Oar (Skip Spence album)
Encyclopedia
Oar is a 1969 album
by the late Skip Spence
. It is Spence's only solo album, recorded over seven days in Nashville, on which Spence plays all of the instruments.
. Spence had been committed to Bellevue following a delusion-driven attempt to attack Moby Grape
bandmates Don Stevenson
and Jerry Miller
with a fire axe, after having ingested LSD
.
As described by critic Ross Bennett:
The album is viewed by critic Lindsay Planer as follows:
At the time of Spence's release from hospital, he had written a number of songs that he wanted to record. Rubinson suggested that Spence record at the Columbia studios in Nashville, where there was a particularly patient recording engineer, Mike Figlio. Rubinson instructed Figlio to keep the tapes running at all times, to record everything that Spence did. The majority of the tracks were recorded using a three-track recorder
. Rubinson chose to stay away from the studio, concerned that Spence's recording activities would be distracted by the presence of a producer.
According to Spence himself, the Nashville sessions were intended by him to only be a demo, which he gave to Rubinson with the intent that the songs would be fleshed out with full production for the actual album. Instead Rubinson had the demo recordings released by Columbia.
When first released, Oar was not promoted by Columbia Records, despite pleadings from producer David Rubinson. It was at the time the lowest-selling album in Columbia Records history, and was deleted from the Columbia catalogue within a year of its release.
Subsequent reissues have added ten more songs, in different stages of completion, to the original dozen. The original release ended with a fade out of "Grey / Afro". The 1999 Sony
/Sundazed
reissue appends "This Time He Has Come" to a fade-less "Grey / Afro", which reflects how the two songs appeared on the master tapes.
The first CD reissue of Oar was released by Sony Special Products in 1991 and was totally remixed from the multitrack masters. This was the first release of the fadeless "Grey / Afro" along with 4 outtakes from the sessions. This CD edition is no longer in print and is highly sought after by fans. The newer Sundazed reissue uses the original 1968 mix master tapes for the first time and added a further 6 unreleased tracks.
In 1999, the Birdman
label of Burbank, California released a tribute album titled More Oar: A Tribute To The Skip Spence Album
. It featured covers
of the original record's tracks by Robert Plant
, Robyn Hitchcock
, Tom Waits
, Greg Dulli
, Mark Lanegan
, Beck
, Diesel Park West
, Mudhoney
, and others.
In November 2009, as part of his "Record Club
" series, Beck began posting the videos of his complete version of Oar on his website (www.beck.com), recorded with members of Wilco
, Feist, Jamie Lidell
, James Gadson
, Brian LeBarton
, and others the previous June.
1991 and 1999 CD reissue bonus tracks
1999 CD reissue bonus tracks
'
An interesting note about "War in Peace" is that the guitar melody of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love
" can be heard as the track fades out.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the late Skip Spence
Skip Spence
Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence was a Canadian-born musician and singer-songwriter. He was co-founder of Moby Grape, and played guitar with them until 1969. He released one solo album, 1969's Oar, and then largely withdrew from the music industry...
. It is Spence's only solo album, recorded over seven days in Nashville, on which Spence plays all of the instruments.
History
Described as "one of the most harrowing documents of pain and confusion ever made", the album was recorded after Spence had spent six months in Bellevue HospitalBellevue Hospital Center
Bellevue Hospital Center, most often referred to as "Bellevue", was founded on March 31, 1736 and is the oldest public hospital in the United States. Located on First Avenue in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, Bellevue is famous from many literary, film and television...
. Spence had been committed to Bellevue following a delusion-driven attempt to attack Moby Grape
Moby Grape
Moby Grape is an American rock group from the 1960s, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting and that collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz together with rock and psychedelic music...
bandmates Don Stevenson
Don Stevenson (musician)
Don Stevenson is the drummer and a singer and songwriter for Moby Grape, a band which was formed in San Francisco in 1966 and continues to perform occasionally today.-History:...
and Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller is an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performs as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band. He is also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, which continues to perform occasionally...
with a fire axe, after having ingested LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
.
As described by critic Ross Bennett:
The album is viewed by critic Lindsay Planer as follows:
At the time of Spence's release from hospital, he had written a number of songs that he wanted to record. Rubinson suggested that Spence record at the Columbia studios in Nashville, where there was a particularly patient recording engineer, Mike Figlio. Rubinson instructed Figlio to keep the tapes running at all times, to record everything that Spence did. The majority of the tracks were recorded using a three-track recorder
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
. Rubinson chose to stay away from the studio, concerned that Spence's recording activities would be distracted by the presence of a producer.
According to Spence himself, the Nashville sessions were intended by him to only be a demo, which he gave to Rubinson with the intent that the songs would be fleshed out with full production for the actual album. Instead Rubinson had the demo recordings released by Columbia.
When first released, Oar was not promoted by Columbia Records, despite pleadings from producer David Rubinson. It was at the time the lowest-selling album in Columbia Records history, and was deleted from the Columbia catalogue within a year of its release.
Subsequent reissues have added ten more songs, in different stages of completion, to the original dozen. The original release ended with a fade out of "Grey / Afro". The 1999 Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
/Sundazed
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
reissue appends "This Time He Has Come" to a fade-less "Grey / Afro", which reflects how the two songs appeared on the master tapes.
The first CD reissue of Oar was released by Sony Special Products in 1991 and was totally remixed from the multitrack masters. This was the first release of the fadeless "Grey / Afro" along with 4 outtakes from the sessions. This CD edition is no longer in print and is highly sought after by fans. The newer Sundazed reissue uses the original 1968 mix master tapes for the first time and added a further 6 unreleased tracks.
In 1999, the Birdman
Birdman Records
Birdman Records is an independent record label based in South San Francisco, founded by former Warner Bros. Records A&R vice-president David Katznelson.-History:...
label of Burbank, California released a tribute album titled More Oar: A Tribute To The Skip Spence Album
More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album
More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album is a 1999 tribute album completed shortly before and released shortly after the death of Moby Grape founding member Skip Spence. The album contains cover versions by various artists of Spence's music from his Oar album, released in 1969, presented in...
. It featured covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the original record's tracks by Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
, Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, Greg Dulli
Greg Dulli
-Biography:Greg Dulli was born and brought up in the working-class city of Hamilton, Ohio. Although he was raised a Catholic, he is now agnostic. Dulli first came to public attention in the late 1980s with The Afghan Whigs when he joined D.C. transplant bassist John Curley and Louisville, Kentucky,...
, Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
, Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, Diesel Park West
Diesel Park West
Diesel Park West are an alternative rock band from Leicester, England. Formed in 1981, they have released ten albums to date, plus six singles that have appeared in the UK Singles Chart.-Original line-up:*John Butler...
, Mudhoney
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...
, and others.
In November 2009, as part of his "Record Club
Record Club
Record Club is a musical project initiated by Beck Hansen in June 2009.The purpose of the project is to cover an entire album by another artist in one day, using an informal and fluid collective of musicians...
" series, Beck began posting the videos of his complete version of Oar on his website (www.beck.com), recorded with members of Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
, Feist, Jamie Lidell
Jamie Lidell
Jamie Lidell is an English musician and soul singer living in Nashville, United States...
, James Gadson
James Gadson
James Gadson is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B music....
, Brian LeBarton
Brian LeBarton
Brian Manuel LeBarton is a keyboardist, composer, and electronic musician from Los Angeles, California.-Work with Beck:Brian LeBarton is the keyboardist and musical director for Beck...
, and others the previous June.
Track listing
- "Little Hands" – 3:44
- "Cripple Creek" – 2:16
- "Diana" – 3:32
- "Margaret/Tiger Rug" – 2:17
- "Weighted Down (The Prison Song)" – 6:27
- "War in Peace" – 4:05
- "Broken Heart" – 3:29
- "All Come to Meet Her" – 2:04
- "Books of Moses" – 2:42
- "Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin for Yang)" – 2:53
- "Lawrence of Euphoria" – 1:31
- "Grey/Afro" – 9:38
1991 and 1999 CD reissue bonus tracks
- "This Time He Has Come" – 4:42
- "It's the Best Thing for You" – 2:48
- "Keep Everything Under Your Hat" – 3:06
- "Furry Heroine (Halo of Gold)" – 3:35
- "Givin' up Things" – 0:59
1999 CD reissue bonus tracks
- "If I'm Good" – 0:47
- "You Know" – 1:47
- "Doodle" – 1:02
- "Fountain" – 0:34
- "I Think You and I" – 1:14
'
An interesting note about "War in Peace" is that the guitar melody of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love
Sunshine of Your Love
"Sunshine of Your Love" is a 1967 song by the British supergroup Cream. The song was originally released on the album Disraeli Gears in November 1967, and was later released as a single in January 1968. It is Cream's only gold-selling single in the United States. It features a distinctive...
" can be heard as the track fades out.