Added: Jun 3, 2008
From: alphaville1
Duration: 4:6
From his only solo album, "Oar" ---- Wikipedia: Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence (April 18, 1946 -- April 16, 1999) was a musician and singer-songwriter. He was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Spence was a guitarist in an early line-up of Quicksilver Messenger Service before Marty Balin recruited him to be the drummer for Jefferson Airplane. After one album with Jefferson Airplane, their debut Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, he left to co-found Moby Grape, once again as a guitarist. During the recording session of the group's second album, Wow in 1968, Spence allegedly attempted to break down a bandmate's hotel room door with a fire axe while under the influence of LSD. Spence was committed for six months to New York City's Bellevue Hospital, where he was subsequently diagnosed with schizophrenia. Upon his release, he recorded his only solo album, the now-classic psychedelic/folk album Oar (1969, Columbia Records). However, mental illness and alcoholism prevented him from sustaining a career in the music industry, and he spent most of his later life homeless in and around San Jose and Santa Cruz, California. He died in 1999, from lung cancer. He was 52.
Channel: Music
Tags: airplane alexander blues country grape jefferson moby oar peace psychedelic skip spence war
Rating: 5.00 (7 ratings) Views: 2788' favoriteCount='30 Comments: 14
chupacabreman Says:
Jun 4, 2008 - Nice little song...Sounds like British progressive stuff from the 70's - maybe Gong. I like the Iron Butterfly riff at the end.
evan2mcgraw Says:
Jul 3, 2008 - Thank you for posting this...it's difficult to find....and a startling glimpse into the traumatized/brilliant mind of this sadly departed musician. evan
cicodelico Says:
Jul 5, 2008 - thank you,very superb sounding skip. tripped out timeless honey.... i love this great album. thank you soooo much upload this gem. if you wanna hear more sounds like this ,please contact my video site , got a few similar smoothers. thanks
rumblinspire Says:
Jul 10, 2008 - the riff at the end of the song is from 'sunshine of your love' by cream but this is better
wfd57fatman Says:
Aug 16, 2008 - All of us who knew Skippy on the streets around San Jose know damned well that ol' Skip is in a better place now. Rest peacefully you old fool, you really had us there, sorry we didn't believe who you were! May that broken unstrung guitar of yours return back to the earth in Guadalupe Creek!
vanostranII Says:
Aug 21, 2008 - This is definitely influenced by LSD.
longlife7 Says:
Sep 12, 2008 - This is one of my favs of al time..pure genius
stpcreepstp Says:
Oct 1, 2008 - this is my favorite from oar
HaxoAngmark Says:
Nov 16, 2008 - Good grief, what awful rubbish. I had heard that Spence's descent into insanity was evident on this album; now I know it.
youtubbs67 Says:
Nov 22, 2008 - Atmospheric.
meskalitoLen Says:
Dec 6, 2008 - groovy...
samsback4it Says:
Dec 12, 2008 - Skip will always be the Master!!
weemikey70 Says:
Dec 18, 2008 - master of what? bating?
dullsville Says:
Jun 3, 2008 - R.I.P. SKIP