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Gold (Jefferson Starship album)

Gold
Compilation album by
ReleasedJanuary 22, 1979
GenreRock
Length55:22
LabelGrunt
ProducerLarry Cox, Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship chronology
Earth
(1978)
Gold
(1979)
Freedom at Point Zero
(1979)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB−[2]

Gold is a compilation album by American rock band Jefferson Starship, released on Grunt Records in 1979. It collects the band's four Top 40 hit singles from the 1970s, as well as three additional singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, a single that missed the chart, one b-side, and one album track. All tracks were also featured on their four studio albums to date: Dragon Fly from 1974; Red Octopus from 1975; Spitfire from 1976; and Earth from 1978. It peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA.[3]

The original vinyl album comprised either album or single versions of individual tracks; for instance, the versions of "Miracles," "Love Too Good" and "Runaway" were the single versions and not the album versions. Early pressings of the album on compact disc repeated this, but a 1998 reissue included the full album tracks from Red Octopus and Earth. The original record release also contained a 7-inch 45 RPM bonus single, "Light the Sky on Fire," that was recorded for the Star Wars Holiday Special. That and its b-side, "Hyperdrive" from Dragon Fly, were included on tapes and CDs as tracks six and twelve. The album was re-released on gatefold vinyl on Record Store Day, April 13, 2019, with 5,500 copies. The album is on gold vinyl and contains the mixes from the original vinyl, including the single edits of "Miracles," "Love Too Good," and "Runaway." Like the original, the release includes a 7" 45 RPM vinyl of "Light the Sky on Fire" b/w "Hyperdrive."

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Single issueLength
1."Ride the Tiger" (from Dragon Fly)Byong Yu, Grace Slick, Paul KantnerGrunt FB-10080 Billboard: #845:06
2."Caroline" (from Dragon Fly)Marty Balin, Paul KantnerGrunt FB-102067:27
3."Play on Love" (from Red Octopus)Grace Slick, Pete SearsGrunt FB-10456 Billboard: #493:12
4."Miracles" (from Red Octopus)Marty BalinGrunt FB-10367 Billboard: #33:25
5."Fast Buck Freddie" (from Red Octopus)Grace Slick, Craig Chaquico 3:23
Bonus single, side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Single issueLength
6."Light the Sky on Fire" (original version featured in the Star Wars Holiday Special)Craig ChaquicoGrunt FB-11426 Billboard: #663:56
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Single issueLength
7."With Your Love" (from Spitfire)Marty Balin, Joey Covington, Vic SmithGrunt FB-10746 Billboard: #123:33
8."St. Charles" (from Spitfire)Kantner, Balin, Jesse Barish, Chaquico, ThunderhawkGrunt FB-10791 Billboard: #646:38
9."Count on Me" (from Earth)Jesse BarishGrunt FB-11196 Billboard: #83:14
10."Love Too Good" (from Earth)Gabriel Robles, Craig ChaquicoGrunt FB-11374b4:37
11."Runaway" (from Earth)N. Q. DeweyGrunt FB-11274 Billboard: #123:40
Bonus single, side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Single issueLength
12."Hyperdrive" (from Dragon Fly)Grace Slick, Pete SearsGrunt FB-11426b6:11

Personnel

Production

  • Jefferson Starship – producer
  • Larry Cox – producer
  • Pat Ieraci (Maurice) – production coordinator
  • John Golden – mastering at Kendun Recorders, Burbank
  • Tim Bryant / Gribbitt! – art direction
  • Tim Bryant, George Corsillo / Gribbitt! – album design
  • Annie Leibovitz – photography

Charts

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[4] 53
US Billboard 200[5] 20

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[6] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References