![Moby Grape [Concert Poster] (1967)](http://img44.exs.cx/img44/1340/mobygrapeposter2ve.jpg)
When considering the original Summer of Love, and the bands that were active in the San Francisco Bay area at the time, the list of influential musicians to emerge from the scene is fairly long and impressive: Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Steve Miller Band, Big Brother & The Holding Co. (featuring Janis Joplin), Santana, Quicksilver Messenger Service ...
There were dozens of other bands active at the time, too, now known only to record collectors and elderly hippies. One band well-known to both, but largely unknown to the public at large was Moby Grape. Any Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane fan would like them; 90s jam-band fans engaging in anthropological research should dig them up, too. Their history is an interesting one.
Their sound shared many similarities with the other Haight Ashbury groups, but they also displayed a versatility that perhaps only the Dead could match; they were adept at combining folk, blues, country, and 50s rock 'n' roll. They also had the requisite acid-rock vibe, and were ambitious in their arrangements. All of it came together best on their 1967 debut, Moby Grape, but there's more to their story than that.
The band's very formation was somewhat unusual. Jefferson Airplane manager Matthew Katz wanted to build a group around Jefferson Airplane drummer Skip Spence. Spence's first instrument was guitar, but was recruited into Jefferson Airplane by founder Marty Balin because he looked like a drummer. Spence was a colorful and sometimes outrageous Canadian with an oddball charisma; he seemed a good choice as a frontman.
Spence resumed playing guitar and songwriting in Moby Grape. Guitarist Jerry Miller and drummer Don Stevenson played in a bar band called the Frantics in the Pacific Northwest and were brought in to augment Spence; surf-band guitarist Peter Lewis and bassist Bob Mosley completed the five-man lineup.
Despite the fact that Moby Grape was assembled piece by piece, rather than grown organically like most other bands of the scene, they (at first) worked well together; all five members contribute to the songwriting on the first album, which brought together all of their diverse influences in a remarkably concise, thoroughly enjoyable Moby Grape, an album that has aged reasonably well, and resembles Surrealistic Pillow in its combination of acid sentiment, controlled experimentation, and pop sense.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Douglas Mays
uao, killer post! Being a northwest resident, I am definately hip to what you are saying. Back in the day the Seattle to San Fransisco connection was tight. VW vans flying up and down I-5 between the two cities.
Jerry Miller will sometimes perform with one of his bands currently. He is living in Tacoma, WA, I think.
Anyway, good of you to give credit to Moby Grape and the Frantics for that matter.
Thanx man....
2 - Mark Saleski
man, you are a veritable allmusic.com (without the crappy layout and insane page load delays)
3 - Greg
Can I walk down the street
Naked if I want to?
Can I buy fireworks
On the 4th of July?
Can I buy an amplifier
on time?
I ain't got no money now
but I will pay you before I die.
4 - mpho
Thanks for the post. I still cherish my Moby Grape debut album though I was just a pup when it came out. I stumbled upon it at the school radio station when I was in undergrad or maybe Tone the Fun Guy, who was the only cool dj in Grand Rapids, MI, played it one Sunday afternoon when I was in high school. Regardless, though my taste these days runs more towards things other than classic rock, this one oldy group I never tire of hearing. No disrespect but how many times can you stand to hear certain Beatles or Stones songs? For selfish reasons, I'm glad Moby Grape didn't reach that stature. I like having my secret songs.
5 - crooked spine
Good post... Moby Grape are without doubt underrated.
I would point out though, that the Zeppelin song inspired by "Never" is actually called "Since I've Been Loving You."
6 - Temple Stark
uao, wow what a story
I promoted this review to Advance.net. That means I put it here (and these places) where it could potentially be read by another few hundred thousand readers.
- Thank you for the post. Temple Stark
7 - uao
Thanks so much Temple Stark, that was very thoughtful of you. I appreciate the gesture very much.
Mark Saleski: hah! Allmusic.com doesn't even have the album art I dug up for their last few albums. I looked there first for some. Even ebay didn't; I had to do some real hunting.
Douglas Mays: the Northwest has a long proud rock tradition going back to the Kingsmen and earlier; someday, I want to do a retrospective of the region's musical history. I need to research a little more first, and bolster my collection a little. But I'll get to it...
8 - Douglas Mays
uao, great! Thanks for noticing that the NW USA is actually quite a powerhouse contributor to rock n roll (and other catagories of music).
If you need any sources of info., I'm loaded with people who can tell a story. But, you'll get to it as time allows...
Thanks man!
9 - John Jennings
Recently saw the Jerry Miller Band live in the Seattle/Tacoma area. He's playing better than ever, and keeps up a fairly active local performing schedule. And he still is playing "Beulah", his legendary '61 Gibson L-5!
10 - Ahedarexia
I never was a Moby Grape fan. My Brother went to school with Jerry Miller & I went to school with his Brother John. In the early seventies I had a band called "Stilborne" & we practiced in Jerrys old abandoned house, because of the distance from the neighbors. The bass players sister bought the house & let Jeff live there. We were snooping around the house & found an attic, more like a crawl space where Jerry used to prctice his Guitar. Laying around the floor were Muisc note papers & a Wes Montgomery Chord booklet. I kept them as memorabilia, but lost them in my many moves. From what I heard of Moby Grape, they were more like a jam band. There was one song I did like alot that they wrote, but don't remember the name. Jerry is a pretty good Guitarist. He was living in Ruston, WA about 3 blocks from the famous Sal Mineos uncle, Art Mineo, also a Musician, but moved to another location in Tacoma. From what my brother told me about Jerry, he was quite the tough guy in school. He was kicked out for fighting before he graduated & never went back. Guess he didn't really need to, Ha! If you'd like to check out my Guitar site, go to the above URL at CD Street:
http://www.cdstreet.com/cgi-bin/artisthome_db.cgi?1235666&
Also my site at NWBands:
http://pnwbands.com/Ahedarexia.html http://pnwbands.com/stilborne.html
Wes Ervine
AKA Ahedarexia
11 - godoggo
What I remember reading about maybe 10 years ago was that they'd been rejected by the hipsters and hippies cause they were considered a fake.
The aforementioned article included an interview with Spence in which he criticized various rockers who he said needed to take more acid.
Didn't know he was dead.
12 - godoggo
By the way, what's your honest opinion of Atlantic Music? Personally, I think it's going to revolutionize the entire tuna canning industry.
13 - Franklin Eugene Rhoads
I sure wish I still had those two albums(WOW & Grape Jam) that I purchaced at Bargain City in Maumee, Ohio back in my younger years. They were rapped together in cellophane for a great bargain of $2.00. I also bought Pink Floyds Uma Gumma for the same price that same day.
14 - D.Rose
I was a huge fan of Moby Grape and hitched many a time to S.F. to see them. Mosley was the greatest vocalist/bass player/songwriter I'd ever seen. As a young musician I was always afraid to speak with him but through a series of circumstances I made contact with his then girlfriend, now wife and was invited to N.Y. to see them a few years back. I went backstage to meet him. After words he gave me a pass to join them at John Lennons favorite club where I may have been able to sit in and jam but I had to leave back to D.C. I will always regret that!!!
Bob Mosley is doing well and I would hope will continue to play for all of us.
15 - San Francisco Blue
Hurting For People out now!!!!!!!
In August of 1965, Matthew Katz, the manager, took Jefferson Airplane to Los Angeles to audition for several labels. He got us rooms at the Palms, a secluded lodge in the Hollywood hills. Skip Spence and I had a room together. We spent that first night getting high and writing a song called "Hurting For People".
I wrote the lyrics in my journal, and have hung on to them for 39 years, but the melody was never recorded and was lost in the mists of time, so when I decided to use it for the latest Moby Grape tribute album, I got together with Brian Fowler and we put new music to the lyrics. the one part of Skip's melody that I could remember was to the line, "love is just reaching out while someone else is reaching in". It fit perfectly with the new chord structure.
Brian and I recorded "Hurting For People" with an engineer named Melonie Emerson Taft. She is truly amazing. She got great sound out of all the instruments, including my voice. I'll be proud to have on the new tribute album.
Bob Harvey & Brian Fowler
Song written by (Harvey-Spence-Fowler)
Produced by Melonie Taft
San Francisco Blue is currently in the studio recording the follow-up to Hurting for People. The new album is titled "Seeds of Revolution" to be released in January 2006.
Latebreaking SFB information go to:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/sfblue/
By Bob Harvey, Skip Spence, Brian Fowler
Chorus
Dm/Hurting for people - C/got no time to wait
Dm/Hurting for people - Dm/got no Am/time to Dm-Am-Dm/hate
Dm/Don't tell me what love C/ought to be
It's Dm/just a Am/need to Dm-Am-Dm/communicate
C/Go find someone - and G/you will see
C/Go find someone - and G/learn to be
You'll find that love is just reaching out -Bar 3rdFret
While someone else is reaching in - You can make it through
C/Say what you want - I'll G/give it to you
C/All I can take - is G/what you're willing to
Take the path you can't resist
Go through the door that's easiest
C/Open your heart for G/it's the key
C/That will make you strong & G/set you free
You'll find that love is just reaching out
While someone else is reaching in - you can make it too
Bob Harvey-Lead Vocals,Acoustic Bass(Children of the Wind),Acoustic Guitar,harmonica
Brian Fowler-Mandolin,Fiddle,Lead Guitar,Electric Bass(Hurting For People,Beating Of your heart,World War #3,Listen to the Voice,Your Smile,Married In Georgia)
Dr. David Wisdo-Acoustic Bass(Bitter Cherry,Walking the Dog)
Hank Tart-drums
reviews:
A lovely warm 'alt country' opener, the title track is co-composed
by the legendary Skip Spence whose 'Oar' album remains one of the
finest of its ilk. Brian Fowler's mandolin playing is brilliant
throughout especially in the extended solo on 'Bitter Cherry'. Bob
Harvey writes most of the songs sometimes in collaboration with
others. Harvey was in an early incarnation of Jefferson Airplane
while Brian Fowler produced the most enjoyable 'Folk Art' CD with
his band Jones Avenue a couple of years back. In fact his
song 'Third World War' is reprised here. 'Hurting for People' has a
very spontaneous feel to it- what you hear is what you get and
Harvey's vocal style is not to be missed!
It's his harmonica that leads the way on 'Listen to the Voice', a
fine song with a serious message while the 7 minute rendition
of 'Walking The Dog' is a lot of fun. Check it out!
Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist
16 - Paul Gouldhawke
Bob Mosley has just released a new CD, entitled
"True Blue"... available from taxim.com
Also on my site is a link to PICNIC, where you can
read an interview with a close friend of Skip Spence.
PAUL
17 - Bret
It's great to see the Grape honored like this. I remember as a kid, someone cooler than me played the debut album and I was transfixed by the propulsive sound, and also by that F You sneering cover. I bought my own and wore out the grooves, and all these years later I still have it burrowed away, protected in the back of a closet. Wow was a major disappointment but MG '69 is vastly under-rated and "Seeing" in particular remains a demonic, haunting, extraordinary song that represents the Grape musically at their peak. To me it's one of the ultimate 60s songs. Thanks for keeping the Grape out there and for the updates on Jerry Miller. His leads from 40 years ago kick the shit out of most everything out there today.
18 - uao
Thank you too Bret for sharing the memories. I was a little surprised at just how much this band means to some people, but not too surprised. Always love to hear personal anecdotes about peoples' relationship with the bands and music on my articles; can't get enough of 'em.
And thank you to the other commenters who chipped in the links and stories about the new releases from Harvey and Mosley; glad to hear they're still out there, doing well.
19 - Debra
Crooked spine,
It's the other way around. 'Never' came first, ya know!
20 - Radley
In 1966 my older sister was going out with Moby Grape's road manager, Andy Segal. It was a really fun time (I was 13). I remember Andy letting me watch one of their shows in Oakland with the Grass Roots. I stood right behind Jerry's old blonde Fender amp (it was on a folding chair). I thought the vacumn tubes were going explode when he let a solo rip. They were glowing so hot. Skippy ran all over the stage but always got back to his mic in time. I remember Andy complaining about have to lug around this huge old Sony reel to reel tape recorder and record the shows. I'd love to hear those tapes now.
21 - Radley
I have to correct myself. Jerry Miller played through an old Gibson amp not a Fender.
22 - Chris Klove
Moby Grape was one of my favorite bands & touched me deeply. Each time I hear "Sitting by a window, watching for the rain, the reflection of your against my window pain, but just the same I'm playing my game & I guess you're playing it too, go ahead & play it on through! snaps me back to the first time I heard it with thoughts of Leslie Lehman my high school sweetheart. Are you out there Leslie? Chris Klove
23 - Paul G
Moby Grape will be performing at the Monterey Pop Summer of Love Festival this coming July 28th, 2007. Jerry Miller, Bob Mosley, Peter Lewis, Don Stevenson, Skip Spence's son Omar as well as additional drummer James Preston (Sons Of Champlin).
Sony is releasing "Listen My Friends-The Best Of
Moby Grape" in mid-May.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PASS THIS INFORMATION ON.
Paul
24 - Edwin
Cool article, Uao! Pretty much sums everything up. You could add some notes about Fine Wine, Bob Mosley, Peter Lewis and Jerry Miller's releases. They are part of the story. Although their fame isn't nearly as big as The Jefferson Airplane or Grateful Dead, in my opinion, Moby Grape had more talent. Unfortunately not every great band makes it (see also Big Star). Let's hope the reissues on Sundazed will give them more recognition.
25 - Louis
IMHO, Moby Grape could out-Dead the Dead and out Airplane the Airplane any day. I have that 48-track Vintage: The Very Best of Moby Grape and it still gets frequent airplay. Just one aging hippie's opinion (smile).