Signe Toly Anderson
Encyclopedia
Signe Toly Anderson is an American singer who was one of the founding members of the American
rock band
Jefferson Airplane
.
, and was a locally known and well-respected jazz and folk singer before joining Jefferson Airplane after a trip to San Francisco. Soon after joining the Airplane, she married one of the Merry Pranksters
, Jerry Anderson, a marriage that lasted from 1965 to 1974. She sang on the first Jefferson Airplane album, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off
, most notably on the song "Chauffeur Blues
". Anderson distrusted the Airplane's original manager, Matthew Katz
, and refused to sign a contract with him until he inserted a special escape clause
freeing her from him if she left the band for any reason.
to the band. Though the birth of her daughter, Lilith, was largely the cause of her departure, there were other factors such as the hostility of other band members towards her husband (see the book Got A Revolution - The Turbulent Flight of Jefferson Airplane).
. Both performances were recorded (as were most Fillmore shows) and have surfaced on some bootleg albums. In August, 2010, Collector's Choice music in cooperation with Sony finally released the second show on a legitimate CD issue. At what seemed to be the end of the second set, Marty Balin
returned to announce that Anderson was leaving the group. Her goodbye to the fans, recorded for posterity, was as follows: "I want you all to wear smiles and daisies and box balloons. I love you all. Thank you and goodbye." At several fans' request, Anderson and the band performed her signature number, "Chauffeur Blues." They finished the night with "High Flying Bird," and thus ended Anderson's tenure with the Airplane. Without missing a beat, the band returned to play two more shows the following night with Grace Slick
on board for the first time.
This entire performance will be officially released on October 26, 2010 as "Jefferson Airplane: Live At The Fillmore Auditorium 10/15/66 Signe's Farewell". The tracklisting is the following:
and the Natural Gas Company. In the mid 1970s she recovered from cancer. In the mid 1990s she suffered further serious health problems. While she recovered from these ailments her family faced serious financial problems from the costs involved.
In 1997 she married local building contractor Michael Alois Ettlin and retired from singing. In recent years she has made guest appearances with the KBC Band
and Jefferson Starship
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
.
Early life and joining Jefferson Airplane
Anderson was raised in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and was a locally known and well-respected jazz and folk singer before joining Jefferson Airplane after a trip to San Francisco. Soon after joining the Airplane, she married one of the Merry Pranksters
Merry Pranksters
The Merry Pranksters were a group of people who formed around American author Ken Kesey in 1964 and sometimes lived communally at his homes in California and Oregon...
, Jerry Anderson, a marriage that lasted from 1965 to 1974. She sang on the first Jefferson Airplane album, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off
Jefferson Airplane Takes Off
Jefferson Airplane Takes Off is the debut album of San Francisco rock band Jefferson Airplane, released on RCA Victor Records in September 1966. The personnel differ from the later "classic" lineup and the music is more folk-rock than the harder psychedelic sound for which the band later became...
, most notably on the song "Chauffeur Blues
Chauffeur Blues
Chauffeur Blues is a song written by Lester Melrose. It was originally called Me and My Chauffeur Blues and performed by Memphis Minnie and covered by many other artists....
". Anderson distrusted the Airplane's original manager, Matthew Katz
Matthew Katz
Matthew Katz is a music manager and producer, most notable as the former manager of Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape and It's A Beautiful Day. Katz was also one of the vanguard litigants in the famous Napster litigation, where he fought to protect property rights of music publishers.-History:Matthew...
, and refused to sign a contract with him until he inserted a special escape clause
Escape clause
An escape clause is any clause, term or condition in a contract that allows a party to that contract to avoid having to perform the contract....
freeing her from him if she left the band for any reason.
Departure from Jefferson Airplane
Her departure in late 1966 following the birth of her first daughter brought The Great Society vocalist Grace SlickGrace Slick
Grace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...
to the band. Though the birth of her daughter, Lilith, was largely the cause of her departure, there were other factors such as the hostility of other band members towards her husband (see the book Got A Revolution - The Turbulent Flight of Jefferson Airplane).
Signe's Last
Signe Anderson's last live performances with the Jefferson Airplane were two sets on October 15, 1966 at The FillmoreThe Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
. Both performances were recorded (as were most Fillmore shows) and have surfaced on some bootleg albums. In August, 2010, Collector's Choice music in cooperation with Sony finally released the second show on a legitimate CD issue. At what seemed to be the end of the second set, Marty Balin
Marty Balin
Marty Balin is an American musician. He is best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane.-Early life:Martyn Buchwald was born in Cincinnati, Ohio...
returned to announce that Anderson was leaving the group. Her goodbye to the fans, recorded for posterity, was as follows: "I want you all to wear smiles and daisies and box balloons. I love you all. Thank you and goodbye." At several fans' request, Anderson and the band performed her signature number, "Chauffeur Blues." They finished the night with "High Flying Bird," and thus ended Anderson's tenure with the Airplane. Without missing a beat, the band returned to play two more shows the following night with Grace Slick
Grace Slick
Grace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...
on board for the first time.
This entire performance will be officially released on October 26, 2010 as "Jefferson Airplane: Live At The Fillmore Auditorium 10/15/66 Signe's Farewell". The tracklisting is the following:
Track listing
- "Jam" (Signe Anderson, Paul KantnerPaul KantnerPaul Lorin Kantner is an American rock musician, known for co-founding the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane and its spin-off band Jefferson Starship.- Overview :...
, Marty BalinMarty BalinMarty Balin is an American musician. He is best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane.-Early life:Martyn Buchwald was born in Cincinnati, Ohio...
, Jorma KaukonenJorma KaukonenJorma Ludwik Kaukonen Jr. is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist, best known for his work with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.-Biography:...
, Jack CasadyJack CasadyJack Casady , is an American musician considered one of the foremost bass guitarists of the rock music era and best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane. First playing as a lead guitarist with the Washington D.C...
, Spencer DrydenSpencer DrydenSpencer Dryden was an American musician best known as the longest-serving drummer for Jefferson Airplane. He also played with New Riders of the Purple Sage, The Dinosaurs, and The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.-Early life:...
) - "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds" (Balin)
- "Runnin Round This World " (Balin, Kantner)
- "Tobacco RoadTobacco Road (song)"Tobacco Road" is a song written and first recorded by John D. Loudermilk in 1960 that was a hit for The Nashville Teens in 1964 and has since become a standard across several musical genres....
" (John D. Loudermilk) - "Come Up The Years" (Balin, Kantner)
- "Go To Her" (Kantner, Irving Estes)
- "Fat Angel" (Donovan Leitch)
- "And I Like It" (Balin, Kaukonen)
- "In the Midnight HourIn the Midnight Hour"In the Midnight Hour" is a song originally performed by Wilson Pickett in 1965 and released on the 1966 album The Exciting Wilson Pickett. It was composed by Pickett and Steve Cropper at the historic Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Martin Luther King, Jr. would later be murdered in April 1968...
" (Wilson Pickett, Steve Cropper) - "Goodbye To Signe 1" (Balin)
- "Chauffeur BluesChauffeur BluesChauffeur Blues is a song written by Lester Melrose. It was originally called Me and My Chauffeur Blues and performed by Memphis Minnie and covered by many other artists....
" (Lester MelroseLester MelroseLester Melrose was one of the first American producers of blues records.-Career:He was born Lester Franklin Melrose in Sumner, Illinois, United States, the second of six children of Frank and Mollie Melrose who owned a small farm...
) - "High Flyin' Bird" (Billy Edd Wheeler)
- "Goodbye To Signe 2" (Bill GrahamBill GrahamWilliam Carvel "Bill" Graham, PC QC is a former Canadian politician, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Defence, and Leader of the Opposition and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Personal life:...
)
Life after Jefferson Airplane
After leaving the Airplane she returned to Oregon where she sang for nine years with a ten-piece band, Carl SmithCarl Smith
Carl Smith may refer to:* Carl Smith , American country music singer* Carl Smith , American football coach* Carl Smith , ice hockey winger...
and the Natural Gas Company. In the mid 1970s she recovered from cancer. In the mid 1990s she suffered further serious health problems. While she recovered from these ailments her family faced serious financial problems from the costs involved.
In 1997 she married local building contractor Michael Alois Ettlin and retired from singing. In recent years she has made guest appearances with the KBC Band
KBC Band
The KBC Band was formed in 1985 by former Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kantner , Marty Balin and Jack Casady . Other members included Keith Crossan , Tim Gorman , Mark "Slick" Aguilar and Darrell Verdusco...
and Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
.