Red Octopus is the second album by American rock band Jefferson Starship, released on Grunt Records in 1975. Certified double platinum by RIAA in 1995, it is the best-selling album by any incarnation of Jefferson Airplane and its spin-off groups. The single "Miracles" was the highest-charting single any permutation of the band had until Starship's "We Built This City" a decade later, ultimately peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart; the album itself reached No. 1 for four non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200. As was common in the era, stereo and quadraphonic mixes of the album were released concurrently.
Red Octopus | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 1975[1] | |||
Recorded | February 1975 | |||
Studio | Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco, CA | |||
Genre | Art pop[2] | |||
Length | 42:00 61:58 (Including 2005 CD Bonus Tracks) | |||
Label | Grunt | |||
Producer | Jefferson Starship, Larry Cox | |||
Jefferson Starship chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Christgau's Record Guide | B−[4] |
Following a guest appearance on the preceding Dragon Fly, Jefferson Airplane founder Marty Balin returned as a fully integrated member of the ensemble. Balin wrote or co-wrote five of the ten tracks on the album, including "Miracles."[5] The group attempted to create a commercial sound, which was a total contrast to their past works and paved the musical path for their next two albums.[6]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Fast Buck Freddie" | Grace Slick | Craig Chaquico | 3:28 |
2. | "Miracles" | Marty Balin | Marty Balin | 6:52 |
3. | "Git Fiddler" (instrumental) | Papa John Creach, Kevin Moore, John Parker | 3:08 | |
4. | "Ai Garimasũ (There Is Love)" | Grace Slick | Grace Slick | 4:15 |
5. | "Sweeter than Honey" | Balin, Craig Chaquico | Craig Chaquico, Pete Sears | 3:20 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Play on Love" | Grace Slick | Pete Sears | 3:44 |
2. | "Tumblin'" | Marty Balin, Robert Hunter | David Freiberg | 3:27 |
3. | "I Want to See Another World" | Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, Marty Balin | Paul Kantner | 4:34 |
4. | "Sandalphon" (instrumental) | Pete Sears | 4:08 | |
5. | "There Will Be Love" | Paul Kantner, Marty Balin | Paul Kantner, Craig Chaquico | 5:04 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
11. | "Miracles" (single version) | Marty Balin | Marty Balin | 3:29 |
12. | "Band Introduction" (live, November 7, 1975 at Winterland) | 1:14 | ||
13. | "Fast Buck Freddie" (live, November 7, 1975 at Winterland) | Grace Slick | Craig Chaquico | 3:34 |
14. | "There Will Be Love" (live, November 7, 1975 at Winterland) | Paul Kantner, Marty Balin | Paul Kantner, Craig Chaquico | 4:57 |
15. | "You're Driving Me Crazy" (live, November 7, 1975 at Winterland) | Vic Smith | Vic Smith | 6:44 |
Additional personnel
Production
Chart (1975-1976) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian albums (Kent Music Report)[7] | 69 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8] | 13 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[9] | 15 |
US Billboard 200[10] | 1 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[11] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |