"White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" - Jefferson Airplane on the Smothers Brothers

"Somebody To Love/White Rabbit Jefferson Airplane"

foghatrules, YouTube (February 1, 2007)
video 6:35

"Jefferson Airplane performing live BOTH WHITE RABBIT AND SOMEBODY TO LOVE on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour!..."

The video includes introductions by each of the Smothers brothers.

This video was a treat for me, since the sound and picture quality are about as good as they were back in the sixties - and this video was a nostalgic trip back to my younger days.

The reference to eating / smoking bananas brings up the drug culture of that era. At the time, I enjoyed psychedelic art and music. I still do.

I've described the period to my kids as 'great music, great art, daft ideas.' As Jimi Hendrix discovered, adding chemicals to the mix that's already in your brain isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Those were exciting, crazy, times: and I'm glad I survived.

For the record, I didn't smoke bananas - the way my brain works, all I have to do is let up on the brakes a little.

As to why I still enjoy and appreciate art and music from that period: It was a wonderful experiment, intended to expand human understanding.

A great many talented people fried their brains in the process of bringing us those images and sounds. Many of them died. I think ignoring what they accomplished would impoverish our culture, and add to the loss we all suffered.

I also sincerely hope that the next outpouring of creativity can happen without the loss of so many minds and lives.