Moby Grape was a
psychedelic rock group of the
1960s, formed by manager
Matthew Katz (of
Jefferson Airplane) in
San Francisco. Frontman
Skip Spence (also of Jefferson Airplane),
Jerry Miller and
Don Stevenson (of
the Frantics),
Peter Lewis (of
the Cornells) and
Bob Mosley all wrote songs for
Moby Grape (
1967 in music).
Columbia Records immediately released five singles, and the band was percieved as being over-hyped. In addition, band members were in
legal trouble for charges (later dropped) of consorting with underage females, and the band's relationship with Katz rapidly deteriorated. The second album,
Wow, was a critical and
commercial failure. During the recording, Spence came to the studio with an axe, intending to kill Stevenson; he was committed. After Spence left the group, Mosley joined the Marines. The remainder soldiered on for two decades, recording and performing to a small audience.
