02 Feb Rhino Assumes Stewardship of Jefferson Starship, Starship, Hot Tuna Catalog
Read the story at Variety.
Rhino Entertainment, Warner Music Group’s catalog label, has acquired the rights to the catalogs of Jefferson Starship, Starship & Hot Tuna, effective today. Also included in the deal are rights to a selection of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna albums, solo albums by Grace Slick, and additional albums and Grunt label signings related to various other band members including Paul Kantner and David Freiberg. The announcement was made by Rhino President Mark Pinkus and band manager Jeff Jampol.
The agreement includes the use of master recordings spanning nearly twenty years, from Jefferson Airplane’s 1972 album “Long John Silver” to Starship’s 1991 “Greatest Hits (Ten Years And Change 1979-1991)” compilation. To coincide with the announcement, Rhino has released a new digital compilation “Starship Enterprise: The Best Of Jefferson Starship & Starship” and has also made all four Grace Slick solo albums (“Manhole,” “Dreams,” “Welcome To The Wrecking Ball!” and “Software”) available digitally for the first time. ”We’re real happy to have Rhino take over so much of our catalog,” said Hot Tuna/ Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady. “They have an avid interest in keeping all the great music from our youth relevant and we look forward to a great relationship and all that will manifest.””With Rhino’s awesome track record of bona fides I am thrilled that they will be shepherding the re-releases of so much of our catalog,” added bandmate Jorma Kaukonen. “I can think of no better record company to handle this task.”
In 1972, the Jefferson Airplane splintered into Hot Tuna and several solo projects, with Slick, guitarist Paul Kantner, Papa John Creach, John Barbata, Craig Chaquico and eventually Airplane cofounder Marty Balin reuniting as Jefferson Starship. That band released eight albums between 1974 and 1984, before splintering again and continuing as Starship. ”Overseeing and managing great artists’ legacies is a very specialized business, with a unique set of issues, problems, needs, and careful oversight. Rhino has the great ability to commit themselves, their extensive resources, and their passion for great music & art into long-term results and respectful handling of legacy artists’ careers and work, said Jampol, manager for Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Starship, and Hot Tuna. “It was amazing to us how passionate Rhino President Mark Pinkus was about these artists and their music – he was a true fan(atic)!”
A partial list of albums included in the deal, all of which are now available digitally:
Jefferson Airplane
Long John Silver (1972)
Thirty Seconds Over Winterland (1973)
Jefferson Starship
Dragon Fly (1974)
Red Octopus (1975)
Spitfire (1976)
Earth (1978)
Gold (1979)
Freedom At Point Zero (1979)
Modern Times (1981)
Winds Of Change (1982)
Nuclear Furniture (1984)
Starship
Knee Deep In The Hoopla (1985)
No Protection (1987)
Love Among The Cannibals (1989)
Greatest Hits (Ten Years & Change 1979-1991) (1991)