Grace Slick, the most haunting female voice in rock. This song is so smooth and was based on the characters in the story Alice In Wonderland. Best reaction, thanks! This song was a huge hit for the Airplane, and was on all the radio stations. Those years were years of exploration and freedom and it was pretty much embraced by everyone, except perhaps our parents.

Old Hippie here. Parents in the 1960s worst fear, was their kids buying a Jefferson Airplane album. It was all over after that.

Seems you never heard of or read Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland". Yes, it was played on the radio in the US. There's plenty more to hear from this band. I'm surprised how many reactors never heard of the Jefferson Airplane. I guess it just shows how old I am.

Grace Slick wrote this song before she joined and recorded it with the Jefferson Airplane at 28 years old in 1967. One of the greatest female rock voices of all time! Many references to the white rabbit character and the Wonderland saga in general as metaphors for drug-induced experiences from Alice in Wonderland.

This is why music like this was called psychedelic music. It was the musical expression of tripping. Oh, and yes.

This and Somebody to Love were major hits.

Yep, that's trippin' music dude! 67 year old here and tripped many times while listening to this music, ah good times. 15 year old me really loved this song and saw them in concert!!😎😎😎😎

I had the privilege to see Jefferson airplane do this song live …at little place called Woodstock. August 1969✌🏻☮️

Love Grace Slick with that heavy voice. "Surrealistic Pillow" a classic album of the sixties.

Jefferson Airplane & the haunting, mesmerizing voice of Grace Slick drew us in way back in our hippie days, exploring different ways to get high, mushrooms 🍄, hash etc was what she sang about in this legendary song !! Follow the journey of this band☮️💜😻🇨🇦

The Spanish beat of the music was influenced by Ravel’s Bolero.

It's about Alice in Wonderland through a psychedelic haze, which is probably redundant considering the Alice story is quite trippy even without chemical enhancements. :)

Gracie Slick was THE Woman. Her phrasing, her tone, her intonation, her vibrato, all FABULOUS! THE most underrated singer of the 60's & 70's.

They also had a male singer at the same time, Marty Balin. Weird, unique voice as well. Check out "Coming Back to Me." Like an acid trip.

This song has been used in many films. It's an iconic psychedelic song. This was one of the early songs of that genre. But the sound of this in headphones is mesmerising beyond belief. Enjoy this trip. Through the music that is.

This came out when I was sixteen and a senior in high school. It was (and is) groovy baby. 🌺💐✌️

Alice in Wonderland is what the song is about if you know the story.

I'm amazed that Grace has slipped through your net until now. You also need to hear "Somebody To Love", also by Jefferson Airplane. The tune was inspired by Ravel's Bolero. Grace Slick, the voice that launched a thousand trips!

The song draws imagery from BOTH of the Alice books. The mushrooms, hookah-smoking caterpillar, Dormouse, and White Rabbit are in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" whereas the chess pieces including the White Knight and Red Queen are in "Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There".

Jefferson Airoplane, definitely not a one hit wonder Harri, plenty more great stuff done by them, enjoy the ride.

The naivete of the media at the time was beneficial to songs such as this. This was all over the airwaves.

She was a looker too. The video has 62M views and is still climbing.

The original rock anthem ! I was not into hard rock as a child , but this song moved me at the time , and still does today !

I'm so happy so many people can appreciate this song. I'm sure ive heard it a thousand times but always find it amazing. Not just the band but Grace Slick's ghostly, powerful y with that incredibly fast vibrato

Sir Harri, you never let us down. I immediately fell in love with Grace when I heard this when I was young. Still love it and play it. You have rare talent for bringing the best ever.

Grace is the Goddess of rock & roll

Somebody to Love which was also from 1967 . Written by Darby Slick. Made it to number 5 on billboard charts. Really showcase her voice.

Love this group. Don't miss out on the album "Volunteers," and the song of the same name.

Her voice is so haunting, but beautiful and powerful at the same time. You cover so many wonderful classics here. Great job. Cheers

"White Rabbit" is a metaphor and you got it.

Yes, it was in "Platoon" but it was also on the soundtrack of a made for TV film about a girl who gets addicted to drugs. I think it was called "Go ask Alice." I can remember the Airplane/Starship performing this in Central Park every Spring. Thousands of stoned out screaming kids going nuts!

Had you been lucky enough to hear this live in concert, you'd have felt her voice reverberating through your chest - kind of like the way you can feel a old Viet Nam era Huey helicopter hovering about 10 feet above your head. Nothing like it.

Harri, this one's right up my street, the Airplane were leading lights in the mid/late 60's in San Francisco and were adored by the hippie movement of the time, and were also included on the steller cast at Woodstock , my favourite of their's is "Somebody to Love", it's fantastic. Take care kid and cheerio from Glasgow.

she wrote the song and gave it to Jefferson airplane when she joined them, there is an 7/8 minutes version knocking around some where the instrumentals are just amazing

The powerful, spectacular voice of Grace Slick and the mesmerizing, e.g., bass guitar and drums sound make this an awesome song. I love it.

I was 15 - 1967- had just moved to the Bay Area in California. What timing- musically! This album was IT! Then I got to see them at the Monterey Pop Festival.

Thanks for listening to Grace’s voice. Most people who have never heard the song before get too caught up in the lyrics and miss the phenomenal performance. By the way Jefferson Airplane later turned into Jefferson Starship. Another great one by them is Somebody to Love.

The music on this song is a Bolero. And Gracie's vocals are from the Ice Queen herself. The Airplane/early Starship Jefferson's were something truly amazing. I miss their passing, for the JA/JS were truly amazing groups with something to say.

It was used in a couple of movies. Definitely Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (the scene was all about a character who was tripping asking to die as soon as “White Rabbit” peaks). It might’ve been in Forrest Gump, but even if not it’s been referenced in just about every Vietnam Conflict movie or tv show moment. It really captured the feeling of the soldiers in Vietnam in the late 60s, most notably the drugged up state of many of the troops who were sent over to fight a war they couldn’t give a crap about fighting.

I love how insightful you are when you have little or no prior experience in the genre. I was a child in the 60's. The 60's was a soulful time for music yet scary with so much upheaval. You do a great job!

There is a movie called "Go Ask Alice" that goes with this song. a very sad movie so watch out! I loved your reaction to one of my favorite old songs! Thank you for doing this and reminding me of some of these songs!

I remember it being used in a trippy scene in "The Game" (1997). A psychological thriller, and the track fit the mood perfectly.

I was still at school when this came out - and I’m 72 now! I can still remember how amazing Surrealistic Pillow sounded after anodyne pop songs - to say “mind blowing” is a bit obvious, given the drug references, but it was so different. The single was virtually non stop on the coffee bar juke box in my first year at Uni soon after.

One of the best songs ever....and based on a children's story!

This song is such a TIMELESS classic!

One of my all-time favorite songs... Her voice is AMAZING!!

This song was the very first song ever played on my local FM radio station, and is on rotation still today. It was written by Grace Slick actually before she joined the group. Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead ect. were part of the Height Ashbury scene of the 60's that was a mecca of sorts for musicians and wondering hippies enjoying free love , music and yes drugs. And I'm sure you have heard bits and pieces of the song in many movies and commercials. PEACE MY FRIEND

The room ambiance of this recording really adds to the feeling of the song.

There is a video of her performing this at Woodstock and it has lyrics. Our theme song as I graduated high school in 1967.

I grew up listening to this song. It wasn’t until years later that my mom asked me if it was about drugs. When I said it was, she said “Oh my God, I thought it was about Alice in Wonderland, or I wouldn’t have let you listen to it.” 😂 Mom really liked this song too.

Grace talked about writing this song on the BBC once, she defended the accusations about drug use blaming parents who read them stories about eating mushrooms, smoking a hookah and being able to fly with magic dust. Jefferson Airplane were there for all the big concerts, Monterrey in '67, Woodstock in Aug. '69 and Altamont Speedway in Dec. '69 in addition to the acid tests (read about those!) At Altamont the Rolling Stones headlined but the Airplane was there and their singer Marty Balin jumped offstage to help a guy getting beat up by the Hell's Angels. According to Paul Kantner they knocked Marty unconscious. There's a whole film about it.

These guys were at Woodstock!! I remember them from my youth. Thanks, young dude ❤️Rock On

It has been used in The Game in a central scene and I instantly loved the song for its presentation and Alice in Wonderland story line.

In the 80s they had a comeback as Jefferson Starship...."We built this city"...was one of their bigger hits then.

Harri, the imagery in the lyrics is from the fairy tale "Alice In Wonderland", the white rabbit, the pill that made Alice tall, the Hooka smoking Caterpillar, The mushroom (that the caterpillar was perched on smoking his hooks pipe) The men on the chess board. It's all there. ...By the way Jefferson Airplane later became Jefferson Starship in the 70's. And if you ever watch Grace Slick in interviews, she is a brilliant lady, Quick witted and of very high intelligence and comical at times. And I can't leave out, she was just a good looking woman in her prime.!

I was born in 66 - this song was always played on LA radio growing up. Your daughter might make a great pilot or astronaut !

"if she looks at you and sings you're ina trance" amazing you said that because that it exactly what the video is. that hypnotic lady singing.

I'm used to seeing the video with this now. Love Grace Slick! Her & Janis Joplin were 2 of the 1st women to really rock! Yes, the point of this song is not only about getting high but how adults do too. In particular, the writer of "Alice in Wonderland."

Grace Slick's voice is Contralto🎵, a rare voice, which is similar to a Mezzo-Soprano🎶 with a deeper, darker resonance and range📈. It's hauntingly hypnotic!😲 She actually wrote the White Rabbit! 🐰 One of the most Iconic Psychedelic Rock🎸🎤 songs of all time, as it had a lot of elements ingeniously🤔 mixed into one song!🎵It's base🎸 and background percussion🥁 beat, is influenced by Ravel's Bolero, with a Spanish🇪🇸🛡🥁 Marching cadence, like a Military March!👋💂 It's as if Grace is leading her listeners 🎶🎤 similar to Alice in Wonderland, down the White Rabbit🐰 Hole🕳 like the Pied Piper🤸 with her Voice🎤🎶 The Archetype of the Travelers🤸🌌🏞 Journey! This song sums up the 60's in 2.5 minutes!🕙 It also seemed she was casting a magical spell over her audience in those 2.5 min. That kind of thing does still happen, even today with certain Artists! Just food for thought! 💡🍲 Peace!✌🖖

Yes this was a celebration of a mellow "trip" and was one of the most iconic songs of the 1960s. Intuitively, Harri, you listened to it in what I would call the "correct" way, by which I mean to let it carry you, instead of trying to analyze it. Awesome isn't it.

This song was indeed hypnotic. Many songs about drugs in this era. I never did any but found the music incredibly creative. Great stuff

This song was played on progressive FM rock stations but obviously not on AM. You should listen to "Somebody to Love". Her power and control are a joy to behold.

This was in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, that's where I remember it from.

Hi, sweety! Glad you got around to this one!! 😀😻💋. Yes, you were on a trip! Wonderful song! San Francisco's finest.❤❤❤❤😁 I wasn't married yet by the time this came out... Same year as when The Moody Blues had Nights In White Satin. Great time to be listening to music! 😻😻

The other super great song is loved by all ages even when it was first released. "Don't You Want Somebody(to love)" from teens to grand parents , if they were looking for a partner they loved this song.

Harri, if you ever have the time, please watch their live version of this or'Don't you want somebody to love you" from the Woodstock footage...it really will amaze you! PS--- I do believe that parts of this song have been used in many movies about the Vietnam era.

While the song is from the 1960s, the story it is based on, "Alice in Wonderland", was written in the 1860s. It was not banned and was performed live on tv )Smothers Brothers Hour). It hit number 8 on Billboard and number 6 on Cash Box when it came out. Very popular very mainstream.

Loved Her in concert! A Legend!

Catch "Lather" another great song that doesn't get played much. Don't have to react to it, but one song that should be heard at least one.

Grace was pleasant to the eyes too. She have a unique voice. Group had many hits.

It is like a mellow acid trip and I have tried it, back in the early seventies for about 6 months i experimented with all different kinds of acid, then I got over it and decided to have children and you can't do drugs when you decide to have children so I stopped and had two wonderful sons! Yes, it was used for the movie "Go Ask Alice"!

True that. Jorma Kukommen's guitar is spooky. Grace's voice is unique and scary. What vibrato. Keep on.

Take it from me this song was perfect for a person on acid.So is whiter shade of pale.I was born in the 50s and lived through the most amazing time in the history of music.Drugs were part of it,so your description was correct.It was played everywhere and the media did not care what we did.It was alot different then.Pink does a version of this and its great

You can hear Grace Slick again by listening to SOMEBODY TO LOVE by Jefferson Airplane. Jefferson Airplane was part of the “San Francisco Sound” of the 1960’s.

I love seeing someone hearing and understanding a new thing ! I love it.

There were two radio stations I listened to at the time that played this music. One came from the San Diego and the other from LA.

It was so much fun seeing you get into the track. This song was very much part of my youth.

Yes, you nailed it with intuitive premonition. First ten seconds right on!

another of the incredible gifts from and for our BOOMER Generation; so blessed by our LORD. Grace had that 'attitude, so sulky & sarcastic & those wild eyes, incredible voice. As well she was model before a singer & back in the day she was a FOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

even 2 years on, I wish you'd have had the original Woodstock live performance video - even the "Official Video" .... Remember, "FEED YOUR HEAD" -- BUT in a WAY that makes you THINK DEEPER about where you are.

Now that you have dedicated this song to Music you owe her a reading of the works of Lewis Carroll!! Peace!!

You should seek out the KZfaq video that has Grace's vocals for this song isolated. And then check out the six-minute live version with the long guitar solo at the start.

Harri,. My daughter won 6 tickets on a radio station in Houston. To astroworld & they were there. Oh my god they were awesome. 🤩🤩🤩🤩

This and "Somebody to Love," along with the Doors' "Light my Fire," and Janis Joplin's "Piece of my Heart" (as part of Big Brother and the Holding Company) were the bugles sounding the counterattack on the UK in response to the British Invasion. Jimi Hendrix, though, being American but being "discovered" in England, helped to usher in an Era of Great Music that has never really ended (although sometimes you really have to dig to find it.) 🎵🎶🎵🎵🎶🎵 I did my part. I bought "Surrealistic Pillow" and "The Doors" and "Cheap Thrills".

"Somebody to Love" "Wooden Ships" "Crown of Creation" "Good Shepard" "Volunteers" among others, are worth a listen. Grace Slick, the "voice that launched a thousand trips." At this time, FM radio stations began to change formats to "album rock." You probably wouldn't hear this on AM stations.

This group morphed into the group Jefferson Starship and they had many hits under that name.

Psychedelic drugs were a huge influence in music for a few years, both for the audience and the musicians, and changed music and art for ever. You can never un-experence something like that... you can't un-see it. I lived near San Francisco in the 60s to the 90s. I had seen a couple of bands but when I went to see Jefferson Airplane, while waiting for the doors to open, some random guy next to me asked if I wanted to "fly" with the band. Not really understanding, I took the small capsule and swallowed it (it was sooo small, what could be the worst thing that could happen ?). Man I finally saw what these songs were about. It was a wonderful night..... and then came Hendrix on the scene and BOOM !.....

This is an all-time classic from the SF/Haight-Asbury/ LSD/Hippie era, circa 1966 I believe.

That's great that you think of your daughter like that.

several reactors said when she looks straight at you, they can't move, they are hypnotized

Apropos of you mentioning your daughter in this reaction-excellent as always & a great song & iconic rendition by the Airplane-you might consider reacting to a Paul Simon song from 2002 called Father and Daughter. It will bring tears to your eyes and in a good way.

The opening of the song is taken from Ravel's "Bolero", a classical piece. I've always found this mesmerizing myself.

This is an absolute trip...a good one...😆😂🤣

Bolero was prominently used in the movie "10" starring Bo Derek, a beautiful model.

This song was played in its entirety near the end of the Michael Douglas movie “the Game”.

A bit "late" with this comment, but this song was featured in the movie "Platoon". Also, if you watch Disney's 1951 animated version of "Alice in Wonderland", everything Grace Slick mentions in this song is clearly in that movie. And, yes, it's safe children. In fact, we were describing some of the characters in the movie to our blond-haired 4 year old daughter before taking her to see it. We mentioned the white rabbit, the twins Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and a little girl with blond hair, to which she proudly responded, "I know. That's Allison."

This came out in 1967 and is a true 1960's anthem. I'm sure it's been sampled god now how many times.

Omygod ! Look at the Woodstock videos. A wealth of great groups!

Fear and loathing in Las Vegas, is the movie and look how beautiful this girl was..is..

That's why the genre was called acid rock.