It started with Jefferson Airplane …
While remaining best known for his contributions to the pioneering San Francisco psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane, Marty Balin also enjoyed a successful solo career, scoring a Top Ten hit in 1981 with “Hearts.”
Born Martyn Jerel Buchwald in Cincinnati, OH on January 30, 1942, he was raised in the Bay Area and later attended San Francisco State University; though he initially pursued a career as a painter, after appearing in a production of West Side Story Balin turned to music, issuing the solo singles “Nobody But You” and “I Specialize in Love” on Challenge in 1962.
Two years later he joined the folk combo the Town Criers, followed by a brief stint with the Gateway Singers; in 1965, Balin met singer/guitarist Paul Kantner at the local club the Drinking Gourd, and together they formed Jefferson Airplane.
Initially a folk-rock venture, the group quickly came to epitomize the nascent psychedelic scene, scoring a gold record with their 1966 debut LP Jefferson Airplane Takes Off; although vocalist Grace Slick was the focal point of hits such as “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit,” Balin’s soulful tenor proved a pivotal element of their sound as well, and he also wrote key compositions including “Today,” “Share a Little Joke,” and “Volunteers.”
However, long-standing ego clashes with Kantner and Slick forced Balin out of Jefferson Airplane in 1971; he then formed the short-lived Bodacious D.F., which issued their lone, self-titled album two years later. In early 1975 he rejoined the newly-rechristened Jefferson Starship, contributing perhaps his most memorable effort with the smash single “Miracles.”
Balin also sang lead on the hits “With Your Love” and “Count on Me,” but he again left the group in 1978, penning the rock opera Rock Justice before mounting a solo career with 1981’s Balin, which generated “Hearts” and its follow-up, “Atlanta Lady.”
After issuing 1983’s Lucky, he next joined Kantner and fellow Airplane alum Jack Casady in the KBC Band; in 1989, all three participated in a Jefferson Airplane reunion which yielded a new studio album and tour before sputtering out. In 1991, Balin issued Better Generation and two years later joined Kantner’s Jefferson Starship—The Next Generation project, concurrently continuing his solo career with 1997’s Freedom Flight. 1999’s Marty Balin’s Greatest Hits assembled re-recordings of past favorites.
Words from allmusic.com. More info at the official website.
Discography
Balin & Lucky
BGO Records 2013
Tracks: Hearts, You Left Your Mark on Me, Lydia!, Atlanta Lady, Spotlight, I Do Believe in You, Elvis and Marilyn, Tell Me More, Music Is the Light, Born to Be a Winner, What Do People Like, Just Like That, Do It for Love, What Love Is, Heart of Stone, Palm of Your Hand, Will You Forever, All We Really Need & When Love Comes
Musicians on the Balin & Lucky album: Marty Balin and others.
Live At The Great American Music Hall 2000
Floating World 2011
Tracks: Disc 1: "How Now Brown Cow", Crown of Creation, St. Charles, Today, Lather, Borderlands, We Can Be Together, Good Shepherd, The Farm, Hey Fredrick, Caroline, Runaway & Hearts. Disc 2: The Baby Tree, Shadowlands, Miracles, Jpp McStepp B. Blues, Wooden Ships, Eskimo Blue Day, Plastic Fantastic Lover, Meadowlands/America, Volunteers, Comin' Back To Me, Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon, It's No Secret & Somebody To Love.
Musicians on the Live At The Great American Music Hall 2000: Marty Balin, Paul Kantner and others.
The Witcher
Balince Music 2011
Tracks: The Witcher, Turn Me Up, L.A. Girls, Love Don't Lie, Gonga of Love, Just a Dream, I Want You, Dream Motorcycle, Boulevard & Sleepwalkin'.
Musicians on the Witcher album: Marty Balin, Guy Walker, Brian Snapp, Tony Manna & Michael Silvia.
415 Music
Balince Music 2011
Tracks: Street Wars, I Don´t Want To Loss Your Love, Help Wanted, Will You Forever, Take A Chance On Love, Born To Be A Winner, Just A Dream, Loves Got A Hold On Me, What Is Love, Hearts, Camellia & What Do You People Like.
Musicians on the 415 Music album: Marty Balin and others.
Blue Highway
Balince Music 2010
Tracks: Blue Highway, I Need Love, City Lights, Somehow the Tired Reach Home, Don't Be Sad Anymore, Sure Can Make Love, Goddess, Viva La Vida, Versace, Drivin' Me Crazy, Rocket Launcher, Solidarity, Papa John & Feelin' the Love Again.
Musicians on the Blue Highway album: Marty Balin, Slick Aguilar, Michael Silva, Joe Lala, Valerie Carter, Jaybo Key, Kirk Adams, Gary Gray, Fikret Ibrisevic, Charlie DeShant, Chris Smith, Liz Adams & Gale Trippsmith.
Time For Every Season
Balince Music 2009
Tracks: Free As A Bird, Viva La Vida, Can´t Dance You Out Of My Mind, Don´t Be Sad Anymore, City Lights, Rockin´Blues, L.A. Girls, Dance All Night & Time For Every Season.
Musicians on the Time For Every Season album: Marty Balin and others.
Nothin´2 Lose
Balince Music 2009
Tracks: Nothin´2 Lose, I´m The One, U Know What I Like, What About Love, Camellia, Devil Wears Lingerie, Shaping The Night, What´s New In Your World, Valerie, Yes Yes Yes, Shock Me, Mary Ann, Breathe Away, Maybe 4 U, Someone, Candles & Always.
Musicians on the Nothin´2 Lose album: Marty Balin and others.
Nashville Sessions
Balince Music 2008
Tracks: Hide My Heart, Mercy Of The Moon, Rising From The Ashes, Lost Highway, Nobody But You, Pieces Of The Rain, Count On Me, We Rise With Our Dreams. Hold Me, Red Roses & Mercy Of The Moon (Extended).
Musicians on the Nashville Sessions album: Marty Balin and others.
A Collection
Rhino Records 2000
Tracks: Today, Miracles, Hearts, Atlanta Lady (previously unreleased), Do It For Love (previously unreleased), What Love Is, There's No Shoulder, Hold Me, Sayonara, Camellia, Valerie, Candles, What's New In The World & What About Love?.
Musicians on the A Collection album: Marty Balin and others.
Greatest Hits
Trove Records 1999
Tracks: Disc 1: When Love Comes, Miracles, Atlanta Lady, Plastic Fantastic Lover, Until You, Count On Me, Today, My Heart Picked You, Hearts, What Love Is, Runaway, Beautiful Girl, Summer Of Love, With Your Love, Coming Back to Me & Volunteers. Disc 2: Interviews with Marty about Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney.
Musicians on the Greatest Hits album: Marty Balin and others.
Freedom Flight
Solid Discs 1997
Tracks: You And Me, Oceans Apart, Anna (I Miss You), I Wanna Hold You Now, I Wish You Could Stay With Me, Party On Space Avenue, Come Back Home, You´re Are My Everything, You Mean The World To Me, Angel, Life Is Not The Same, Jupiter Help Me Get My Venus Back & It Used To Be Me.
Musicians on the Freedom Flight album: Marty Balin and others.
Wish I Were
Beverly Records 1995
Tracks: Wish I Were, Treadin´Waters, Valerie, Camellia, What About Love, What´s New In Your World, Mercy Of The Moon, Let´s Go, Green Light, Let It Live, Even Though, Always Tomorrow, See The Light & Summer Of Love.
Musicians on the Wish I Were album: Martin Balin, Jaren Deal, Kerry Kearney & Ed Michaels.
Better Generation
GWE Records 1991
Tracks: Better Generation, Skydiver, Mercy Of The Moon, Green Light, Let It Live, Wish I Were, Don't Change On Me, Let's Go, See The Light, It's No Secret, Even Though, Always Tomorrow, Treadin' Water, Lady Now, Volunteers & Summer Of Love.
Musicians on the Better Generation album: Marty Balin, Kerry Kearney, Karen Deal, Richard Bennett, Sonny Garrish, Biff Watson, Bernie Leadon, Terry McMillan, John Jarvis, Phil Naish, Willie Weeks, Ed Michaels & Harry Stinson.
There´s No Shoulder
EMI Records 1983
Tracks: There's No Shoulder, Regrets of the Rain, I Can Fly & Long After Midnight.
Musicians on the There´s No Shoulder album: Marty Balin, Tsuyoshi Kon, Chuei Yoshokawa, Shigeru Okazawa, Akira Inoue, Keishi Urata, Hideo Yamaki, Motoya Hamaguchi, Hidefumi Toki, Ohno Strings & Eve.
Lucky
EMI Records 1983
Tracks: Born To Be A Winner, What Do People Like, Just Like That, Do It For Love, What Love Is, Heart Of Stone, Palm Of Your Hand, Will You Forever, All We Really Need & When Love Comes.
Musicians on the Lucky album: Marty Balin and others.
Balin
EMI Records 1981
Tracks: Hearts, You Left Your Mark On Me, Lydia!, Atlanta Lady, Spotlight, I Do Believe In You, Elvis And Marilyn, Tell Me More & Music Is The Light.
Musicians on the Balin album: Marty Balin, John Hug, Bill Lewis, Steve Forman, Bobbye Hall, Ken Watson, Michael Boddicker, Mark Cummings, John Jarvis, Neil Larsen, Richard Bassil, Bill Champlin, Johnny DeCaro, David Landau, Bill Lewis & Rick Nowels.