The Great Society (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Defunct | 1966 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
| Products | Rock music, live albums, singles |
The Great Society (occasionally referred to as The Great!! Society!!) was a rock band from the United States active between 1965 and 1966, closely associated with the San Francisco Bay Area's acid rock movement. The group is primarily recognized as the original ensemble featuring model-turned-vocalist Grace Slick. The founding members comprised Grace Slick, her then-spouse Jerry Slick on drums, Jerry’s brother Darby Slick on guitar, David Miner handling vocals and guitar, Bard DuPont on bass, and Peter van Gelder playing flute, bass, and saxophone. Prior to the band's disbandment, Miner and DuPont departed.
History
During late summer 1965, after drawing inspiration from the Beatles and witnessing a performance by Jefferson Airplane, Grace Slick along with Darby and Jerry Slick established the band. Their first appearance took place at the Coffee Gallery located in San Francisco’s North Beach district on October 15, 1965, with performances continuing into 1966.
In February 1966, the band issued a single featuring Darby Slick's composition "Someone to Love" with "Free Advice" as the B-side, released via Autumn Records' Northbeach label. The record achieved modest recognition primarily within the Bay Area. During their contract with Autumn, they collaborated with producer Sylvester Stewart (later known as Sly Stone), who reportedly ceased involvement after requiring more than fifty takes to satisfactorily complete "Free Advice."
Building their reputation by opening for Jefferson Airplane and other regional groups, The Great Society earned a deal with Columbia Records. However, before finalizing this contract, Grace Slick left to join Jefferson Airplane as lead singer, replacing Signe Toly Anderson. Without Grace as their focal point, The Great Society disbanded in autumn 1966. Subsequently, Grace and Jerry Slick ended their marriage.
Jefferson Airplane recorded "Someone to Love" (renamed "Somebody to Love") alongside Grace’s "White Rabbit" for their 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow, both tracks reaching the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. To leverage Grace's rising fame, Columbia released live recordings of The Great Society from San Francisco’s The Matrix nightclub on the 1968 albums Conspicuous Only in Its Absence and How It Was. These recordings were later reissued as a double LP titled Collector's Item in 1971 and subsequently issued on CD by Edsel Records (1989) and Columbia (2008). In 1995, Sundazed Music compiled Born to Be Burned, which included their initial single along with previously unreleased studio material.
During the 1960s, "The Great Society" was a frequently adopted band name due to its connection with President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society initiatives. Interestingly, in Fort Worth, Texas, two distinct bands named Great Society performed separately on the same night.
Members
- Darby Slick – guitar, backing vocals (1965–1966)
- Grace Slick – vocals, piano, recorder, organ, guitar, bass (1965–1966)
- Jerry Slick – drums (1965–1966; deceased 2020)
- Peter van Gelder – bass, flute, saxophone (1965–1966)
- David Miner – vocals, guitar (1965–1966)
- Bard Dupont – bass, harmonica (1965–1966)
- Oscar Daniels – guitar (1965)
- Jeannie Piersol – vocals (1965)
Albums
| Album | Record Label | Release Year | Recording Year | Notes |
| Conspicuous Only in Its Absence1 | Columbia | 1968 | 1966 | Issued live recordings following Jefferson Airplane's rise to fame |
| How It Was | Columbia | 1968 | 1966 | Additional live tracks released after Jefferson Airplane gained popularity |
| Collector's Item | Columbia | 1971 | 1966 | Two-LP set reissuing previous Columbia live albums |
| Live at the Matrix | Edsel/Demon | 1989 | 1966 | UK re-release of Columbia’s live session recordings |
| Born to Be Burned | Sundazed | 1995 | 1965 | Studio archival tracks from Northbeach single sessions |
1A live rendition of "Somebody to Love" from this album was featured on the 1968 Columbia compilation Rock Machine – I Love You.
Singles
- "Someone to Love"/"Free Advice" (Northbeach No. 1001), February 1966
- "Sally, Go 'Round The Roses"/"Didn't Think So" (CBS 44583), 1968