Quicksilver Messenger Service

Play Radio

1,009,015 plays (135,800 listeners)

Shop now at Amazon | Send Ringtones to Cell
Buy
Add to my Library

San Francisco, United States (1964 – 1979, 2006 – present)

Quicksilver Messenger Service is an American psychedelic rock band, formed in 1965 in San Francisco. Of all the bands that came out of the San Francisco area during the late 60s, Quicksilver Messenger Service typified the style, attitude and sound of that era. Dogged by early personnel changes, the original band in 1964 comprised of vocalist Dino Valenti, guitarist John Cipollina, David Freiberg on bass and vocals, Jim Murray on vocals and harmonica, and drummer Casey Sonoban. Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence also spent a brief time with the band, before being whisked off to join Jefferson Airplane as their drummer.

Significant in Quicksilver’s development was the almost immediate arrest and imprisonment of Valenti for a drugs offence. He did not rejoin the band until late 1969. In 1965, the line-up was strengthened by the arrival of guitarist Gary Duncan and, replacing Sonoban, Greg Elmore.

They debuted at the end of ‘65 and played around the Bay Area and then the West Coast for the next two years, building up a large following, but resisting offers to record that had been taken up by such San Francisco acid-rock colleagues as Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead.

Quicksilver finally signed to Capitol toward the end of 1967 and recorded their self-titled debut album in 1968. Jim Murray departed soon after their well-received appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.

The quartet of Cipollina, Duncan, Elmore and Freiberg recorded the first two albums; both were important in the development of San Francisco rock music, as the twin lead guitars of Cipollina and Duncan made them almost unique.
Share this artist:

Top Albums

See more

Top Tracks

1
248
2
215
3
194
4
191
5
190
6
182
7
170
8
167
9
160
10
142
11
127
12
114
13
97
14
79
15
73
Buy all tracks at Amazon MP3
See more

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).
  • Alfanm

    Happy Trails is one of the best albums ever.[4]

    Wednesday morning
  • xlegone

    Happy Trails is one of the best albums ever.[3]

    18 days ago
  • KakahDaschund

    great band.

    26 days ago
  • fatalportrait99

    These guys are great

    last month
  • oldiesfanjohn

    I was in QMS in a former life,I swear!...they are a band after my own heart growing up.learning how to play,being in a band and partying hearty!!!

    last month
  • rich429452

    Great band, that is until Dino Valente rejoined and they made the 4th LP, etc. Cant stand his whiney voice. Ruined their original sound, IMO.

    last month
  • crownanchor

    Will love is band fovever:)

    March 2012
  • NeighborTotoro

    My cock is hard too! But only because it's used to fucking to QMS albums. Well, the first two, anyway.

    March 2012
See all 151 shouts

Videos

See more

Listening Now

Top Listeners

See more

More Information

Links
Band Members
Labels