Hot Tuna

Everybody s- seems to like, be more or less like a big love fest for the most part, and it's just, the energy's amazing, the music's amazing, the people are amazing, and it's free.

I'm also here for Hot Tuna, but there's so many bands, I'm excited to learn and see new, new and interesting music that I'm, I'm open to.

It's a free admission.

It's, it's the Hellman family's gift to San Francisco.

There are other events that go on here, but I think just the, because of how long it's been going on and the type of music and presentations we put in it, it's a very unique vibe.

That's a music curator of the fest who highlighted some of the performers, including some big names on Sunday, Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin, up-and-coming artist Jessy Wells, and also legend Emmylou Harris.

And many fans that I talked to this morning are excited about Hot Tuna tomorrow, featuring former members of Jefferson Airplane.

So the entrances open at 9:00 in the morning tomorrow and Sunday, and the performances are set to end at 7:00 PM.

Now, The Devil Dogs version is just a bit different [laughs], incorporating their garage punk attitude that fits perfectly in the gunk punk era of the late '80s and into the 2000s with contemporaries like the, uh, New Bomb Turks and the Quarrys.

Before The Dogs, you heard The Tuna, as in Hot Tuna, with a cover of the blues classic Candyman ripped from an RCA label seven-inch release back in '71.

That is taken from the band's second album, First Pull Up Then Pull Down, which veered away from the acoustic qualities of their first album and established the band as a fully electric blues-based rock and roll band.

I found the single in a box of 45s given to me by a friend.

Here are just a few of the many things discussed in this episode of Discograffiti.

how Grace's first solo album directly led to the formation of Jefferson Starship, the classic fruits of the Starship's first ever session, the process of Marty Balin tiptoeing back into the Jefferson fold, Hot Tuna, The Metal Years, The Marty Miracle That Was Miracles, Paul and Grace Break Up, Hot Tuna Break Up, the show in Germany that precipitated the breakup of Jefferson Starship Mark I, and an overview of the four albums that iteration of the band released, Dragonfly, Red Octopus, Spitfire, and Earth.

And away we go then! Bill Thompson says, that summer, we had all kinds of huge shows that would gross for us a million some dollars through August.

We were making all kinds of money playing in Europe.

So much energy can be brought out.

All of a sudden, Jorma, the songwriter, found himself required to write songs for Jefferson Airplane or write songs for Hot Tuna.

Go on the road with Hot Tuna, go on the road with Jefferson Airplane.

Maybe I could have done both in a certain sense, but a songwriter couldn't just kind of write songs and get them all done in one year.

You know, it just wasn't possible.

And with the exception of a couple dates in early 72, You guys didn't play together again until the recording sessions for Long John Silver kicked off eight months later in March 72.

All right, here's some background circumstance on Long John Silver so you can listen to Jack talk with a little bit more context.

Hot Tuna had released Burgers by this point and were an even bigger concern.

You know, you said something the other day when I recruited you for this podcast.

He was like, I might want to talk about Hot Tuna.

And I was just sitting there like, Lena, we're going to have to do more research.

This guy wants to talk about something called Hot Tuna.

Yeah, that's a spinoff band like.

Whenever I'm in over my head, I go to the Rock Hall of Fame.

And Jorma Kukunin is a guitar player.

And you were talking about Jack Cassidy, the bass player.

Hello, John Barbata and David Freiberg.

And Hot Tuna released their first studio album, Burgers, and The Airplane released their final studio album, Long John Silver.

And away we go then.

It was like seeing Creamer Hendrix for the first time.

There was no farewell tour, no press conference or tear-filled announcement, no vicious mudslinging in the press.

They just went along on their merry way until one day they noticed they were no more.

Following the final airplane gigs, Jorma and Jack spent the rest of the year touring with Hot Tuna then took off to Europe to speed skate.

Jorma says, I wasn't really good at closure in those days.