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Welcome to the Wrecking Ball! (1981)

Where the lyrics of Welcome to the Wrecking Ball! take you, and where it was really made.

Grace Slick's third solo album opens with a track aimed at rock journalists and critics, and it came out just before she went back to Jefferson Starship.

Key places

Recorded at Criteria in Miami (1981)

Recording site Criteria Studios — The album was recorded at Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, one of the two studios named for its sessions. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at The Hit Factory, New York (1981)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — The Hit Factory in New York is the second studio named for the album's recording sessions. The point sits at the city center, not on the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Welcome to the Wrecking Ball!: 1981 album by Grace Slick
• Her third solo album, following Dreams (1980)
• Released in 1981 on RCA, catalogue AQL1-3851, vinyl gatefold
• All songs written by Grace Slick and Scott Zito
• Singles: 'Sea of Love' and 'Mistreater', both 1981
• Released just before Slick returned to Jefferson Starship

Background

• Dreams (1980) was her previous solo album
• The album was recorded before Slick rejoined Jefferson Starship
• Ron Frangipane produced the album and wrote arrangements with Scott Zito
• Scott Zito played lead guitars, harmonica and sang
• Paul Harris on keyboards, Danny Gulino on rhythm guitars, Phil Stone on bass, Bobby Torello on drums, Joe Lala on percussion

Recording

• Recorded at Criteria Recording Studios in Miami and The Hit Factory in New York
• Ed Sprigg was the engineer
• Assistant engineers: Mike Guerra, Alan Meyerson and Kevin Ryan
• Mastering by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk, New York City

Cover

• Cover concept by Grace Slick and Skip Johnson
• Photography by Roger Ressmeyer
• Art direction by Joe Stelmach, creative direction by Tony King
• Make-up credited to 'Bijou'

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Grace Slick (born Grace Barnett Wing, October 30, 1939) is an American musician and painter.
• Early in her career she performed with the Great Society, a band she formed in San Francisco in 1965.
• She was a prominent figure in San Francisco's psychedelic scene from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s.

Career

• Slick became lead singer of Jefferson Airplane in late 1966 after Signe Toly Anderson left the band.
• Surrealistic Pillow (1967) included "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love", both top-ten US Billboard hits.
• She formed Jefferson Starship with Paul Kantner in 1974 and released several solo albums, including Dreams.
• With Starship she sang co-lead on two number-one hits, "We Built This City" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now".
• She retired from music in 1990 and continues to work as a visual artist.
• In 1996 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Jefferson Airplane.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

Records

• Billboard charts: peaked at No. 48
• Singles 'Sea of Love' and 'Mistreater' both released in 1981
• Original vinyl issue on RCA Victor, catalogue AQL1-3851
• Release date given as 28 January 1981 in the French Wikipedia article
• Release date given as February 1981 in the Italian Wikipedia article
• Side A of the LP runs 19 minutes 26 seconds in total
• Track listing credits Grace Slick and Scott Zito as writers
• Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk in New York City
• This title's first CD issue is noted on Discogs

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The lyrics of the opening track contain many references to Slick's dislike of rock journalists and critics.
• Discogs notes that this is the first CD issue of the title.
• The Italian Wikipedia track list gives side A a total running time of 19:26.
• Scott Zito is credited as writer on the track listing and co-arranger on the album.
• The album was made in the period when Slick was still a solo artist, before her Jefferson Starship return.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · it.wikipedia.org

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