On this edition of Vinyl Vibes, Jack Hodgins is joined by Bob Spencer, former guitarist of Skyhooks and The Angels. Bob’s musical journey began in 1973 when he joined his first band, Finch. In 1977, Bob joined Skyhooks just after the departure of original guitarist Red Symons. Bob’s first recorded contribution with the band was their iconic hit, “Party to End All Parties.” He went on to play with Skyhooks on the 100th episode of Countdown and contributed to their classic album, Guilty Until Proven Insane.
In this conversation, Jack and Bob dive deep into his musical beginnings, his time with Finch, how he became a part of Skyhooks, and Bob also shares stories from his time with The Angels, the making of Howling, and why their version of “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” became such a powerful hit. The conversation also touches on his solo work and his current guitar teaching endeavors.
I’d seen every successful Australian band—Billy Thorpe, Sherbet, Jeff St. John, Stevie Wright . . . whatever the big bands were at the time—I’d seen them all. But I’d never seen anything like Skyhooks. The first gig I saw was under the Harbour Bridge . . . and I was completely gobsmacked.
Bob Spencer, on seeing Skyhooks for the first time