In the summer of 1984, Jefferson Starship were touring in support of their Nuclear Furniture album. The commercial direction of the band's sound during this time would mark the snapping point for Paul Kantner, who left the band and took "Jefferson" with him. When Starship released Knee Deep in the Hoopla the following year, it would prove to contain the first two #1 singles for any incarnation of the band ("We Built This City" and "Sara").
These interviews with Mickey Thomas (vocalist) and Craig Chaquico (guitarist) speak to this commercial leaning. Recorded specifically for promoting the tour, the two seem content to play into the hands of the radio listeners, promising that there would be plenty of "rocking out." The same questions are posed to each individual, leading to a bit of repetitiveness, but it's also interesting to see how the responses differ. It's a telling snap-shot of the band at that time, and the perfect supplement to the show posted at Wolfgang's from this tour.
Mickey Thomas
00:00 - What you can expect from a Starship show: synths, new and old material
00:54 - Touring as the final stage of songwriting
02:06 - "Consistency" within the Jefferson Airplane/Starship
03:15 - Updating classic songs: "White Rabbit," "Somebody to Love"
04:26 - New songs on the tour
05:05 - Playing songs live vs. in the studio
06:21 - The origins of the title Nuclear Furniture / an accidental concept album
07:03 - Not trying to make a statement on nuclear power and war
07:40 - The puns on the album sleeve
08:10 - What happens after the shows
08:58 - The anxiety associated with performances
10:04 - Meaning behind "Layin' It On The Line"
Craig Chaquico
00:00 - New energy in the band: Peter Wolf, more hard rock
01:43 - Touring as the after-party for recording an album
03:21 - "Consistency" within the Jefferson Airplane/Starship
05:51 - Trying to keep up with technology / road-testing songs
07:23 - Playing classic songs with the new approach
08:59 - Song selection for the tour
09:48 - Live performances vs. studio recording: weeding out bad ideas, looking out for air guitarists
11:21 - Emotions after finishing a show
12:43 - Looking forward to playing "Sorry Me, Sorry You" live
13:25 - "Magicians" as a highlight of the set