light.
Musicians on the Balin album:
Marty
Balin, John Hug, Bill Lewis, Steve Forman, Bobbye Hall, Ken Watson, Michael
Boddicker, Mark Cummings, John Jarvis, Neil Larsen, Richard Bassil, Bill
Champlin, Johnny DeCaro, David Landau, Bill Lewis & Rick Nowels.
Available from
EMI Records/Original release year: 1981
Marty
Balin -
There´s No Shoulder
"Japanese release"
The Tracks are:
There's
No Shoulder, Regrets of the Rain, I Can Fly & Long After Midnight.
Musicians on the There´s No Shoulder album:
Marty
Balin, Tsuyoshi Kon, Chuei Yoshokawa, Shigeru Okazawa, Akira Inoue, Keishi
Urata, Hideo Yamaki, Motoya Hamaguchi, Hidefumi Toki, Ohno Strings & Eve.
Available from
EMI Records/Original release year: 1983
Marty
Balin -
Lucky
"A lucky man"
The Tracks are: Born To Be A Winner, What Do People Like,
Just Like That, Do It For Love, What Love Is, Heart Of Stone, Palm Of Your
Hand, Will You Forever, All We Really Need & When Love Comes.
Musicians on the Lucky album: Marty Balin and
others.
Available from
EMI Records/Original release year: 1983
Marty
Balin -
Better Generation
"A new generation"
The Tracks are:
Better Generation, Skydiver, Mercy Of The Moon, Green Light, Let It Live, Wish I Were, Don't Change On Me, Let's Go, See The Light, It's No Secret, Even Though, Always Tomorrow, Treadin' Water, Lady Now, Volunteers
& Summer Of Love.
Musicians on the Better Generation album:
Marty Balin, Kerry Kearney, Karen Deal, Richard Bennett, Sonny Garrish, Biff Watson, Bernie Leadon, Terry McMillan, John Jarvis, Phil Naish, Willie Weeks, Ed Michaels
& Harry Stinson.
Available from
GWE Records/Original release year: 1991
Marty
Balin
-
Wish I Were
"German release" The Tracks are:
Wish I Were, Treadin´Waters, Valerie, Camellia, What
About Love, What´s New In Your World, Mercy Of The Moon, Let´s Go, Green
Light, Let It Live, Even Though, Always Tomorrow, See The Light & Summer
Of Love.
Musicians on the Wish I Were
album: Martin Balin, Jaren Deal, Kerry Kearney & Ed Michaels.
Available from Beverly Records/Original release year: 1995
Marty
Balin -
Freedom Flight
"A free journey"
The Tracks are: You And Me, Oceans Apart, Anna (I Miss You), I
Wanna Hold You Now, I Wish You Could Stay With Me, Party On Space Avenue,
Come Back Home, You´re Are My Everything, You Mean The World To Me, Angel,
Life Is Not The Same, Jupiter Help Me Get My Venus Back & It Used To Be Me.
Musicians on the Freedom Flight album: Marty
Balin and others.
Available from
Solid Discs/Original release year: 1997
Marty
Balin -
Greatest Hits
"A collection of song + interviews"
The Tracks are:
Disc 1:
When Love Comes, Miracles, Atlanta Lady, Plastic Fantastic Lover, Until You,
Count On Me, Today, My Heart Picked You, Hearts, What Love Is, Runaway,
Beautiful Girl, Summer Of Love, With Your Love, Coming Back to Me &
Volunteers. Disc 2: Interviews with Marty about Jefferson Airplane, Janis
Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney.
Musicians on the Greatest Hits album: Marty
Balin and others.
Available from
Trove Records/Original release year: 1999
Marty
Balin -
A Collection
"Best of"
The Tracks are:
Today, Miracles, Hearts, Atlanta Lady
(previously unreleased), Do It For Love (previously unreleased), What Love
Is, There's No Shoulder, Hold Me, Sayonara, Camellia, Valerie, Candles,
What's New In The World & What About Love?.
Musicians on the A Collection album: Marty
Balin and others.
Available from
Rhino Records/Original release year: 2000
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