Alexander "Skip" Spence
That was the opening track, “Little Hands,” of the psychedelic 60s forgotten masterpiece, Oar (1969 Columbia Records), by the tragically tortured visionary, Alexander “Skip” Spence.
Alexander “Skip” Spence, described as “one of psychedelia brightest lights,” was a lamp that burned too fast and too furious, but during his regrettably short-lived career, he left quite a mark on the fabric of California 60s psychedelia. The Canadian born musician first played guitar for the psychedelic rock band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, but he soon moved on to play drums for the California legends, Jefferson Airplane, appearing on their debut release, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off (1966 RCA Victor). Shortly after, he co-founded the psychedelic folk rock group, Moby Grape, and played guitar for the band until 1969. He released several albums with the group, but it was during this part of his career that “Skip” Spence began to show signs of mental illness, instigated perhaps by excessive drug use. The group relocated to New York to record the album Wow (1968 Columbia Records), and according to band members, Skip Spence began hanging with some “weird” folks of the city’s underworld. His behaviors became more erratic and alarming culminating in the widely known episode where he attempted to attack fellow band members, Don Stevenson and Jerry Milller, with a fire axe while staying in a NY hotel. Once restrained, he was checked into Bellevue Hospital and soon diagnosed with schizophrenia. It was during his six month stay at Bellevue when Alexander Spence wrote much of the material for what would become his only solo album, Oar (1969 Columbia Records). Upon release, he reportedly bought a motorcycle and immediately travelled straight to Nashville to record his solo effort. Spence recorded the material in a total of 7 days all on a simple 3 track recorder, playing every instrument himself. The album is a lo-fi, minimalist masterpiece that was way ahead of its time, and it was the worst selling record in Columbia’s commercial history. The lo-fi aesthetic just wasn’t all the rage. Most of the album remains minimalist with a strong country-folk influence. Here’s the 2nd track of the album, “Cripple Creek”:
His voice has a deep, warm quality to it that reminds one of Fred Neil at times. I just love the 1st side of this album, and it continues to be perfect with the third track, “Diana,” a song that almost recalls early John Martyn or Nick Drake. Check it out:
My favorite track on the album is the last song of Side A, “War in Peace.” It's psychedelic perfection, simply put, and it was done with such minimal, cheap equipment! I love this song; check it out:
Side B is excellent as well. The last track, “Grey/Afro,” is definitely the most experimental song on the album. One critic described it as a “mantric drone”; it’s a really weird tune, for sure:
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| Alexander Skip Spence (1946-1999) |
Alexander Spence gradually withdrew from the music industry and all public culture shortly after the album’s release, and his record was quickly abandoned and forgotten about, only to resurface years later for a new generation of eagerly appreciative listeners. Spence, however, never returned to the musical limelight; mental illness and drug addiction continued to plague him. Spence’s spark had burned and raged too furiously, and there was only night left. His story is a sad one, and in 1999, he passed away, mostly unnoticed by the commercial music world. Rest in Peace, Alexander “Skip” Spence. <> Well my few loyal readers, enjoy the little music Spence has left us... It will make you pine for more....
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