Spitfire (Jefferson Starship album)

Spitfire
Cover art by Shusei Nagaoka
Studio album by Jefferson Starship
Released	June, 1976
Recorded	March, 1976 at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco
Genre	AOR
Length	42:04
Label	Grunt/RCA
Producer	Larry Cox / Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship chronology
Red Octopus (1975) Spitfire (1976) Flight Log (1977)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	(C)[2]

Spitfire is a 1976 album by the rock band Jefferson Starship. It was released a year after the chart-topping Red Octopus, and quickly scaled the charts, spending six consecutive weeks at number three on Billboard and going platinum. The album features writing contributions from members of singer Marty Balin's former band Bodacious DF, as well Jesse Barish, who became one of Balin's frequent collaborators. This album was released in both stereo and quadraphonic. "Song to the Sun" was included in the 1977 Laserock program.^[3]

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Cruisin'"	Charles Hickox	Hickox	5:27
2.	"Dance with the Dragon"	Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, Marty Balin, Craig Chaquico	Kantner, Chaquico, Pete Sears	5:02
3.	"Hot Water"	Slick	Sears	3:17
4.	"St. Charles"	Kantner, Balin, Jesse Barish, Chaquico, Thunderhawk	Kantner, Chaquico	6:38

Side two
No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
5.	"Song to the Sun: Part I: Ozymandias / Part II: Don't Let It Rain"	instrumental / Kantner, China Wing Kantner	P. Kantner, Chaquico, John Barbata, David Freiberg, Sears, Slick / P. Kantner	1:39 / 5:36
6.	"With Your Love"	Balin, Joey Covington, Vic Smith	Balin, Covington, Smith	3:33
7.	"Switchblade"	Slick	Slick	4:01
8.	"Big City"	Barbata, Joel Scott Hill, Chris Ethridge	Barbata, Hill, Ethridge	3:20
9.	"Love Lovely Love"	Barish	Barish	3:31

Personnel

• Grace Slick – lead and backing vocals, piano (5a, 7)
• Marty Balin – lead and backing vocals
• Paul Kantner – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
• Craig Chaquico – lead guitar, backing vocals
• David Freiberg – keyboards (1-4, 5b, 6, 9), lead and backing vocals, ARP synthesizer (5a), bass (7, 8),
• Pete Sears – bass (1-6, 9), piano (2, 5b), Mellotron (3), keyboards (4, 8), organ (5a, 7), Moog (5a, 7)
• John Barbata – drums, percussion, backing and lead (8) vocals

Additional personnel

• Bobbye Hall – percussion, congas
• Dave Roberts – string and horn arrangements
• Steven Schuster – saxophone (5b)

Production

• Jefferson Starship – producer, art direction
• Larry Cox – producer, engineer
• Steve Malcolm – assistant to the engineer
• Pat Ieraci (Maurice) – production coordinator
• Bill Thompson – manager
• Cassandra Gaviola – dragon princess
• Paul Dowell – amp consultant
• John Langdon – label art
• Tim Bryant/Gribbit – album design,art direction
• Ron Slenzak – cover photography
• Shusei Nagaoka – illustration
• Recorded and Mixed at Wally Heiders, San Francisco
• Mastered by Kent Duncan, Kendun Recorders, Burbank

Singles / music videos

• "With Your Love" (7/24/76) #12 US
• "St. Charles" (12/4/76) #64 US

References

1. Ruhlmann, William (2011). "Spitfire - Jefferson Starship | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
2. Christgau, Robert (2011). "Robert Christgau: CG: Jefferson Starship". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 17 August 2011.