Some artists just have a comfort zone with the types of softer material that tends to get classified as yacht rock. The late Marty Balin was one of those artists, even way back before those sounds started to become commercial.
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Once they did, Balin was well-positioned to capitalize on that change in public taste. Sure enough, he delivered his biggest solo smash in 1981 with the liltingly pretty and sad “Hearts.”
Journeying on the Airplane
Marty Balin’s career in music got started even before his first burst of fame with the Jefferson Airplane, as he released a few singles in the early ‘60s as a solo act. Not only was he important to the Airplane as one of its founding members, but he was one of the owners of The Matrix, the San Francisco nightclub that featured the band and many other underground acts.
When Jefferson Airplane took off, Balin wasn’t one of the group members who grabbed a lot of the spotlight. That belonged to Grace Slick, with her powerhouse vocals and magnetic presence out front, or Jorma Kaukonen, with his guitar wizardry.
But in addition to handling many of the lead vocals and playing guitar, Balin could usually be counted on to write a few laid-back, sensitive tracks on each album. For example, think of “Comin’ Back to Me” and “Today,” found on the band’s landmark 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow.
The Starship and then Solo
Balin left the Airplane in 1971 over differences with band members. When Paul Kantner started up the Airplane offshoot Jefferson Starship a few years later, he asked if Balin would contribute. The singer/songwriter agreed, first as a temporary member and then eventually as a full-time part of the group.
This time around, Balin was the guy responsible for the big hits. His soulful vocals glided over silky grooves on songs like “Miracles,” “With Your Love,” and “Count on Me.” But Balin wasn’t a big fan of the mega-tours Jefferson Starship wanted to undertake to keep up with the other superstar rock groups of that era, so he once again departed at the end of the ‘70s.
When he prepared his debut solo album, simply titled Balin, he collaborated with songwriter Jesse Barish, who had also written “Count on Me.” Barish clearly had a feel for what worked for Balin, and he penned “Hearts” in that vein. Released as the first single off the album, the gentle ballad hit big, going all the way to No. 8 on the U.S. pop charts in 1981.
Behind the Lyrics of “Hearts”
“Hearts” presents the titular organs as entities with minds of their own that tend to torture the poor fools who have them beating inside their chests. Hearts can be that way, Balin sighs, and they can also break, cry, and never mend together. Pesky things, aren’t they?
The verses are a series of questions the narrator poses to his ex. In part, they come from genuine concern: Is everything all right? But they’re also his way of sending out a test balloon, hoping there might be a chance of reconciliation: Is everything the same? / Do you ever think of me and how we loved one another? / Will you change your mind?
The ache in Balin’s voice implies this heartbroken chap isn’t going to get the answers he hopes. As the MTV era dawned, Balin’s style of soft rock fell out of favor, and his solo career never again reached that level. But this is a guy who knew his strengths, and on “Hearts” and many other songs like it, he played to them with great success.
Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
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