Darby Slick | |
|---|---|
 Slick in 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dabney Roger Slick |
| Born | February 26, 1944 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
| Years active | 1965–present |
Dabney Roger "Darby" Slick (born February 26, 1944) [1] is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as a former member of the Great Society and the writer of the Jefferson Airplane song " Somebody to Love."
Early life
Slick was born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Hawaii before his family settled in Palo Alto, California. [1] [2]
The Great Society
In 1965, Slick co-founded the Great Society with his brother Jerry Slick, sister-in-law Grace Slick, and Jenn Piersol ( David Miner and Bard DuPont joined shortly afterward). Darby played lead guitar and occasionally sang backup vocals. Slick wrote " Someone to Love"—originally titled "Mind Full of Bread" [3]—in the process of writing a novel, which he started in 1962. Slick's literary aspirations tapered off as he concentrated more on guitar, and he finished the song in 1965 after a breakup. He intended the song to address giving love instead of the cliché of wanting it. [4] [5]
"Someone to Love" was issued as a Great Society single by North Beach Records with "Free Advice" as its B-side. The single saw limited distribution and made little impact at the time. The Great Society dissolved when Grace Slick joined Jefferson Airplane, who recorded the song—retitled "Somebody to Love"—and scored a top 10 hit on the national charts in 1967.
Slick composed other Great Society songs such as "Darkly Smiling," and "Free Advice," which displayed his budding interest in Indian music. [6] [7]
Later work
After Slick's time in the Great Society, he took an interest in Indian music. [8] He took several trips to India to learn more about the genre. He published an autobiography in 1991 titled Don't You Want Somebody to Love: Reflections on the San Francisco Sound detailing his time with the band and lessons while on trips to India. [6]
Discography
The Great Society
- Grace Slick and the Great Society: Conspicuous Only in Its Absence (Columbia, 1968)
- Grace Slick and the Great Society, Vol. 2: Collector's Item (How It Was) (Columbia, 1968)
Solo
- Sandoland (Taxim, 1995)
- King of the Fretless Guitar (Taxim, 1998)
- Following Yonder Stars (Self-released, 2019)
References
- ^ a b Unterberger, Richie. "Darby Slick Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ Slick, Darby (1991). Don't You Want Somebody to Love: Reflections on the San Francisco Sound. Berkeley, California: SLG Books. pp. 15–16. ISBN 0-943389-08-9.
- ^ "Original Lyrics For Sale". jambands.com. March 26, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ "Darby Slick Interview". famousinterview.com. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ Slick, Grace; Cagan, Andrea (December 14, 2008). Somebody to Love?: A Rock-and-Roll Memoir. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 9780446554428. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ a b Unterberger, Richie. "Biography: Darby Slick". Allmusic. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ^ "Bay Area, Darby Slick". bay-area-bands.com. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ Zickos, Coco (May 1, 2013). "One Guitar, Two Different Styles". MidWeek Kaua'i. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
External links
- Darby Slick discography at Discogs
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