60s Psychedelic: #6 "White Rabbit" Jefferson Airplane (1967)

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You knew a song with a hookah smoking caterpillar had to make the list. “White Rabbit” is a classic mind blower from a legendary group symbolizing the 60s. Jefferson Airplane epitomized the San Francisco sound and played the era’s three major music festivals: Woodstock, Monterey and Altamont. The band was formed in 1965 by Marty Balin, Paul Kantner and company. Grace Slick joined later replacing the original female singer. She had written and recorded “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” for her previous band The Great Society and brought them to Jefferson Airplane. Both songs appear on the “Surrealistic Pillow” album with “White Rabbit” a hit at Billboard #8. “One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small and the ones that mother gives you don’t do anything at all Go ask Alice when she’s ten feet tall” It is common knowledge the song was inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Alice on Wonderland” and drug use. Jefferson Airplane were one of the most drug fueled bands around. The “Bolero” effect to the song was deliberate. No other song says psychedelic druggy 60s like “White Rabbit.” In 1972, the band split into Jefferson Starship and Hot Tuna. Jefferson Airplane was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.