[Starlog 3.1]
Balladacious.
The big ballad from Spitfire is credited to Marty Balin, Balin’s Bodacious D.F. bandmate Vic Smith and original Airplane drummer Joey Covington. Charlie Hickox, another BDF alum, provided Spitfire’s opening track, “Cruisin.’” Balin’s relationship with Starship was always that of a guest, and I had the impression he was renting space in the band rather than buying into the idea of a Jefferson Airplane Part Two. Of course, ballads like this paid the rent and then some, so I don’t think anyone was complaining. The B side is Grace Slick’s “Switchblade” from Spitfire, which is typical of her intense but unmemorable tracks.
Original 7-inch single version
A1. With Your Love (Martin Balin/Joey Covington/Vic Smith) (3:33)
B1. Switchblade (Grace Slick) (4:01)
7-inch back-to-back hits reissue
A1. Miracles (Marty Balin) (3:25)
B1. With Your Love (Martin Balin/Joey Covington/Vic Smith) (3:33)
The Plastic
Originally released on 7-inch on July 1976 in the US, on August 27, 1976 in the UK, Germany and Spain (Grunt, FB-10746), and in 1976 in Japan (Grunt, SS-3033) and Mexico (RCA, SP-4621); reached #12 on the US charts (charted on July 24, 1976 for 17 weeks). Some regional releases feature a picture sleeve.
- Re-released with “Miracles” on back-to-back hits 7-inch single in April 1977in the US (Grunt, GB-10941).
I MUST disagree with your assessment of “Switchblade”, which I first discovered on this single. It’s FAR better than the A-side. I dare say that it invites positive comparisons with Renaissance (I even thought “Carpet of the Sun” might be a JS song, before I got to college in the Northeast). I would even go further and say this is the best solo composition that she wrote for the Starship.
As for the A-side, I wonder how the three writers, from different parts of the Airplane/Starship timeline, got together to write the song? BTW, as I am sure you know, Joey was not the “original” Airplane drummer.