Starship

As its album title suggests, Starship's compilation Greatest Hits (Ten Years and Change 1979-1991) covers not only the group's popular heyday, 1985-1991, but also the earlier era, 1979-1984, which was actually the latter days of Jefferson Starship, after the departures of co-lead singers Marty Balin and Grace Slick, with former Elvin Bishop Group singer Mickey Thomas replacing Balin, and Slick, eventually, returning. The history that is described by the collection is largely one of attrition, effectively traced by the performer credits listed in the booklet. In 1979, the group is a sextet consisting of Thomas, lead guitarist Craig Chaquico, rhythm guitarist Paul Kantner (the last remaining holdout from the original Jefferson Airplane lineup), keyboardist Pete Sears, bassist David Freiberg, and drummer Aynsley Dunbar. Slick is back by 1981, joining Thomas on "Stranger," a singles chart entry from the Modern Times LP. By the time of Top 40 hit "No Way Out" and singles chart entry "Layin' It on the Line" in 1984, Freiberg has dropped out, with Sears moving to bass; Dunbar has been replaced by Donny Baldwin; and Peter Wolf (not the singer from the J. Geils Band), who co-wrote "No Way Out" with his wife Ina Wolf, is a non-member session musician playing keyboards.