Jefferson Airplane’s song “White Rabbit” is one of the anthems that soundtracked the 1960s psychedelic rock scene. Lead singer Grace Slick, who was born on this day in 1939, wrote the hypnotic song that conjures imagery drawn from Lewis Carroll’s whimsical books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass.
“White Rabbit” was recorded by Slick and Jefferson Airplane for their landmark 1967 album, Surrealistic Pillow. The song was issued as a single and became Airplane’s first hit, landing in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. Over subsequent years, “White Rabbit” became one of Jefferson Airplane’s best-known songs and a cultural centerpiece of the 1960s psychedelic rock era.
Slick’s mesmerizing performances of “White Rabbit” were standout moments of Jefferson Airplane’s unforgettable live concerts. Enthralled audiences were dazzled by the song’s tantalizing depictions of enhanced experiences in Wonderland as Slick namechecked characters like the Red Queen, a hookah-smoking caterpillar, the endlessly tardy White Rabbit and Alice herself.
The song’s repeated instruction to “Feed your head,” sung by Slick in a manner that has likely compelled others to explore mental nourishment, is a defining call-to-action of that era of rock ‘n’ roll. Slick may have landed a hit with Jefferson Airplane’s version of “White Rabbit,” but that came only after it was recorded and released by another Bay Area-based group, The Great Society.
One of several bands that took their name from President Lyndon B. Johnson’s domestic policy programs, The Great Society was a short-lived San Francisco band that featured Grace Slick and her husband at the time Jerry Slick on drums. Other members of the band included Jerry Slick’s brother Darby Slick on guitar, David Miner on guitar and Peter Van Gelder on bass.
The Great Society released only one single, the Darby Slick-written “Someone To Love,” which was released by Northbeach Records in 1966. Notably, the sessions were produced by Sylvester Stewart who was on the brink of launching Sly & The Family Stone. The song, under the title “Somebody To Love,” would soon become a hit single for Jefferson Airplane when it was recorded for Surrealistic Pillow.
When Grace Slick left The Great Society to join Jefferson Airplane following the departure of original lead singer Signe Toly Anderson, she only brought with her “White Rabbit” and Darby Slick’s “Someone To Love,” but as mentioned, both proved to be significant hits for Jefferson Airplane.
Despite never recording “White Rabbit” in the studio, The Great Society included the song in their live performances. Featuring an extended intro and noticeably different arrangement from what Jefferson Airplane recorded, The Great Society’s version of “White Rabbit” from a concert performed in 1966, and Jefferson Airplane’s version, can be heard below:
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The Great Society – “White Rabbit”
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Jefferson Airplane – “White Rabbit”
Listen to recordings of The Great Society (“Someone To Love”) and Jefferson Airplane (“Somebody To Love”) to hear the evolution of that song as well:
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The Great Society -“Someone To Love”
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Jefferson Airplane – “Somebody To Love”
