S.O.D. "Volunteers" by Jefferson Airplane

1/30/2016     A lot of musical passings in January.  Guitarist/vocalist Paul Kantner was one of the founding members of Jefferson Airplane and was for many years the band's leader.  Between all of the albums from Jefferson Airplane and Starship, he is the only member featured on all of them.  Kantner wrote this song along with vocalist/guitarist Marty Balin with the song falling under 4 different rock genres.  

     The original Airplane lineup for the 1969 tune consisted of Kantner and Balin on rhythm guitars and vocals, Jorma Kaukonen on lead guitar, piano and vocals by Grace Slick, bassist Jack Casady and Spencer Dryden on drums and percussion.  Nicky Hopkins also added some piano.  Ballin began the composition when he woke up one morning and saw the words Volunteers of America painted on the side of the truck that woke him up.  

     Kantner rebelled against authority figures from an early age after his father sent him to Catholic military boarding school.  Music and science were his two escapes from the world around him.