The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil

Album: After Bathing at Baxter's (1967)
Charted: 42
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Songfacts®:

  • "Pooneil" refers to singer/songwriter Fred Neil, who was a very influential folk musician. Neil, who wrote "Everybody's Talkin'," apparently was not concerned with fame but was respected for his musical talents and had a devoted following that included many prominent musicians. Neil died in 2001.
  • Written by Paul Kantner, this song kicks off the band's most creative album, which proved to be where Kantner comes into his own as a primary songwriter for the band.
  • This song, along with "A Small Package of Value Will Come to You, Shortly" and "Young Girl Sunday Blues," comprises the first of the album's five suites, entitled "Streetmasse."
  • Backed with "Two Heads," this was the first single released from After Bathing at Baxter's, and their seventh single release overall. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Mark - Desperate Hot Springs, CA, for all above
  • Jefferson Airplane played this at Woodstock in 1969.

Comments: 3

  • Tony Arioli from Guerneville, CaThis recording could be a (sort of) unofficial anthem of San Francisco - "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" is getting rather stale.
  • Apsa from AfricaI can listen to that song again and again, and never feel bored. The rythm and lead guitars, as well as the drumming, are quite representative of how the whole album sounds. Representative of the spirit in which it's been done, too : laughter and lightness, fantasy.
    Armadillo !

    They say "You don't know Jorma if you don't know Jack", and I'd say you don't know Jefferson Airplane if you don't know Baxter's.
  • Dartanian from EarthThe song is correctly titled 'The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil' with ampersands instead of the words 'and' between. The title of the song refers to Winnie the Pooh as well as folk singer Fred Neil. Parts of the lyrics are taken from A. A. Milne's first book of children's poetry 'When We Were Very Young.'
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