Alexander "Skip" Spence

Trackimage Playbut Trackname Playbut Trackname
Little Hands 03:40 Tools
War in Peace 03:40 Tools
Cripple Creek 02:13 Tools
Diana 03:29 Tools
Weighted Down (The Prison Song) 06:24 Tools
All Come To Meet Her 06:22 Tools
Broken Heart 03:25 Tools
Books of Moses 02:41 Tools
Lawrence of Euphoria 01:27 Tools
Margaret - Tiger Rug 02:17 Tools
Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin for Yang) 02:53 Tools
It's the Best Thing for You 02:48 Tools
Grey/afro 02:53 Tools
Givin' Up Things 00:57 Tools
Doodle 01:00 Tools
If I'm Good 00:47 Tools
Fountain 00:31 Tools
This Time He Has Come 04:38 Tools
Keep Everything Under Your Hat 03:03 Tools
You Know 01:44 Tools
Dixie Peach Promenade 02:49 Tools
I Think You and I 01:14 Tools
Grey / Afro 09:38 Tools
Furry Heroine (Halo of Gold) 09:38 Tools
Furry Heroine 03:32 Tools
To Think You And I 03:32 Tools
Margaret/Tiger Rug 00:00 Tools
Halo of Gold 03:06 Tools
Dixie Peach Pomenade 00:00 Tools
Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin For 00:00 Tools
It's The Best Thing For You (Bonus) 00:00 Tools
This Time He Has Come (Bonus) 00:00 Tools
Land of the Sun 00:00 Tools
If I'm Good (bonus) 00:00 Tools
I Think You And I (Bonus) 01:14 Tools
Furry Heroine (Halo Of Gold) (Bonus) 00:00 Tools
Fountain (bonus) 00:34 Tools
Doodle (Bonus) 00:34 Tools
Givin' Up Things (bonus) 00:57 Tools
Keep Everything Under Your Hat (Bonus) 01:02 Tools
You Know (Bonus) 01:02 Tools
This Time He Has Come [*] 04:42 Tools
Keep Everything Under Your Hat [*] 03:05 Tools
Weighted Down 06:29 Tools
Doodle [#] 00:00 Tools
Furry Heroine (Halo of Gold) [*] 03:05 Tools
All My Life (I Love You) 00:00 Tools
All My Life - I Love You 03:35 Tools
I Think You and I [#] 00:00 Tools
You Know [#] 00:00 Tools
Fountain [#] 00:34 Tools
Grey - Afro 06:29 Tools
Grey,Afro 06:29 Tools
03 - Diana 00:00 Tools
Grey -- Afro 00:00 Tools
04 - Margaret/Tiger Rug 00:00 Tools
Margaret -- Tiger Rug 00:00 Tools
Margaret / Tiger rug 00:00 Tools
Lawrence Of Euphoria (Bonus - 1991 Remix) 00:00 Tools
Grey-Afro 09:38 Tools
Diana (Bonus - 1991 Remix) 04:45 Tools
10 - Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin for Yang) 02:53 Tools
12 - Grey/Afro 09:38 Tools
Motorcycle Irene 02:56 Tools
This Time Has Come 04:42 Tools
After Gene Autry 02:55 Tools
18 - If I'm Good 00:47 Tools
15 - Keep Everything Under Your Hat 00:47 Tools
13 - This Time Has Come 04:42 Tools
20 - Doodle 01:00 Tools
22 - I Think You And I 01:14 Tools
21 - Fountain 00:31 Tools
19 - You Know 01:44 Tools
16 - Furry Heroine (Halo Of Gold) 03:33 Tools
Furry Heroine Halo Of Gold 03:33 Tools
Book of Moses 09:38 Tools
dixie peach promenade (yin for yand) 09:38 Tools
Grey , Afro 09:38 Tools
Givin' Up Things (Bonus track) 09:38 Tools
Keep Everything Under Your Hat (Bonus Track) 09:38 Tools
Keep Everyting Under Your Hat 09:38 Tools
It's the Best Thing For You (Bonus track) 09:38 Tools
If I'm Good (Bonus track) 09:38 Tools
Furry Heroine (Halo Of Gold) (Bonus Track) 09:38 Tools
Doodle (Bonus track) 09:38 Tools
This Time He Has Come (Bonus track) 09:38 Tools
I Think You And I (Bonus Track) 09:38 Tools
Diane 03:39 Tools
Givin Up Things 03:39 Tools
You Know (Bonus Track) 03:39 Tools
Little Hands (from "Oar") 00:30 Tools
Fountain (Bonus Track) 03:39 Tools
Grey Afro 00:30 Tools
Afro 09:38 Tools
02.Cripple Creek 03:39 Tools
Tiger Rug 00:30 Tools
War and Peace 00:30 Tools
It's the Best Thing for You [Bonus Track] 02:49 Tools
If I'm Good [Bonus Track] 00:47 Tools
06.War In Peace 00:30 Tools
Margaret Tiger Rug 00:30 Tools
Greyafro 00:30 Tools
This Time He Has Come [Bonus Track] 04:42 Tools
Oar 01:47 Tools
Keep Everything Under Your Hat [Bonus Track] 03:05 Tools
04.Margaret - Tiger Rug 00:30 Tools
Doodle [bonus track] 01:47 Tools
You Know [Bonus Track] 01:47 Tools
I Want a Rock & Roll Band 01:47 Tools
Fountain [bonus track] 01:47 Tools
I Think You And I [Bonus Track] 01:47 Tools
Margaret/Tiiger Rug 00:47 Tools
Keep Everything Under Your Hat [bonus] 03:05 Tools
Dixie Peach Promenade Yin For 00:47 Tools
Diana (take 3) 00:47 Tools
Givin' Up Things [Bonus Track] 00:57 Tools
Greyafro (1969) 03:05 Tools
08.All Come To Meet Her 03:05 Tools
Furry Heroine (Halo of Gold) [Bonus Track] 03:06 Tools
Diana (1969) 03:05 Tools
Little Hands (take 2) 03:05 Tools
Lawrence Of Euphoria (1969) 01:14 Tools
18 - If I'm Good [bonus] 01:14 Tools
This Time He Has Come [Bonus] 00:57 Tools
I Think You And I (1969) 01:14 Tools
All My Life I Love You 01:14 Tools
All Come to Meet Her (alternate 1) 01:14 Tools
The Shape You're In 01:14 Tools
This Time He Has Come (1969) 00:57 Tools
Margaret-Tiger Rug (1969) 00:57 Tools
Diana (unedited version, rec. 1968) 02:14 Tools
You Know (1969) 00:57 Tools
Weighted Down [The Prison Song] 00:57 Tools
Doodle (1969) 00:57 Tools
15 - Keep Everything Under Your Hat [bonus] 00:57 Tools
keep everything under you 00:57 Tools
Doodle [bonus] 03:32 Tools
13 - This Time He Has Come [bonus] 00:57 Tools
Diana (12 string version) 00:57 Tools
My Friend 00:57 Tools
I Got Something For You 00:57 Tools
09.Books Of Moses 03:06 Tools
Weighted Down (The Prison Song) (1969) 03:06 Tools
11.Lawrence Of Euphoria 03:06 Tools
03 Diana 03:32 Tools
It's the Best Thing for You [bonus] 03:32 Tools
Furry Heroine (Halo Of Gold) (1969) 03:32 Tools
Givin' up Things [bonus] 03:32 Tools
Books Of Moses (1969) 03:32 Tools
!Fountain 03:32 Tools
Little Hands [Original Album] 03:41 Tools
Margaret/Tiger Rug [Original Album] 02:15 Tools
10.Dixie Peach Promenade 03:32 Tools
17.Givin' Up Things 03:32 Tools
MargaretTiger Rug 03:32 Tools
Diana (version 2) 03:32 Tools
14.It's The Best Thing For You 03:32 Tools
She Don't Care 03:32 Tools
If I'm Good [bonus] 02:14 Tools
You Know [bonus] 02:14 Tools
Fountain (Bonus - Unissued Oar) 03:32 Tools
Givin' Up Things (Bonus - Extra Oar) 03:32 Tools
Cripple Creek [Original Album] 02:14 Tools
Weighted Down (The Prison Song) [Original Album] 06:25 Tools
Lawrence Of Euphoria [Original Album] 01:28 Tools
I Got a Lot To Say (Version 1) 01:28 Tools
15.Keep Everything Under Your Hat 03:32 Tools
02 cripple creek 02:14 Tools
Broken Heart (voc & acoustic) 02:14 Tools
01 Little Hands 03:45 Tools
Grey, Afro 02:14 Tools
19.You Know 02:14 Tools
20.Doodle 02:14 Tools
It's The Best Thing For You (1969) 02:14 Tools
Halo Of Gold [Furry Heroine] 02:14 Tools
This Time He Has Come (Bonus - Extra Oar) 02:14 Tools
Dixie Peach Promenade Yin For Yang 03:45 Tools
Broken Heart (1969) 02:14 Tools
Dixie Peach Pomenade [Yin For Yang] 02:14 Tools
Furry Heroine (Halo of Gold) [bonus] 03:45 Tools
If I'm Good (Previously Unreleased Bonus Track) 02:14 Tools
If I'm Good (Bonus - Unissued Oar) 02:14 Tools
It's The Best Thing For You (Bonus - Extra Oar) 02:14 Tools
You Know (Bonus - Unissued Oar) 02:14 Tools
I Think You And I [bonus] 02:14 Tools
Diana [Original Album] 03:45 Tools
Dixie Peach Promenade [Original Album] 02:51 Tools
Diana (Overdub) 02:51 Tools
Books Of Moses [Original Album] 02:43 Tools
All Come To Meet Her (Rehearsal) 02:43 Tools
I Got a Lot To Say (Version 2) 02:43 Tools
War In Peace (Take 2) 02:43 Tools
Little Hands (Vocal Overdub) 02:43 Tools
Weighted Down (Prison Song) 01:28 Tools
This Time He Has Come [Extra Track] 04:40 Tools
Diana (Alternate 1) 04:40 Tools
Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin for Yang) (alternate) 04:40 Tools
War In Peace (Instrumental) 04:40 Tools
Givin' Up Things. 01:28 Tools
18.If I'm Good 01:28 Tools
Grey_Afro 01:28 Tools
13.This Time He Has Come 01:28 Tools
War In Peace (Alternate) 01:28 Tools
16.Furry Heroine (Halo Of Gold) 03:45 Tools
08 Grey/Afro 03:45 Tools
Grey Afro 06:27 Tools
Dixie Peach Promenade Yin Fo 03:45 Tools
Furry Heroine (Halo Of Gold) (Bonus - Extra Oar) 03:45 Tools
Grey _ Afro 03:45 Tools
Fountain [Bonus] 03:45 Tools
Keep Everything Under Your Hat (Bonus - Extra Oar) 03:45 Tools
Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin For Yang) (1969) 03:45 Tools
All Come To Meet Her [Original Album] 03:45 Tools
Broken Heart [Original Album] 03:45 Tools
War In Peace [Original Album] 03:45 Tools
Furry Heroine (Halo of Gold) (alternate) 03:45 Tools
It's a Hard Life (version 1) 03:45 Tools
Givin' Up Things [Extra Track] 03:45 Tools
Diana (alternate 2) 03:45 Tools
Diana (basics) 03:45 Tools
It's a Hard Life (version 2) 03:45 Tools
Broken Heart (Extended Master) 03:45 Tools
All Come To Meet Her (Alternate 2) 03:45 Tools
War In Peace (Guitar Overdub) 03:45 Tools
Cripple Creek (Basic) 03:45 Tools
Margaret 01:28 Tools
12.Grey / Afro 04:40 Tools
Keep Everything Under Your Hat [Extra Track] 04:40 Tools
Lawrence of Euphoria (Alternate) 04:40 Tools
22.I Think You And I 04:40 Tools
05 Weighted Down (The Prison Song) 06:27 Tools
21.Fountain 06:27 Tools
08 All Come to Meet Her 06:27 Tools
13 - This Time He Has Come 06:27 Tools
After Gene Autry / Motorcycle Irene (Demo for Columbia - 1968) 06:27 Tools
skip spence - broken heart 06:27 Tools
If I'm Good (1969) 06:27 Tools
Dixie Beach Promenade 06:27 Tools
Doodle [Givin' Up Things] 06:27 Tools
Keep Everything Under Your Hat (1969) 06:27 Tools
Doodle (Bonus - Unissued Oar) 06:27 Tools
Fountain (1969) 06:27 Tools
22 - I Think You and I [bonus] 06:27 Tools
Weighted Down The Prison Son 06:27 Tools
alexander 'skip' spence - oar (21) fountain 06:27 Tools
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Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence (April 18, 1946 – April 16, 1999) was a musician and singer-songwriter best known for his work with Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape and as a solo artist. He was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and his family relocated to San Jose, California in the late 1950s. His career was plagued by drug addictions coupled with mental health problems, and is described by a biographer as man who "neither died young nor had a chance to find his way out." During his tenure in the public eye, he had a profound impact on the outsider music and psych-folk genres. 1966-1969: Moby Grape and Oar 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. It was with Moby Grape that Spence found his greatest musical fame, writing among other songs, "Omaha", from Moby Grape's first album (1967)--a song identified in 2008 by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the 100 greatest guitar songs of all time. Spence is acknowledged as having been instrumental in the formation of the Doobie Brothers, by way of introducing John Hartman to Tom Johnston, and encouraging their musical development. During the recording session of Moby Grape's second album, Wow, in 1968, Spence attempted to break down a bandmate's hotel room door with a fire axe, while under the influence of LSD. Spence's deterioration in New York and the "fire axe incident" are described by bandmate Jerry Miller as follows: "Skippy changed radically when we were in New York. There were some people there that were into harder drugs and a harder lifestyle, and some very weird shit. And so he kind of flew off with those people. Skippy kind of disappeared for a little while. Next time we saw him, he had cut off his beard, and was wearing a black leather jacket, with his chest hanging out, with some chains and just sweating like a son of a gun. I don't know what the hell he got a hold of, man, but it just whacked him. And the next thing I know, he axed my door down in the Albert Hotel. They said at the reception area that this crazy guy had held an axe to the doorman's head." As described by bandmate Peter Lewis, it appears that both Jerry Miller and bandmade Don Stevenson were targets of Spence: "We had to do (the album) in New York because the producer (David Rubinson) wanted to be with his family. So we had to leave our families and spend months at a time in hotel rooms in New York City. Finally I just quit and went back to California. I got a phone call after a couple of days. They'd played a Fillmore East gig without me, and Skippy took off with some black witch afterward who fed him full of acid. It was like that scene in The Doors movie. He thought he was the anti-Christ. He tried to chop down the hotel room door with a fire axe to kill Don (Stevenson) to save him from himself. He went up to the 52nd floor of the CBS building where they had to wrestle him to the ground. And Rubinson pressed charges against him. They took him to the The Tombs (and then to Bellevue) and that's where he wrote Oar. When he got out of there, he cut that album in Nashville. And that was the end of his career. They shot him full of Thorazine for six months. They just take you out of the game." During his six months in Bellevue, Spence was diagnosed with schizophrenia. On the day of his release, he drove a motorcycle, dressed in only his pajamas, directly to Nashville to record his only solo album, with no other musicians appearing on it, the now-classic psychedelic/folk album Oar (1969, Columbia Records). 1970s and continuing decline Spence continued to have minor involvement in later Moby Grape projects and reunions. He contributed to 20 Granite Creek (1971) and Live Grape (1978), though his bandmates always included at least one of his songs on group recordings, irrespective of whether he was capable of performing with the group at the time. He had been similarly remembered by Jefferson Airplane, whereby his song, "My Best Friend" was included on the group's definitive Surrealistic Pillow album (1967), despite his departure from the group. Due to his deteriorating state and notwithstanding that he was no longer functioning in the band, Spence was supported by Moby Grape band members for extended periods. Voluminous consumption of heroin and cocaine resulted in a further involuntary committal for Spence, based on "Aqualung"-like behaviours. As described by Peter Lewis, "Skippy was just hanging around. He hadn't been all there for years, because he'd been into heroin all that time. In fact he actually ODed once and they had him in the morgue in San Jose with a tag on his toe. All of a sudden he got up and asked for a glass of water. Now he was snortin' big clumps of coke, and nothing would happen to him. We couldn't have him around because he'd be pacing the room, describing axe murders. So we got him a little place of his own. He had a little white rat named Oswald that would snort coke too. He'd never washed his dishes, and he'd try to get these little grammar school girls to go into the house with him. He was real bad. One of the parents finally called the cops, and they took him to the County Mental Health Hospital in Santa Cruz. Where they immediately lost him, and he turned up days later in the women's ward." Mental illness, drug addiction and alcoholism thus prevented Spence from sustaining a career in the music industry. Much of his life was spent in third party care, as a ward of the State of California, and either homeless or in transient accommodations in his later years. He remained in and around San Jose and Santa Cruz, California. Peter Lewis regularly visited Spence during the latter years of his life: "The last five years I'd go up‚ he lived in a trailer up there‚ Capitola. I used to hang around with him; we'd spend the weekends together. But he just basically kind of hit the…he was helpless in a way in terms of being able to define anything or control his feelings." As one of his four children, son Omar Spence, recalls, "When I saw my dad, it broke my heart. ...There were moments of clarity when he was genius smart, and then he'd wander off having a conversation with himself. Here's a homeless guy that most people would walk past and pity, and he'd say, 'I've been working on a song', and he'd scratch out some bar chords and musical notes on a napkin." Death and postscripts Spence died in 1999 from lung cancer. He was 52, just two days shy of his 53rd birthday. More Oar: A Tribute to Alexander "Skip" Spence, an album featuring contributions from Robert Plant, Tom Waits, Beck, among others, was released a few weeks after his death. Prior to its release, the CD was played for Spence at the hospital, in his final stages before death. As Peter Lewis recalls, "He was in a coma‚ and the last thing to go is your hearing. And they had More Oar in there and were playing it for him as they pulled the plug and we were holding his hands. I mean‚ it was like this death of Van Gogh or something. That's the drama of it. You know…it was just so intense." Spence's "Land of the Sun", one of the only post-Grape recordings he ever completed, was nearly placed on the X-Files soundtrack, Songs In The Key of X. He had been commissioned to write the song. In June, 2008, a Skip Spence Tribute Concert was held in Santa Cruz. The concert featured Spence's son, Omar Spence, who has sung with various configurations of Moby Grape in recent years. Omar Spence, singing his father's songs, was backed by the Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble, with Dale Ockerman and Tiran Porter, both formerly of the Doobie Brothers, and both of whom have played with various members of Moby Grape in several bands over the past three decades. Keith Graves of Quicksilver Messenger Service played drums. Peter Lewis joined the group onstage for the finale. An additional Skip Spence tribute concert was held in October, 2008. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.