Image ofAlexander "Skip" Spence

Alexander "Skip" Spence

Musician
Forfans of 1960s psychedelic folk/rock, collectors of outsider music, readers interested in music and mental health.
3 Reviews 2 Definitions 1 Charts

The Profile

Alexander "Skip" Spence (November 18, 1946 – April 16, 1999) was a Canadian-born musician, original drummer for Jefferson Airplane, founding member and guitarist of Moby Grape, and the author of the solo album Oar (1969).

Recorded Oar in December 1968 in Nashville (producer David Rubinson is mentioned in reviews); after an axe incident he was hospitalized (Bellevue) and diagnosed with schizophrenia; critics frequently compare Oar and Spence to Syd Barrett and describe the album as a visionary blend of folk, country, blues and psychedelia.

The collected reviews focus on Skip Spence's lone solo album Oar (recorded December 1968, released 1969) as a visionary, haunted work blending folk, country, blues and psychedelia. Reviewers compare Spence to Syd Barrett, note his psychiatric hospitalization after an axe incident, and praise tracks like "Grey/Afro", "Little Hands" and "Weighted Down (The Prison Song)". Oar is presented as a unique, intimate document of loneliness and creative rupture.

Who knows Alexander "Skip" Spence?

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