Today we have our second example of a band kinda sorta covering itself (The Mamas and the Papas’ ‘California Dreamin’‘ was the first).

In this case, the two songs share lead singer Grace Slick, who took ‘Somebody to Love’ to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Jefferson Airplane in 1967. But before that, she recorded the song with her previous band, The Great Society.

The Great Society featured (among others) Slick’s husband Jerry Slick on drums and her brother-in-law Darby Slick on guitar. Darby wrote ‘Somebody to Love’ and the band released the song as the B-side to their 1966 single ‘Free Advice.’

The band often opened for fellow West Coast rockers Jefferson Airplane and they were starting to gain momentum, eventually getting a contract offer from Columbia Records. But when Jefferson Airplane founding member and lead singer Signe Toly Anderson left the band to spend more time with her husband and newborn child, Grace Slick decided to take her place.

Slick brought ‘Somebody to Love’ with her, along with a track she wrote for The Great Society titled ‘White Rabbit.’ Both songs would become top ten hits on 1967’s Surrealistic Pillow, the first Airplane album featuring Slick as lead singer.

The Great Society didn’t stand much of a chance without Grace Slick, and soon dissolved. So did Grace’s marriage to Jerry Slick.