Formed in San Francisco, California in 1966, the ‘legend’ of psychedelic rock band Moby Grape is better known than their music is. Founded by former Jefferson Airplane associates singer / songwriter / guitarist Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence and manager / producer Matthew Katz, Moby Grape also featured Peter Lewis (rhythm guitar, vocals), Jerry Miller (lead guitar, vocals), Bob Mosley (bass, vocals), and Don Stevenson (drums, vocals). While the group was made up of musicians with strong personalities, manager Katz controlled every aspect of the group’s career, which would begin causing issues early on. Signing to CBS, Moby Grape released their self-titled album in 1967. On the first pressing’s cover, drummer Stevenson was shown ‘flipping the bird’ (extending his middle finger, which was considered obscene), but it was airbrushed out of subsequent pressings. The album was a success, reaching number 24 on the Billboard 200. Their next album, Wow/Grape Jam (1968), charted four spots higher, climbing to number 20. The release was a two record vinyl release and featured two separate albums packaged together as one. By their third album, Moby Grape ’69, Skip Spence had suffered a mental breakdown and was forced out of the band. However, he does appear on one track on the album. Commercially, the album was not a success and only reached number 113. Bob Mosely was the next to quit the band, leaving the group before they recorded their next album, Truly Fine Citizen (1969). The remaining trio then split up but by 1971, the original quintet came together again for the album 20 Granite Creek (1971). This reunion was short-lived, and Skip Spence left Moby Grape again. The group split but have reunited in various forms several times over the years. However, they encountered legal issues with former manager Katz, who owned the group’s name and original recordings. Both Skip Spence and Bob Mosely suffered from mental illness and dealt with many issues outside the band, including homelessness. Skip Spence died from lung cancer on April 16, 1999. Jerry Miller died on July 20, 2024.
