Thank you for landing at SpaceArk's website.  

Visit SpaceArk's Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/SpaceArk.lasoul

View a photo slideshow:

 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201081497943977&l=7620446419698531718

or on Youtube: 

http://youtu.be/GeNx

For licensing or general inquries:
spaceark@mail.com

SpaceArk's original ColorWorld albums were digitally remastered amd released in CD format in Japan by Creole Stream Records in 2011.  In 2018, CD and vinyl releases were licensed to Mr. Bongo Records UK for world-wide distribution.  These albums are faithful sonic and visual recreations of the original vinyl records.

SpaceArk music is also available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and streaming websites around the world.

iTunes
SpaceArk I http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/spaceark-i/id428998362
SpaceArk IS http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/spaceark-is/id431720913

Amazon US
SpaceArk I
SpaceArk IS
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=spaceark&x=0&y=0

Amazon UK
SpaceArk I
SpaceArk IS
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004U3QRCS/ref=dm_dp_adp

Historical

Biography

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SpaceArk was a pioneering Los Angeles-based Soul/Rock group formed in 1973 and dissolved in 1979. The band's status is inactive.  New and original fans can listen to SpaceArk's music and learn about the group.  This website is maintained by Peter Alan Silberg, founding member and lead guitarist.   

Your comments and messages are welcome on Facebook, or email spaceark@mail.com. 

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"Welcome to My Door"
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Peter Alan Silberg was born in London, England and emigrated to California at age 6.  His parents settled in Los Angeles, and he grew up in the beach city of Santa Monica. Peter took up guitar after seeing Dick Dale "King of the Surf Guitar" perform at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in 1961.  He had played viola in the school orchestra but once exposed to the power of the electric guitar, it became his lifelong passion.

During high school, Peter was the lead guitarist for a San Fernando Valley surf band "The Intoxicators" (1963-65).  The group performed at school dances and local clubs, playing instrumental surf rock and 1950's R&B songs.  The Intoxicators won numerous battle of the band competitions, and landed a small recording contract with TJ Records  in 1963.   They traveled to Tucson, AZ and recorded  backing tracks for TJ Records' solo artist, Mel Thompson. A 45rpm single was released - "Goin' Down That Lonesome Road" and "I Never Look For Trouble", both catchy folk-pop songs that did not chart.

In 1965, Peter joined Epic Records recording artists "The Bad Boys." They released the first version of the classic song "River Deep Mountain High" - later made famous by Dick & Dee Dee, and Tina Turner.  The Bad Boys' records didn't chart and they were dropped from the label, and bookings dried up. 

Peter joined the "The Black Watch" (1966-71).  One of the musicians, keyboardist Mark Weitz, went on to fame as a member of "The Strawberry Alarm Clock" (Incense & Peppermints).  Peter would perform with this group over the next few years. 

As music changed, Peter joined "The Glass Menagerie", another San Fernando Valley band, whose members all attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California.  The focus was the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and other British Invasion groups who had taken over AM radio.  They group performed at school dances and clubs, playing hits by British Invasion and  Los Angeles bands such as The Byrds, Arthur Lee & Love, The Grassroots, The Leaves, and The Doors.  The Glass Menagerie was a headlining group at the Hollywood Teenage Fair two years in a row, playing inthe Vox Instrument Pavilion.  They also won Battle Of The Bands awards.  When some of the band members graduated and went to college out of state, the band ceased performing. 

In the late 1960s, Peter rejoined The Black Watch, now a quartet featuring lead vocalist Dolores Hardy, the wife of bass player John Jakus.  Dolores could sing any style of music, and would later perform with SpaceArk in the 1970s.  The Black Watch played clubs,  private parties, and college stadiums all over Southern California.  They shared the stage with The Challengers, The Bobby Fuller 4, Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs, The Coasters, The Standells, The Strawberry Alarm Clock, Ben E. King, and other local bands from Los Angeles. 

Playing with The Black Watch provided steady weekend work, but they focused on playing the Top 40 hits.  In response, Peter formed a second group, a guitar-bass-drums trio, featuring a string of female lead vocalists, and performed hard rock style music.  The group performed at local clubs,  small stadiums, and US military base clubs through early 1973. 

However, Peter became increasingly frustrated playing only non-original music, and considered returning to London, to try his luck in the music scene there. 

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SpaceArk's Beginnings
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A few weeks before he was to leave Los Angeles, the phone rang and songwriter/singer Troy Raglin introduced himself.  He was seeking a guitarist and collaborator, and had selected Peter's profile listing at the Musicians Contact Service in Hollywood.

They arranged to meet and Troy played Peter records he had made with Capitol Records in San Francisco, under the performance name of Troy Dodds.  Troy had come to Los Angeles to seek his fortune and obtain a new recording contract.  He mentioned he knew industry contacts who would be interested in new music.  This was an interesting opportunity and Peter liked Troy's energy and enthusiam, so he stayed in Los Angeles. 

The duo spent the summer of 1973 writing songs, and recording demos on a 2-track tape machine.  It became apparent something special was happening between the two musicians.  Troy had a natural gift of melody, would compose lyrics easily, and was a strong vocalist.

The tapes were presented to Troy's industry contacts, but no offer resulted. They decided to form a group to play live, and hopefully attract label interest.  Musicians were auditioned for a few months, and players with the requisite talent and personalities were selected, and the band came together.  The name SpaceArk was Troy's idea, and as no one could think of a better name, it was adopted by one and all. 

During the 1970s, opportunities to play original music in Los Angeles were almost non-existent, unless an artist was signed to a record label and their records were already on the radio.  Up and coming bands performed "hits of the day" to secure club bookings.   SpaceArk's live sets included material by Marvin Gaye, The OJay's, The Commodores, Earth, Wind & Fire, and other R&B acts of the early 1970's. 

SpaceArk learned you could get audience approval by playing radio hits and insert the original songs into live sets.  They watched to see which songs made people get up and dance. Most of SpaceArk's initial bookings were at soul music clubs, and the audiences were demanding, which helped SpaceArk hone their skills and become a great live band. 

Over the next few years, SpaceArk performed at Southern California clubs, auditoriums, and did mini-tours of military base service clubs.  This was a great opportunity to play for diverse audiences tp be exposed to SpaceArk's original music.

SpaceArk's songs were composed and arranged with everyone's input, though an initial idea might come from one member, or from songs written by Troy and/or Peter.  After the first  few months of playing live, the musicians honed their skills and won over audiences with energetic performances and Troy's command of the stage.

At shows, SpaceArk handed out 45rpm singles, 8-track tapes, and LP albums as promotion, and to thank enthusiastic fans.  The records would make their way around the world -- like "messages in a bottle" as military base audience members were deployed overseas, and took the records with them.

Years later, the original records became highly valued collectibles in England, Europe, and the Far East, and were classified as "Northern Soul."   The ColorWorld label albums sold for hundreds of dollars on eBay and  record-vinyl collector websites around the globe. 

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The Elusive Major Label Recording Contract.

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SpaceArk was ahead of its time, were self-produced, and owned the rights to their music.  SpaceArk was unfortunately not successful in promoting their music beyond Southern California, as they were not signed to a major record label.

Record executives did not know how to market SpaceArk.  They agreed the group were talented and unique, but their music didn't fall into a comfortable category.  And the group was bi-racial, which added to the difficulty in securing bookings.  During this time, there was an unspoken divide between marketing rock and roll acts, and disco / rhythm & blues acts. 

Booking venues catered to specific audiences with definite musical tastes.  SpaceArk wasn't disco, or rock & roll, and were capable of multiple musical directions.  To meet expectations, they would select the songs performed to match the audience preference at certain clubs.

From 1974-1979 SpaceArk worked diligently, rehearsing 5-6 days a week, playing hundreds of live dates, and funded their recording and promotion efforts.  Two full-length albums and a handful of 45rpm singles were released.  Troy decided to diversify and sign other artists to ColorWorld, SpaceArk's independent record label.  Peter did not agree with this strategy as he believed SpaceArk should be the main focus until they became successful.  But once Troy decided he was a "record company president" there was no going back.

Unfortunately, the times were not favorable, and after years of hard work and dedicated effort (and personnel changes along the way), no real success had occurred.  In 1979, Peter dissolved his partnership with Troy and left the band.  For a short time, Troy put together a new group to perform his songs, but the spin-off didn't last very long.

Some factors which led to original band members leaving was Troy's sometime hard-edged personal management style, and his increased focus on working with other artists.  But overall, the lack of economic success  finally become impossible to ignore.

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SpaceArk's Musicians
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SpaceArk's founding members were Peter Alan Silberg (lead guitar) and Troy "Troiel" Raglin (lead vocals).  Original band members were Reggie Austin (bass), Bryan "Skip" Reed (drums), and Russell Greene (keyboards). 

Subsequent band members were Mahlon Hawk (bass2), Allen "Kenny" Chavis (bass3), and Jared Stewart (keyboards2).  During the last few years, SpaceArk added 2 female singers, Dolores Hardy (lead vocal on "Don't Stop"), and a second singer whose name has been forgotten.  

SpaceArk's band members came from different backgrounds and brought unique ideas and skills to the group.  Peter contributed lead guitar, melodic chording, and was the band leader.  Troy was a prolific song writer, energetic vocalist, and an engaging stage performer.  Brian "Skip" Reed was a classic Pittsburgh soul drummer with subtle jazz leanings.  Russell Greene was a classically trained keyboardist, who loved playing barrelhouse rock-and-roll piano, and Reggie Austin anchored the group with his distinct and tasteful bass style. 

SpaceArk collectively created danceable, melodic compositions with meaningful lyrics.  SpaceArk's sound and vision have not been sonically duplicated.  The band members' musicianship and dedication was of the highest level, and each player was passionate and brought skill and vision to the group.  They enjoyed playing and hanging out through the good times, and also the hard times all musicians are familiar with. 

SpaceArk was a high-energy live act, and achieved enthusiastic audience response to their music.  They were full-time musicians, believed in themselves, and did everything they could to be successful. 

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Spaceark's Recordings
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During the mid-1970s, SpaceArk released 2 self-produced and promoted albums, and 45rpm singles on their private ColorWorld Records label.  SpaceArk recorded at the legendary Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, and Ocean Way Studios in Santa Monica, and Hermosa Beach, California. 

They financed the studio recordings through crowd-sourcing sales efforts, supplemented by earnings from live performances - a novel approach all those years ago.  SpaceArk albums were available at Tower Records (the largest record store chain in Southern California at the time) and numerous independent record stores.  Troy Raglin recruited and managed a small team of assistants to promote the group and create publicity. 

SpaceArk's first album was released in Brazil on Pirate Records in 1975.  SpaceArk's album tracks and singles were played on AM and FM radio in Los Angeles, including the 2 most popular stations at the time, KRLA-AM and KMET-FM, which helped the band build a fan base. 

There were over 100 songs that SpaceArk composed and performed over a 6-year span.  Unfortunately, most were not professionally recorded.  Primitive demos of sessions from the beginning of the Raglin/Silberg duo survive, and later recordings by Peter and Troy were released in May, 2020. 

In 2008, Peter was contacted by a musician who provided a treasure-trove of photos, old cassette and tape reels, which documented SpaceArk's history. The items were rescued from being thrown away after Troy Raglin passed sometime around 2003.  A special thank you to Randy & Lisa for their generous efforts in saving these artifacts from oblivion - I am most grateful!  Memory can recall only a handful of unrecorded song ideas, but the cassette tapes do contain fragments of rehearsal recordings. 

Fortunately, SpaceArk's primary studio recordings survive along with a collection of photographs taken by Michael McAllister, our second roadie and resident photographer.

In 2011, Peter arranged for SpaceArk's albums to be re-released on CD in Japan, on Creole Stream Records.

In 2018, Peter arranged for SpaceArk's albums to be re-released by Mr. Bongo Records UK, in CD and vinyl format, for the European market and world-wide distribution.

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SpaceArk I - Recording Notes
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SpaceArk's albums were recorded on 16-track analog tape.  The master tapes were lost during the intervening years, and were in the possession of Troy Raglin.  It is likely they were reused to record other projects.  

The first album was recorded and mixed in 12 hours at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood.  Rhythm tracks were recorded live in the studio in 4 hours.  Vocals and lead instruments were overdubbed in a second session, and mixdowns were completed in a third session. 

The SpaceArk 1 album was re-released by Creole Stream Records, Japan in 2013, and was digitally duplicated from the original vinyl album, and sourced from an early 2-track stereo mixdown tape in Peter's possession.  Troy is lead vocalist on all songs except "Do What You Can Do" and "I'm Only Me" which featured drummer Bryan "Skip" Reed on lead vocals.

Song credits - lyrics and music as noted:

Everybody's Trying - Raglin
Understand - Silberg/Raglin
Fever Pitch - Silberg/Raglin/Greene
I'm Only Me - Reed/Greene/Silberg/Raglin
Jr. Blaster - Austin/Raglin
Welcome To My Door - Silberg/Raglin
Our Love Will Last - Raglin/Greene
I'm Walking - Silberg/Raglin
Do What You Can Do - Reed/Greene
This World - Austin/Raglin  

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The "Lost" SpaceArk II Album  
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After Spaceark's first album, new songs were composed and performed live.  Rhythm tracks were recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Hermosa Beach, California, but most of the recordings would not be not completed. 

Troy decided the songs weren't commercial enough, and decided to use new songs he had recently composed.  This decision distressed the group members, and was a factor in original keyboardist, Russell Greene, leaving the group.  

The songs for the initial album concept were inspiring, well-written, and the band members had all contributed to the effort.  But Troy decided new songs were needed to attract major record label attention. 

The original "lost album" included:  

Beautiful Machine (demo) - music composed by Peter, lyrics by Troy.  Troy was so enthusiastic about this song he pressed an in-studio acetate and used it to promote the group without completing the recording. It was included on the Japanese CD release of SpaceArk Is, and is found on the Diamonds & Demos digital collection.

Don't Stop (featuring Dolores Hardy - released as a 45rpm single under the pseudonym "Dollyway & SpaceShip Earth").  Dolores performed with SpaceArk in the late 1970s.  Music was composed by Peter, lyrics by Troy.  Musicians were SpaceArk augmented by a studio horn section.  Don't Stop was featured at live performances.  It was included on the SpaceArk Is album re-release on Creole Stream Records, Japan.   An extended mix version is available on the Diamonds & Demos digital collection.

Big Locomotive On The Tracks Of Love - the only composition SpaceArk performed not composed by a group member.  This song featured vocalist Charles Breckinridge Overton, who sometimes performed with SpaceArk, adding congas and backup vocals.  SpaceArk recorded the tracks and performed the song live, with Troy singing lead.  This song was included on the SpaceArk first album re-release on Creole Stream Records, Japan, and is on the Diamonds & Demos digital collection.

Sexy Lady - included on the SpaceArk Is album.  Music by Peter Silberg, lyrics by Troy Raglin.

======================================SpaceArk SpaceArk Is -- Recording Notes 
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Troy Raglin selected the songs for the "new" second album, and directed the recording of  rhythm tracks at Ocean Way Studios.  Peter overdubbed guitar parts in a secondary session.  All lead vocals are Troy Raglin, with the exception of "Take Her Out Dancing" featuring Bryan "Skip" Reed.

The CD album re-release was digitized from the original vinyl record.  No master tapes survived. 

Song credits - all lyrics and music by Troy Raglin, except as noted:
Sweet Hitchiker - Raglin
Take Her Out Dancing - Raglin/McAllister
Sexy Lady - Silberg/Raglin
Ja More Mon A More (I Love My Love) - Raglin/Silberg
Phantom Lover - Raglin/McAllister
Each Song - Raglin  

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What happened to SpaceArk's members after the group ceased to exist?

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In 1980, after Peter left SpaceArk, Troy Raglin formed his Fire Mountain record label to attempt to market other artists.  A few years later, he moved to the High Desert area of Southern California, and left the Los Angeles music scene. 

After SpaceArk, Peter joined "Poly", a 1980's power pop quartet, as a bassist.  Poly performed at Hollywood clubs, seeking to land a recording contract, but were not successful.  Peter then joined a country-rock group, playing bass, and performed at local clubs for a few years.  When the bookings dried up, he focused on writing new songs with his brother, but did not have  any success marketing to the numerous independent record labels in the Los Angeles.  It was apparent time had run out...

In the mid-1980s, Peter changed career direction and joined the emerging computer industry, providing technical services to law firms and multi-national corporations.  Music and guitar continued as a life-long interest.

In 2008, while searching the internet, Peter discovered Troy Raglin, Russell Greene, and Michael McAllister (our photographer and 2nd roadie), had passed away some years prior.   In 2009, Peter learned Dolores Hardy had tragically lost her life in the mid-1980s, bravely attempting to help an assault victim on the streets of Hollywood.

Allen "Kenny" Chavis, the 3rd bass player resides in the Southern California area.  An internet search revealed 2nd bass player Mahlon Hawk resides in the Phoenix area, and Jared Stewart, 2nd keyboardist resides in the LA area. 

Unknown are the whereabouts of Jerry Horton, SpaceArk's faithful roadie and record promo man, and the second female singer who performed with SpaceArk in the late 1970s. 

Reflecting back all these years later, "Rip" was the nickname Troy gave Peter for playing fast and aggressive guitar.  Troy's self-moniker was "Rags" for the patchwork jeans he had a habit of wearing. 

RIP Rags... 

In 2009.  by chance, Peter came across a YouTube video of Bryan "Skip" Reed's jazz group performing at a restaurant close to where he lived.  He surprised "Skip" with an unannounced visit, and brought original bassist Reggie Austin along.  Peter and Reggie had periodically stayed in touch.  A joyous one-night reunion took place and Peter sounded the musicians out about getting together again, but there was no interest - everyone had moved on with their lives...

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For general inquiries including licensing of SpaceArk compositions email spaceark@mail.com

Peace to all,

Peter Alan Silberg, founder and lead guitarist of SpaceArk
May, 2020

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IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTICE -- MP3s ON THIS WEBSITE ARE NOT TO BE REPACKAGED AND SOLD FOR PROFIT, AND ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR MUSICAL ENJOYMENT.

ALL LEGAL RIGHTS RETAINED AND RESERVED BY SPACEARK-COLORWORD MUSIC ASCAP ©  UNDER U.S. & UK COPYRIGHT LAWS.