Biography
David Miner played only a peripheral part in the psychedelic scene that blossomed in San Francisco, serving as guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the Great Society. On certain reissues of the band’s material his surname appears as “Minor.” An original member alongside the pre-Jefferson Airplane Grace Slick, he contributed material throughout 1965 and 1966, among them “That’s How It Is,” “You Can’t Cry,” and “Daydream Nightmare,” all preserved on the 1966 live set Collector's Item. Additional Miner compositions surfaced on the studio anthology Born to Be Burned, assembled chiefly from unreleased tapes; these included a studio rendition of “Daydream Nightmare” together with several other pieces that rank among the group’s least compelling recordings.
At the outset in late 1965, Miner handled the bulk of the lead vocals—an arrangement that later seemed incongruous, given his serviceable yet unremarkable voice and the commanding presence of Grace Slick. Even when the two shared vocals, as on the original “Someone to Love” (later known as “Somebody to Love”), or when she merely supplied background on the B-side “Free Advice,” her delivery eclipsed his. Equally curious was Autumn Records chief Tom Donahue’s preference for Miner’s upbeat rocker “That’s How It Is” as the band’s first single, despite the availability of “Someone to Love.” Great Society guitarist Darby Slick later recounted in the San Francisco ’60s fanzine Cream Puff War that the group rejected Donahue’s suggestion, explaining that the track “sounded too happy, it didn't strike the mood we were after—heavy, a little bit threatening, in the manner of the Stones or the Yardbirds.”
As it became evident to both the musicians and their listeners that Grace Slick was the stronger vocalist, Miner’s songs and singing receded; simultaneously, Grace and Darby Slick began supplying more potent material. Miner departed in late summer 1966 and was succeeded by a musician Darby Slick recalled only as “Oscar.” A brief attempt to return a few weeks afterward proved unsuccessful. The timing proved inconsequential, however, since the Great Society disbanded almost immediately afterward, with stardom accruing solely to Grace Slick. Miner’s performances nevertheless remain on every commercially issued live and studio document by the group.
At the outset in late 1965, Miner handled the bulk of the lead vocals—an arrangement that later seemed incongruous, given his serviceable yet unremarkable voice and the commanding presence of Grace Slick. Even when the two shared vocals, as on the original “Someone to Love” (later known as “Somebody to Love”), or when she merely supplied background on the B-side “Free Advice,” her delivery eclipsed his. Equally curious was Autumn Records chief Tom Donahue’s preference for Miner’s upbeat rocker “That’s How It Is” as the band’s first single, despite the availability of “Someone to Love.” Great Society guitarist Darby Slick later recounted in the San Francisco ’60s fanzine Cream Puff War that the group rejected Donahue’s suggestion, explaining that the track “sounded too happy, it didn't strike the mood we were after—heavy, a little bit threatening, in the manner of the Stones or the Yardbirds.”
As it became evident to both the musicians and their listeners that Grace Slick was the stronger vocalist, Miner’s songs and singing receded; simultaneously, Grace and Darby Slick began supplying more potent material. Miner departed in late summer 1966 and was succeeded by a musician Darby Slick recalled only as “Oscar.” A brief attempt to return a few weeks afterward proved unsuccessful. The timing proved inconsequential, however, since the Great Society disbanded almost immediately afterward, with stardom accruing solely to Grace Slick. Miner’s performances nevertheless remain on every commercially issued live and studio document by the group.