Friday Nite Retro

TGIF! Okay - disclaimer time - I've actually been on vacation all week, but I still look forward to Friday Nite Retro! Tonight I'm featuring a survivor of the psychedelic 60's, a man who founded one of the biggest bands of the time, quit, came back, quit again, and went solo. Oddly enough his band couldn't make a decision either; changing their moniker and players several times over the years.

Cincinnati native Martyn Jerel Buchwald was born January 30, 1942 and, by his teens, had developed a taste for art and music. At 20 years of age he changed his name to . . .Marty Balin. Recording with Challenge Records, he released the singles "Nobody But You" and "I Specialize in Love". They garnered little attention, so he went to work with his father and got married. His interest in music did not wane and by 1963-64, Balin was leading a folk music quartet called The Town Criers, with fellow band members Larry Vargo, Jan Ellickson and Bill Collins.

Balin was the founder and featured vocalist for Jefferson Airplane from 1965 to 1971. He appeared with the group during their performance at Woodstock in 1969, and less successfully at the disastrous Altamont Speedway concert, where he was knocked unconscious by a biker from the Hells Angels motorcycle club (this event was captured on film in the documentary Gimme Shelter).

As Jefferson Airplane:

Somebody to Love


White Rabbit


Balin left the band twice. In 1971, he departed for three years, recording an album under the group name Bodacious D.F. in 1973, producing an album for the group Grootna, and returning to contribute one song, "Caroline", to Dragon Fly (by which time the band was known as Jefferson Starship).

As Jefferson Starship:

Caroline


Marty joined Jefferson Starship permanently in 1975. In late 1978, after several major hits (including "Miracles," "With Your Love," "Count on Me," and "Runaway") with Starship, Balin again departed.

Miracles


With Your Love


Count on Me


Runaway

Solo:

In 1981, he released a solo album, Balin, featuring two Top 40 hits, "Hearts" and "Atlanta Lady." This was followed in 1983 by a second solo album, Lucky.

Hearts


In 1986, he teamed up with Paul Kantner and Jack Casady to form the KBC (Kantner-Balin-Cassidy) Band. A 1989 reunion tour with most of the original members of Jefferson Airplane proved unsuccessful. In 1991 Balin reunited with Kantner in Jefferson Starship The Next Generation, which they still perform as to this day.