Miracles. Jefferson Starship

What is the most beautiful ballad ever made?

This question is probably impossible to answer and may change by the day, but if I would have to choose one it is very likely that I will choose Miracles. That Marty Balin was able to write great ballads had already been proven in abundance with 'Today' and especially 'Coming Back To Me', both on Jefferson Airplane's 1967 breakthrough album 'Surrealistic Pillow'. With Miracles he may have written the best (rock) ballad ever.

Miracles is the second song on Jefferson Starship's second album, 'Red Octopus' (1975). Balin had returned to the mothership after contributing one song, 'Caroline', to the band's debut album 'Dragonfly' (1974). Jefferson Starship rose from the smoldering embers of the crashed Airplane. Marty Balin had left first. Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy had started Hot Tuna. Spencer Dryden had joined the New Riders of the Purple Sage, Paul Kantner and Grace Slick had made solo and duo albums and finally a trio album with David Freiburg, the fantastic 'Baron From Tollbooth And The Chrome Nun' (1973). In between Jefferson Airplane had released three albums, before Kantner, Slick and Freiburg started Jefferson Starship with Pete Sears, Craig Chaquico, Papa John Creach and John Barbata, who died this May, I now find.

Back to Miracles. I bought 'Red Octopus' most likely around 1980, as a best buy in an American or Canadian cardboard sleeve. It was Miracles that stood out and always has since. Right up to this day. The song is about the beauty of love and hope, of enjoying having sex and pleasure and all caught in fantastically beautiful music in which every single note is just right.

It starts with Pete Sears' bass and strings creating a mood that can only be called "zwoel", in Dutch. It translates into sultry. This song moves slowly, suggesting a warm, humid, late summer evening, with the heat barely at the pleasant side. Miracles is all about "swirling and dancing", but ever so slow. In comes an organ played by Freiburg, who created a simply beautiful intro to the song. There is a bongo or conga mixed into the whole played by guest musician Bobbye Hall. Also note the electric piano playing a contra melody, played by Sears also. Marty Balin bursts into the chorus immediately. From the start he gives his all. The only "mistake" in the song is evident after the first line. The intro organ plays its intro melody once again, but it doesn't fit the chord, a one note change fixes it later on.

In the chorus the call and response is started between singer, Balin, and singer Grace Slick solo or supported by the whole band, minus Papa John Creach, the senior of the band. Balin's soothing and tempting voice contrasts with Slick's. She's herself here and not pretending. The band though has never sounded suaver before or after. They sing as soft as silk. Slick is stealing the show though with her responses, aiding Balin onwards and onwards towards his goal and climax.

Going into the first verse, the finesse of the songs comes through more and more. Pete Sears shows his musicianship here in full glory. The way he manages to draw out the piano notes, each time with e few notes more than I would expect and each single note adding more beauty. At the final note Craig Chaquico takes over and manages to play just a few completely right notes right before the next line. The timing is impeccable creating jawdropping beauty. Both sound like a drops of a small brook on stones in it.

Miracles is a long song, nearly seven minutes and not one second too long. There is a single (7") version of about the half in length, which I never heard, and made it to number 3 in the States. The album made it to number 1 and is certified platinum twice. The single comes without all the references to sex of which there are plenty in the album version. Marty Balin was in love and the whole world was allowed to know. There's no half work here. "I might have to move heaven and Earth to prove it you baby", he sings. He's going for it all right. In general the singers steal the show on Miracles but do pay attention to the lead guitar. Subtle notes grace the singers.

I can write what I like here, but words are not enough to describe what I feel listening to the song. A song that easily lets tears well in my eyes when I connect the song to my own love of quite some years. We believed in miracles and received it together.

Balin manages to flesh out the lyrics in the song and his words make the song seem to change, which it does not. Until 5 minutes forty seconds when the bridge comes in and Balin manages to reach ever higher notes and the saxophone solo of Irv Cox symbolises the climax (of the song), that ends with a repeat of the chorus and slowly but surely ends.

Reading Wikipedia Balin, who had just rejoined the band early in 1975, brought in this song he had been working on and nobody liked it. Resulting in it not going anywhere in rehearsals. (Everyone playing in a band knows who this can go.) Apparently something changed as Jefferson Starship recorded what is probably its best song, if not the best song of all the members' whole careers. Larry Cox was the band's co-producer and may justly receive the credits for the great sound of the song. So many instruments and they all have a chance to shine. Barbata's drumming supports it in modest yet present way, the bass that comes forward, Kantner's subtle acoustic guitar. All is audible once you open your ears to the song. And then the singing. This band, once it embraced the song, really went for it with this brilliant result. A love song of epic proportions if I ever heard one.

How the love Balin was inspired by ended, I have no idea of. Whether there is another woman in this world who was sung to in this impactful way, I strongly doubt. Miracles is a beautiful song in so many ways. A monument for a band of which most members in 2024 are no longer alive.

Wout de Natris

P.S. what is your favourite ballad? Let us know.