Bob Mosley
Encyclopedia
Bob Mosley is principally known as the bass player and one of the songwriters and vocalists for the band Moby Grape
. He has also developed a career as a solo artist. Three of his best known songs with Moby Grape are "Mr. Blues", from the first Moby Grape album
(1967), "Bitter Wind", from Wow/Grape Jam
(1968) and "Gypsy Wedding", from 20 Granite Creek
(1971).
. Mosley has had a varied musical career, including a prominent but interrupted role in Moby Grape during the 1967-1971 period, the commencement of a solo career in 1972, plus a period in 1977 playing with Neil Young
in a band called The Ducks
, which had a brief life and lamented demise.
Mosley's career has been plagued by the challenges of schizophrenia
, as was the case with Moby Grape bandmate Skip Spence
. Both musicians were homeless for several years. Mosley's schizophrenia was first diagnosed after he left Moby Grape in 1969, following the release of Moby Grape '69
. Mosley shocked the remaining band members, in leaving the band to join the Marines. It was during basic training with the Marines that Mosley was first diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. He was discharged from the Marines nine months after basic training.
In 1996, three of Mosley's fellow band members, Jerry Miller
, Peter Lewis
and Don Stevenson, in part reformed Moby Grape with the objective of helping Mosley recover emotionally and financially. Bob Mosley describes the circumstances as follows: "In 1996, Peter Lewis picked me up along the side of a San Diego freeway where I was living, to tell me a ruling by San Francisco Judge Garcia gave Moby Grape their name back. I was ready to go to work again."
Unlike bandmate Skip Spence, whose musical output largely ceased within a few years of the onset of schizophrenia, Bob Mosley has been able to continue to write songs and record music for much of his life. His most recent solo release is True Blue, released on the Taxim label in 2005.
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...
. He has also developed a career as a solo artist. Three of his best known songs with Moby Grape are "Mr. Blues", from the first Moby Grape album
Moby Grape (album)
Moby Grape is the rock band Moby Grape's eponymous 1967 debut album. Coming from the San Francisco scene, their reputation quickly grew to immense proportions, leading to a bidding war and a contract with Columbia Records...
(1967), "Bitter Wind", from Wow/Grape Jam
Wow/Grape Jam
-Side one:# "The Place and the Time" - 2:07# "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" - 2:58# "Bitter Wind" - 3:09...
(1968) and "Gypsy Wedding", from 20 Granite Creek
20 Granite Creek
20 Granite Creek is the rock band Moby Grape's fifth album. After recording their last album for Columbia Records, Truly Fine Citizen, the band went on hiatus until 1970 when they reunited with Skip Spence and Bob Mosley and recorded this reunion album for Reprise Records; their only album for the...
(1971).
History
Bob Mosley spent his adolescence in San Diego, where he graduated from Kearny High SchoolKearny High School (San Diego, California)
Kearny High School is a public high school in San Diego, California. Kearny High School serves students in grades 9-12 from the Linda Vista, Serra Mesa and Kearny Mesa communities. The school is part of the San Diego Unified School District...
. Mosley has had a varied musical career, including a prominent but interrupted role in Moby Grape during the 1967-1971 period, the commencement of a solo career in 1972, plus a period in 1977 playing with Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
in a band called The Ducks
The Ducks
The Ducks were a short-lived hard rock supergroup formed in the summer of 1977 by singer-songwriter Jeff Blackburn, and consisted of musicians Bob Mosley , Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, and Johnny Craviotto. The band played a series of impromptu bar gigs around the Santa Cruz area in 1977...
, which had a brief life and lamented demise.
Mosley's career has been plagued by the challenges of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, as was the case with Moby Grape bandmate 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...
. Both musicians were homeless for several years. Mosley's schizophrenia was first diagnosed after he left Moby Grape in 1969, following the release of Moby Grape '69
Moby Grape '69
Moby Grape '69 is third album by the psychedelic rock band Moby Grape.It is the first album after the departure of co-founder Skip Spence. Spence nonetheless is heard on one song, "Seeing", presumably from the Wow/Grape Jam sessions, and positioned as the final song on Moby Grape '69...
. Mosley shocked the remaining band members, in leaving the band to join the Marines. It was during basic training with the Marines that Mosley was first diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. He was discharged from the Marines nine months after basic training.
In 1996, three of Mosley's fellow band members, 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...
, Peter Lewis
Peter Lewis (musician)
Peter Lewis is one of the founding members of the band Moby Grape. Three of his better known songs with Moby Grape are "Fall On You" and "Sitting By The Window" from the self-titled first Moby Grape album and "If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes", from Moby Grape '69.- Background :He is the...
and Don Stevenson, in part reformed Moby Grape with the objective of helping Mosley recover emotionally and financially. Bob Mosley describes the circumstances as follows: "In 1996, Peter Lewis picked me up along the side of a San Diego freeway where I was living, to tell me a ruling by San Francisco Judge Garcia gave Moby Grape their name back. I was ready to go to work again."
Unlike bandmate Skip Spence, whose musical output largely ceased within a few years of the onset of schizophrenia, Bob Mosley has been able to continue to write songs and record music for much of his life. His most recent solo release is True Blue, released on the Taxim label in 2005.
Solo discography
- Bob Mosley (1972)
- Never Dreamed (1974)
- Wine and Roses (1986) Nightshift Records; acoustic five song mini-album
- Mosley Grape Live at Indigo Ranch (1989)
- True Blue (2005)