MARTY BALIN - BIO
Michelangelo claimed that he did not create a sculpture. Rather, the form was contained within the block of marble; he merely removed the excess, revealing the work of art. "I feel the same way about music, and about all the projects I'm involved in. The projects do themselves; the music comes through me." The same vision Marty had when he launched the Jefferson Airplane is present today. In fact, nearly everything he has worked on over the years has been fueled with his vision of art and music as vehicles for expressing a positive message. "I still have the same attitude. "I still love the positive, uplifting songs, and I believe in songs with those qualities. I believe that music can help change the world for the better."
Born Martyn Jerel Buchwald in Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 30, 1942, Marty was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area by parents Joe and Jean Buchwald. Joe became an important part in the 60s San Francisco music scene. As a lithographer, he was responsible for printing more than 200 different posters for shows at famous clubs like the Matrix, the Fillmore and Avalon Ballrooms. Jean started and kept the Jefferson Airplane scrap books featuring many of the photos and newspaper clippings.
In 1962 Marty renamed himself Marty Balin and began recording with Challenge Records, releasing the singles "Nobody But You" and "I Specialize in Love". They gained little attention, but his interest in music did not diminish and by 1963 Balin was leading a folk music quartet called The Town Criers, followed by a brief stint with the Gateway Singers in 1965.
Marty 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 came to epitomize the psychedelic scene, scoring a gold record with their 1967 second album, Surrealistic Pillow. 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. He also wrote key compositions including “It’s No Secret” "Today," “Comin’ Back To Me” “Plastic Fantastic Lover” "Share a Little Joke," and "Volunteers."
"Marty was the one who started the San Francisco scene," says Bill Thompson, Balin's roommate back in the mid-'60s and former manager of both the Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. “Back in those days Marty was quite the businessman" said Paul Kantner. "He was the leader of the band on that level. He was the one who pushed us to do all the business stuff, orchestrating, thinking ahead, looking for managers and club opportunities. He was very good at it and then he shied aay from it. It became offensive to have to deal with it." “In my formative rock days, Bill Graham was my manager, and you couldn't have a better teacher." – Marty Balin
Marty was the founder and featured vocalist for Jefferson Airplane from 1965 to 1971. He appeared with the group during their performances at Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Woodstock, and the disastrous Altamont Speedway concert in 1969. Balin was knocked unconscious by a biker from the Hells Angels motorcycle club while he was trying to save a couple of fans from being beaten by the Hells Angels. (This event was captured on film in the Rolling Stones documentary Gimme Shelter).
In 1974, he contributed "Caroline", to Dragon Fly the first album released by Jefferson Airplane's follow up group, Jefferson Starship. Marty joined Jefferson Starship permanently in 1975 for the second album Red Octopus featuring the hit "Miracles." "I wrote Miracles about my girlfriend at the time, and also about the miraculous powers of Sai Baba. I went to Puttaparti with her and saw Sai Baba. We journeyed through the South Indian desert to the village; the song emerged from that darshan, that experience. When I wrote 'Miracles,' I had my love for my girlfriend and my love for Sai Baba, two very different forms of love running through me. So the song is about both of them. I picked up my guitar and I started singing 'If only you believe, if only you believe like I believe, we'll get by. The words flowed one after another, along with the music. I got the song written down in one draft, on a sheet of yellow paper." At the end of 1978, after several major hits including "Miracles," "With Your Love," "Count on Me," and "Runaway" with Jefferson Starship, Marty left the band.
In 1981, he released his first solo album, Balin, featuring two Top 40 hits. "Hearts" and "Atlanta Lady." This was followed in 1983 by a second solo album. Lucky, along with a Japanese-only EP called “There's No Shoulder.” After touring the world, Marty came home to San Francisco in 1984 and put together a new band featuring guitarist Mark “Slick” Aguilar.
Slick had played guitar with KC & the Sunshine Band, Wayne Cochran, Buddy Miles, and David Crosby. “Slick met me and said I’m your guitar player, and I told him I had a guitar player, and he said 'No I’m your guitar player' and he gave me his number. He went back home and I was working with guitarist Johnny DeCaro at the time. Slick called me once a week and asked if I needed a guitar player and I’d say I have one. Then I had to let Johnny go and the next day Slick called me and said 'Hey, you need a guitar player,' and I said, 'Ya know I need a guitar player.' It was kind a funny.”
In 1985 Balin teamed up with Paul Kantner and Jack Casady to form the KBC Band. “Paul left the Jefferson Starship. He was frustrated and upset with the current direction of the band. I told him to come over and rehearse with my band. So we’d rehearse my band in the day time, take a break and come back in the evening and rehearse with Paul and Jack. Then Paul went and got a contract with Arista for the KBC Band.”
After the breakup of the KBC band, a 1989 reunion album and tour with Jefferson Airplane followed. "Until we walked out on stage for our first concert, it was the same old B.S.. After the first song, however, I just turned to Grace and it all came back to me suddenly ... and that thing we had between us came back. I started singing my songs right to her and making love to her on stage. The crowd went wild and it became a physical thing. The people who saw the live shows saw the real Airplane. We did not let down the legend."
In 1993, Marty reunited with Paul Kantner in Jefferson Starship - The Next Generation, and in 1997 he recorded a fourth solo album, Freedom Flight. Followed in 1999 by Jefferson Starship’s Windows of Heaven. Also that same year Marty recorded the cover album Marty Balin’s Greatest Hits with guitarist Mark "Slick" Aguilar.
2010 came with a rockin’ start with the recording of the 2011 release album, The Witcher. In late November 09 co producer Joe Vertino came to the studio with live tracks that he had recorded in 1985-86 of Marty playing various San Francisco Bay area clubs. The songs included I Want You, Just A Dream, Boulivard, and Love Don’t Lie which were never recorded in the studio. After listening to collection Marty knew what the next recording project would be. “Let’s put together a band together and record a totally live album in the studio featuring these songs”. Co producer Jim “Pinky” Beeman suggested guitarist Guy Walker. Guy brought in keyboard player Tony Mania, Brian Snaps on Sax, and Rob Alexander on bass. Power house drummer Michele Silvia who played on the Blue Highway sessions was the obvious choice. A new session band was formed. Marty suggested rerecording a few other tracks as well. The Witcher (Bodasious DF), Dream Motorcycle, (KBC Band), Sleep Walkin’(Rowain Brothers), and LA Girls (Jesse Barish). The album was recorded in 2 days.
