Editing Quicksilver Messenger Service

{{Short description|American psychedelic rock band formed in 1965}}
{{Use mdy dates|date= June 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Quicksilver Messenger Service
| background       = group_or_band
| image            = Quicksilver Messenger Service 1970.JPG
| image_size       = 250
| caption          = Quicksilver Messenger Service, 1970<br/>[[John Cipollina]], [[Greg Elmore]],<br/>[[Nicky Hopkins]] and [[David Freiberg]]
| alias            = Quicksilver
| origin           = [[San Francisco, California]], U.S.
| genre            = {{hlist|[[Psychedelic rock]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Vernon|last=Joyson|title=The Acid Trip: A Complete Guide to Psychedelic Music|year=1984|publisher=Babylon Books|page=112|isbn=978-0-907188-24-7}}</ref>|[[acid rock]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Amy L.|last=Fletcher|year=2012|title=The Guide to United States Popular Culture|chapter=Acid Rock|pages=7–8|editor-first1=Abbe A.|editor-last1=Debolt|editor-first2=James S.|editor-last2=Baugess|volume=1: A–M|publisher=Popular Press|isbn=978-0-313-32944-9}}</ref>
}}
| years_active     = 
* 1965–1979, {{nowrap|2006–2009}}
* 1984–1996 (Gary Duncan's Quicksilver)
* 2009–present (David Freiberg's Quicksilver Messenger Service)
| label            = [[Cleopatra Records|Cleopatra]], [[Capitol Records|Capitol]], Edsel
| past_member_of  = [[The Brogues]]
| website          = {{URL|http://dfquicksilver.com/}}
| current_members  = [[David Freiberg]]<br/>Chris Smith<br/>Linda Imperial<br/>[[Donny Baldwin]]<br/>Peter Harris<br/>[[Jude Gold]]<br/>Steve Valverde
| past_members     = [[John Cipollina]]<br />[[Gary Duncan]]<br/>[[Greg Elmore]]<br />[[Jim Murray (musician)|Jim Murray]]<br />[[Nicky Hopkins]]<br />[[Dino Valenti]]<br />[[Mark Naftalin]]<br />Mark Ryan<br />Harold Aceves<br />Chuck Steaks<br />Roger Stanton<br />Bob Flurie<br />Michael Lewis<br />Skip Olsen<br />Sammy Piazza<br />Bobby Vega<br />Greg Errico<br />[[John Bird (musician)|John Bird]]<br />[[Prairie Prince]]<br />Keith Graves

}}
'''Quicksilver Messenger Service''' is an American [[psychedelic rock]] band formed in 1965 in [[San Francisco]].<ref>{{Cite news |author=Sam Whiting |date=July 5, 2019 |title=Gary Duncan of Quicksilver Messenger Service dead at 72 |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/music/gary-duncan-of-quicksilver-messenger-service-dead-at-72 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321005446/https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/music/gary-duncan-of-quicksilver-messenger-service-dead-at-72 |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |access-date=May 20, 2024 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en-US}}</ref> The band achieved wide popularity in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] and, through their recordings,<ref name=pc42>{{Gilliland |url= https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19801/m1/ |title=Show 42 – The Acid Test: Psychedelics and a sub-culture emerge in San Francisco. [Part 2]}}</ref> with psychedelic rock enthusiasts around the globe, and several of their albums ranked in the Top 30 of the [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] Pop charts. They were part of the new wave of album-oriented bands, achieving renown and popularity despite a lack of success with their singles (only one, "[[Fresh Air (song)|Fresh Air]]" charted, reaching number 49 in 1970).<ref name="BillCharts">{{cite web|title=Quicksilver Messenger Service chart history|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/277256/quicksilver-messenger-service/chart|website=[[Billboard.com]]|access-date=25 August 2017|archive-date=August 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802113051/http://www.billboard.com/artist/277256/quicksilver-messenger-service/chart|url-status=live}}</ref> Though not as commercially successful as contemporaries [[Jefferson Airplane]] and the [[Grateful Dead]], Quicksilver was integral to the beginnings of their genre. With their [[jazz]] and [[classical music|classical]] influences and a strong [[folk music|folk]] background, the band attempted to create an individual, innovative sound.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Morrison |first=Craig |title=Folk Revival Roots Still Evident in 1990s Recordings of San Francisco Psychedelic Veterans |journal=[[Journal of American Folklore]] |year=2001 |volume=114 |issue=454 |pages=478–488 |doi=10.1353/jaf.2001.0039}}</ref> Music historian [[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]] wrote: "Of all the bands that came out of the San Francisco area during the late '60s, Quicksilver typified most of the style, attitude and sound of that era."<ref name="Larkin">{{Cite book |editor1-first=Colin |editor1-last=Larkin |editor1-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |year=2011 |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |edition=5th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC |location=London |publisher=Omnibus Press |at=Quicksilver Messenger Service |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8 |access-date=September 22, 2017 |archive-date=March 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324154302/https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC |url-status=live}}</ref>

The band's members included [[John Cipollina]], [[Gary Duncan]], [[Greg Elmore]], [[David Freiberg]], [[Nicky Hopkins]], and [[Dino Valenti]]. Valenti drew heavily on musical influences he picked up during the folk revival of his formative musical years. The style he developed from these sources is evident in Quicksilver Messenger Service's swing rhythms and twanging guitar sounds.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vulliamy |first=Ed |title=Love and Haight |work=Observer Music Magazine |location=England |year=2007}}</ref> After many years, the band has attempted to re-form despite the deaths of several members. In 2006, Duncan and Freiberg toured as the Quicksilver Messenger Service, using various backing musicians.

==History==

===Formation===
There is some confusion as to the real origins of the group. According to [[John Cipollina]]:

{{blockquote|It was Valenti who organized the group. I can remember everything Dino said. "We were all going to have wireless guitars. We were going to have leather jackets made with hooks that we could hook these wireless instruments right into. And we were gonna have these chicks, backup rhythm sections that were gonna dress like American Indians with real short little dresses on and they were gonna have tambourines and the clappers in the tambourines were going to be silver coins." And I'm sitting there going, 'This guy is gonna happen and we're gonna set the world on its ear.'<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mjckeh.demon.co.uk/jc/q-det1.htm#kt |title="Quicksilver Messenger Service Live at The Kabuki Theater, San Francisco, 31st December 1970", liner notes |publisher=Mjckeh.demon.co.uk |access-date=2011-10-13 |archive-date=August 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822030137/http://www.mjckeh.demon.co.uk/jc/q-det1.htm#kt }}</ref>}}

The next day, Valenti was arrested for possession of [[marijuana]] and spent the better part of the next two years in jail. However, Gary Duncan has stated:

{{blockquote|That's the story Cipollina told everybody. But according to Dino, that wasn't the case at all. When he'd been looking for a band, he'd talked to Cipollina, and everybody somehow put two and two together. He actually lived with us when he got out of prison, and while we played some music together and wrote songs, he had no interest in playing in Quicksilver; he wanted to start his own career. Well, when his own career didn't do so well, he had more interest in playing in Quicksilver!}}

Whether or not Quicksilver Messenger Service was what Valenti had in mind, it appears from Duncan's recollections that he had at least talked with Cipollina about forming a band; Cipollina remembered that:

{{blockquote|I was recommended to Dino, probably because I was the only guy playing an electric guitar, let alone lead, at the time…We talked about rehearsing one night and planned to rehearse the following night but it never happened. The next day Dino got busted.}}

[[David Freiberg]], a folk-guitarist friend of Valenti, was recruited to the group. He had previously been in a band with [[Paul Kantner]] and [[David Crosby]] but like Cipollina he had been arrested and briefly jailed for marijuana possession and had just been released.<ref name= InterviewJB97>{{cite web| url= http://www.penncen.com/quicksilver/freiberg/interview.html |first= David |last= Freiberg| interviewer= John Barthel| title= Interview with David Freiberg, 1997 | website=Penncen.com |date= September 4, 1997 |access-date= 2011-10-13 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120222114511/http://www.penncen.com/quicksilver/freiberg/interview.html |archive-date= February 22, 2012 }}</ref>  "We were to take care of this guy Freiberg", Cipollina recalled, and though they had never met before, Freiberg was integrated into the group. The band also added [[Skip Spence]] on guitar and began to rehearse at [[Marty Balin]]'s club, [[The Matrix (club)|the Matrix]]. Balin, in search of a drummer for the band he was organizing (which became Jefferson Airplane), convinced Spence to switch instruments and groups.

To make up for poaching Spence, Balin suggested that they contact drummer Greg Elmore and guitarist–singer Gary Duncan, who had played together in a group called [[The Brogues]]. This new version of the group played its first concert performance in December 1965, playing for the Christmas party of [[the Committee (improv group)]]. Drummer [[Greg Elmore]] and guitarist [[Jim Murray (musician)|Jim Murray]] were added to fill out the original band.

It was a band without a name, Cipollina recalled:
{{blockquote|Jim Murray and David Freiberg came up with the name. Me and Freiberg were born on the same day, and Gary and Greg were born on the same day, we were all Virgos and Murray was a Gemini. And Virgos and Geminis are all ruled by the planet Mercury. Another name for Mercury is Quicksilver. And then, Quicksilver is the messenger of the Gods, and Virgo is the servant, so Freiberg says "Oh, Quicksilver Messenger Service".}}

===Management===
The group's early management was by [[James Neil Hollingworth|Ambrose Hollingworth]], who became a paraplegic as a result of an automobile crash near [[Muir Beach, California]] in 1966. Hollingworth's stewardship, which also included the all-female [[The Ace of Cups|Ace of Cups]], transferred to [[Ron Polte]]. Polte was known for going to great lengths to accommodate the needs of his musicians. When perennial studio musician [[Nicky Hopkins]] joined the band in 1969, it was the first and only band that officially included him in its performing and recording revenues.<ref name=Polte>[https://www.marinij.com/2016/09/16/quicksilver-messenger-service-manager-ron-polte-dies-in-mill-valley-at-84/ Quicksilver Messenger Service manager Ron Polte dies in Mill Valley at 84] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218104208/https://www.marinij.com/2016/09/16/quicksilver-messenger-service-manager-ron-polte-dies-in-mill-valley-at-84/ |date=February 18, 2021 }}, ''[[Marin Independent Journal]]'', Paul Liberatore, September 16, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2021.</ref> Hollingsworth died in 1996, and Polte in 2016.<ref name=Polte/>

===Early years===
Jim Murray left the group not long after they performed at the [[Monterey International Pop Festival]] in June 1967.<ref name= InterviewJB97 /> The band began a period of heavy touring on the West Coast of the United States where they built up a solid following and featured on many star-studded bills at the [[Avalon Ballroom]] and the [[Fillmore West]]. Sound system pioneer, inventor, and engineer (and famous LSD chemist) [[Owsley Stanley]] regularly recorded concerts at major San Francisco venues during this period, and his archive includes many Quicksilver Messenger Service live performances from 1966 and 1967, which were released on his Bear Recordings label in 2008 and 2009.

Quicksilver Messenger Service initially held back from committing to a record deal but eventually signed to [[Capitol Records]] in late 1967, becoming the last of the top-ranked San Francisco bands to join a major label.<ref name= Logan-Woff>{{cite book| editor-first1= Nick| editor-last1= Logan| editor-first2= Bob| editor-last2= Woffinden| title= The Illustrated New Musical Express Encyclopedia of Rock| publisher= Salamander Books| location= London| year= 1977| isbn= 0-600-33147-4| page=190}}</ref> Capitol was the only company that had missed out on signing a San Francisco "hippie" band during the first flurry of record company interest and, consequently, Quicksilver Messenger Service was able to negotiate a better deal than many of their peers. At the same time, Capitol signed the [[Steve Miller Band]], with whom Quicksilver Messenger Service had appeared on the movie and soundtrack album ''[[Revolution (1968 film)|Revolution]]'', together with the group [[Mother Earth (American band)|Mother Earth]].

Quicksilver Messenger Service released [[Quicksilver Messenger Service (album)|their eponymous debut album]] in 1968. It was followed by ''[[Happy Trails (album)|Happy Trails]]'', released in early 1969 and largely recorded live at the [[Fillmore East]] and the [[Fillmore West]]. Like most live albums of the time, ''Happy Trails'' made extensive use of studio overdubs, and the last two songs were recorded entirely in the studio, but it has nonetheless been called the most accurate reproduction of the band's acclaimed live performances.<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r16003|first=Lindsay|last=Planer}}</ref> ''Happy Trails'' was awarded a gold album in the United States.<ref name="riaa.com">{{cite web |  url= https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database |  title= Gold and Platinum Searchable Database |  website= RIAA.com |  publisher= [[Recording Industry Association of America]] |  access-date= September 10, 2017 |  archive-date= February 3, 2015 |  archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150203141448/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database |  url-status= live }}</ref>

These albums, which have been hailed as "...two of the best examples of the San Francisco sound at its purest,"<ref name= Logan-Woff /> emphasize extended arrangements and fluid twin-guitar improvisation. Cipollina's highly melodic, individualistic lead guitar style, combined with Gary Duncan's driving minor scale, jazzy guitar playing, resulted in a clear, notable contrast to the heavily amplified and overdriven sound of contemporaries like [[Cream (band)|Cream]] and [[Jimi Hendrix]]. In 2003 ''Happy Trails'' was rated at No.&nbsp;189 in the ''Rolling Stone'' Top 500 albums survey, where it was described as "...the definitive live recording of the mid-Sixties San Francisco psychedelic-ballroom experience..."<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417043128/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6599267/189_happy_trails|title=Music News – Rolling Stone|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-date=April 17, 2010}}</ref> Archetypal Quicksilver Messenger Service songs include the elongated rendition of [[Bo Diddley]]'s "[[Who Do You Love? (Bo Diddley song)|Who Do You Love?]]" on ''Happy Trails''.

Duncan left the group not long after the recording of ''Happy Trails''; according to David Freiberg, this was largely because of his escalating problems with [[opiates]] and [[amphetamines]].<ref name= InterviewJB97/> His 'farewell' performances were the studio recordings that ended up on ''Happy Trails'' and a final live performance with the band on New Year's Eve 1969.<ref name= InterviewJB97/> Duncan recalled 18 years later:

{{blockquote|Well, let's put it this way, at the end of 1968, I was pretty burned out. We'd been on the road for, really, the first time in our lives. I just left for a year. I didn't want to have anything to do with music at all. And I left for a year and rode motorcycles and lived in New York and L.A. and just kind of went crazy for about a year.}}

Freiberg later recalled that Duncan's departure shook the core of the band: "Duncan was the 'engine' man, it just didn't WORK without him ... for me. I was really ... I was devastated..."<ref name= InterviewJB97/>

For their 1969 album ''[[Shady Grove (Quicksilver Messenger Service album)|Shady Grove]]'', Duncan was replaced by renowned English [[Session musician|session keyboardist]] [[Nicky Hopkins]], who had played on scores of hit albums and singles by acts like [[the Kinks]], [[the Rolling Stones]], [[the Beatles]], [[the Who]], The [[Jeff Beck Group]] and [[Steve Miller (musician)|Steve Miller]]. Hopkins' virtuoso piano boogie dominates the album, giving it a unique sound within the Quicksilver catalog.

===Dino Valenti rejoins===
Gary Duncan and Dino Valenti both returned to Quicksilver Messenger Service at this time, expanding the group to a six-piece. The next two albums, ''[[Just for Love]]'' and ''[[What About Me (Quicksilver Messenger Service album)|What About Me]]'', were recorded simultaneously in Hawaii. Much of ''What About Me'' was recorded at [[Pacific High Recording]] in San Francisco, and both albums were mixed at Pacific High.

The band's approach to recording was undisciplined, with Valenti renting a building without electricity to record in. The finished albums took many hours in the studio because the group had a contract which allowed unlimited studio time with no Capitol producer present unless invited. The producer was only invited to the studio to hear the playing of the finished albums.

The albums are a departure from the group's earlier sound, with Valenti taking over as lead singer and, under the pseudonym of Jesse Oris Farrow, principal songwriter. The records sold relatively well and produced the group's one hit radio single, "[[Fresh Air (song)|Fresh Air]]". John Cipollina and Nicky Hopkins departed soon after their experiences in Hawaii. Hopkins apparently left during the Hawaii recording sessions, as founding [[Paul Butterfield Blues Band]] keyboardist [[Mark Naftalin]] takes his place for three cuts on ''What About Me''.

===Later years===
The band continued with the lineup of Gary Duncan, Greg Elmore, Dino Valenti and David Freiberg until September 1971, when Freiberg was jailed for marijuana possession; he was replaced by Mark Ryan. Following his recent session contributions, Naftalin joined the band in earnest. This lineup recorded two commercially unsuccessful albums (''Quicksilver'' [1971; No. 114] and ''Comin' Thru'' [1972; No. 134]) that left the group without a recording contract.<ref name= Logan-Woff /> Duncan's "Doin' Time in the USA" from the latter album enjoyed a modicum of FM radio play at the time, while the ''Quicksilver'' track "Fire Brothers" was later covered by [[4AD]] founder [[Ivo Watts-Russell]]'s [[This Mortal Coil]] on ''Filigree and Shadow'' (1986).

Now largely a part-time vehicle for Valenti and Duncan, the group continued to tour sporadically over the next two years, playing a mixture of headlining club dates and arena/stadium support slots for more popular groups such as [[The James Gang]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/search?query=artist:(Quicksilver+Messenger+Service)+date:%5B1974-01-01+TO+1974-12-31%5D|title=Search for setlists: artist:(Quicksilver Messenger Service) date:[1974-01-01 TO 1974-12-31]|website=Setlist.fm|access-date=July 3, 2019|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806135054/https://www.setlist.fm/search?query=artist:(Quicksilver+Messenger+Service)+date:%5B1974-01-01+TO+1974-12-31%5D|url-status=live}}</ref> Naftalin departed the band in 1972 and was replaced by Chuck Steaks. Harold Aceves, formerly a roadie for the band, also joined the band at the same time as a second drummer. Ryan was fired in 1972 after missing a flight; he was replaced by Roger Stanton. Stanton had played with Aceves in a popular [[Phoenix, Arizona]] band Poland. Stanton remained with the band until 1974 when he was replaced by Bob Flurie, who was a well-known East Coast virtuoso guitar player. This Quicksilver lineup disbanded in 1975. Aceves, Stanton, and Flurie later backed former Country Joe and the Fish guitarist [[Barry Melton]].{{citation needed|date= June 2017}}

In 1975, Elmore, Duncan, Valenti, Freiberg and Cipollina recorded a reunion album, ''[[Solid Silver]]'', on Capitol Records. The album also included contributions from a variety of Bay Area musicians, including former keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, session vocalist [[Kathi McDonald]] and [[Jefferson Starship]] multi-instrumentalist [[Pete Sears]]. Freiberg had initially replaced [[Marty Balin]] in Jefferson Airplane following his release from prison in 1972 and remained with the group as they evolved into the mammothly successful Jefferson Starship. Released in November 1975, ''[[Solid Silver]]'' fared better from a commercial and critical standpoint than the preceding two albums but only managed to peak at No. 89. While Freiberg elected not to rejoin the live group as a result of his Jefferson Starship commitments, Cipollina, keyboardist Michael Lewis and bassist Skip Olsen toured with the returning trio for a handful of concerts in 1975, culminating in an appearance at San Francisco's [[Winterland Ballroom]] on December 28. Shortly thereafter, Cipollina departed once again and the remaining quintet continued to tour clubs intermittently until finally dissolving in 1979.

==Remnants and reunions==
After leaving Quicksilver in October 1970, Cipollina formed [[Copperhead (rock and roll band)|Copperhead]], which was initially a loose and variable aggregation before coalescing around the less transitory lineup of Cipollina, Gary Philippet (vocals, guitar, and organ), Jim McPherson (vocals, bass, and piano), [[Pete Sears]] (bass, piano)(Sears was to leave after a matter of months being replaced in 1972 by longtime [[Bonnie Raitt]] bassist [[James Hutchinson (musician)|James "Hutch" Hutchinson]], who appeared on the album and played with the band until its demise), and David Weber (drums).<ref>{{cite web|last=Ruhlmann|first=William|title=Copperhead|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/copperhead-mn0000127173|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=18 September 2016|archive-date=October 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013223325/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/copperhead-mn0000127173|url-status=live}}</ref> Although [[Clive Davis]] was particularly enamored of the group and signed them to a lucrative deal with [[Columbia Records]], their eponymous 1973 debut failed to gain traction in the marketplace despite heavy touring, leading to Columbia refusing to release their second album and hastening their disbandment. In 1974, Cipollina guested with Quicksilver-idolizing Welsh progressive rock group [[Man (band)|Man]], playing with them at their 1974 Winterland concerts and on a subsequent UK tour; these efforts resulted in the 1975 live album ''[[Maximum Darkness]]''.<ref name= Logan-Woff /> Unable to secure a major label contract in the aftermath of the 1975 Quicksilver reunion, Cipollina continued to perform regularly with many other Bay Area acts, including one billed as Thunder and Lightning, a joint venture with [[Nick Gravenites]], who had co-produced Quicksilver's debut, and another billed as Fish and Chips, with Barry Melton; Greg Elmore played drums for the former, Spencer Dryden for the latter, with Peter Albin on bass; various bass players, including Albin and Roger Troy, played with the former.  During the same period, Cipollina became a founding member of [[Dinosaurs (band)|the Dinosaurs]] in 1982 while continuing throughout the 80s to play club gigs with both other bands. He died in 1989 at the age of 45 from complications of [[emphysema]] exacerbated by [[Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency]]. Some of Cipollina's equipment is displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Hopkins continued his career as a session and touring musician with a variety of acts, including Jefferson Airplane, the [[Rolling Stones]] (most notably on ''[[Exile on Main St.]]'' and the group's ensuing [[The Rolling Stones American Tour 1972|1972 American tour]]), the [[Jerry Garcia Band]] and [[Joe Cocker]]. In the 1980s, he joined the controversial [[Church of Scientology]] and credited the organization's [[Purification Rundown]] with vanquishing his long struggle with substance abuse. Hopkins died in September 1994 from complications resulting from intestinal surgery related to his lifelong battle with [[Crohn's disease]].

Valenti underwent brain surgery for an [[arteriovenous malformation]] in the late 1980s; despite suffering from short-term memory loss and struggling with the adverse effects of anti-convulsive medications, he continued to write songs and perform with various [[Marin County]] musicians until his sudden death in November 1994.

In 1984 Gary Duncan resurrected the brand as ''Gary Duncan's Quicksilver'' and released several albums with a reconstituted lineup, including ''[[Peace By Piece]]'' in 1986, ''Shapeshifter Vols. 1 & 2'' in 1996, ''Shapeshifter Vols. 3 & 4'' and ''Strange Trim'' in 2006. He also issued several live albums and created a website, quicksilvermessengerservice.com. The group also toured as ''Quicksilver '96'', and after that on occasion through the early 2000s, with a lineup of Duncan, Michael Lewis (keyboards), Greg Errico (drums), Bobby Vega (bass), John Bird (guitar), and Tony Menjivar (percussion).

In 2006 Gary Duncan and David Freiberg launched a 40th-anniversary Quicksilver celebration tour as Quicksilver Messenger Service, with Bobby Vega (soon to be replaced by Keith Graves on bass), singer Linda Imperial (Freiberg's wife and contributor to Quicksilver projects before as a backup singer) and Jefferson Starship players [[Prairie Prince]] (drums) and Chris Smith (keyboards). Following a series of tours, Duncan left the band in 2009. He was replaced by Peter Harris, and the band continued as David Freiberg's Quicksilver Messenger Service.

Still active as of 2021, they often opened for the reconstituted Jefferson Starship (led by Freiberg and [[Paul Kantner]]) until Kantner's death in 2016.  Duncan died aged 72 on June 29, 2019, in [[Woodland, California]] after suffering a seizure and falling into a coma.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bestclassicbands.com/gary-duncan-obituary-6-29-19/|title=Gary Duncan, Quicksilver Messenger Service Guitarist, Dies|date=July 29, 2019|access-date=July 1, 2019|archive-date=June 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630043116/https://bestclassicbands.com/gary-duncan-obituary-6-29-19/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Quicksilver Gold, a tribute band, formed in 2002. Members included Dino Valenti's son, Joli Valenti, as well as John Cipollina's brother, Mario Cipollina, and some members of [[Steve Kimock|Zero]]. This band broke up in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bay-area-bands.com/bab00051.htm |title=Quicksilver Gold |publisher=Bay-area-bands.com |access-date=2011-10-13 |archive-date=June 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605174801/http://www.bay-area-bands.com/bab00051.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Personnel==
;Current members
* [[David Freiberg]] – bass (1965–1971, 1975), rhythm guitar (2006–present), lead and backing vocals
* Chris Smith − keyboards (2006–present) 
* Linda Imperial − backing and lead vocals (2006–present) 
* [[Donny Baldwin]] − drums (2008–present)
* Peter Harris − rhythm and lead guitar, backing and lead vocals (2009–present)  
* [[Jude Gold]] − lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2012–present)
* Steve Valverde − bass (2015–present)

;Former members
* [[Greg Elmore]] – drums (1965–1979)
* [[John Cipollina]] – lead and rhythm guitar (1965–1971, 1975; died 1989)
* [[Gary Duncan]] – lead and rhythm guitar, lead and backing vocals (1965–1969, 1969–1979, 1984–1996, 2006–2009; died 2019)
* [[Jim Murray (musician)|Jim Murray]] – rhythm guitar, lead and backing vocals (1965–1967; died 2013)
* [[Nicky Hopkins]] – keyboards (1969–1971; died 1994)
* [[Dino Valenti]] – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar (1969–1979; died 1994)
* [[Mark Naftalin]] – keyboards (1971–1972)
* Mark Ryan – bass (1971–1972)
* Harold Aceves – drums (1972–1975)
* Chuck Steaks – keyboards (1972–1975)
* Roger Stanton – bass (1972–1974)
* Bob Flurie – bass (1974–1975)
* W. Michael Lewis – keyboards (1975–1979, 1984–1996)
* Skip Olsen – bass (1975–1979)
* Sammy Piazza − drums (1986–1988)
* Bobby Vega − bass (1988–1996, 2006–2007)
* [[Greg Errico]] − drums (1988–1996)
* John Bird − rhythm and lead guitar (1988–1996)
* [[Prairie Prince]] − drums (2006–2008)
* Keith Graves − bass (2007–2015)

===Lineups===
{| class="toccolours" border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="float: width: 375px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2;" width=99%
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1965–1967
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1967–1969
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1969
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1969–1971
|-
| valign=top |
* '''[[John Cipollina]]''' – guitar
* '''[[Gary Duncan]]''' – guitar, vocals
* '''[[Greg Elmore]]''' – drums
* '''[[David Freiberg]]''' – bass, vocals
* '''[[Jim Murray (musician)|Jim Murray]]''' – guitar, harmonica, vocals
| valign=top |
* '''John Cipollina''' – guitar
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Greg Elmore''' – drums
* '''David Freiberg''' – bass, vocals
| valign=top |
* '''John Cipollina''' – guitar
* '''Greg Elmore''' – drums
* '''David Freiberg''' – bass, vocals
* '''[[Nicky Hopkins]]''' – keyboards
| valign=top |
* '''John Cipollina''' – guitar
* '''Greg Elmore''' – drums
* '''David Freiberg''' – bass, vocals
* '''Nicky Hopkins''' – keyboards
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''[[Dino Valenti]]''' – guitar, vocals
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1971
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1971–1972
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1972
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1972–1974
|-
| valign=top |
* '''Greg Elmore''' – drums
* '''David Freiberg''' – bass, vocals
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Dino Valenti''' – guitar, vocals
| valign=top |
* '''Greg Elmore''' – drums
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Dino Valenti''' – guitar, vocals
* '''[[Mark Naftalin]]''' – keyboards
* '''Mark Ryan''' – bass
| valign=top |
* '''Greg Elmore''' – drums
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Dino Valenti''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Mark Ryan''' – bass
* '''Harold Aceves''' – drums
* '''Chuck Steaks''' – keyboards
| valign=top |
* '''Greg Elmore''' – drums
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Dino Valenti''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Harold Aceves''' – drums
* '''Chuck Steaks''' – keyboards
* '''Roger Stanton''' – bass
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1974–1975
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1975
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1975–1979
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1984–1986
|-
| valign=top |
* '''Greg Elmore''' – drums
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Dino Valenti''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Harold Aceves''' – drums
* '''Chuck Steaks''' – keyboards
* '''Bob Flurie''' – bass
| valign=top |
* '''Greg Elmore''' – drums
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Dino Valenti''' – guitar, vocals
* '''John Cipollina''' – guitar
* '''David Freiberg''' – bass, vocals
| valign=top |
* '''Greg Elmore''' – drums
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Dino Valenti''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Michael Lewis''' – keyboards
* '''Skip Olsen''' – bass
| valign=top |
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Sammy Piazza''' − drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1986–1988
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1988–1996
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2006–2007
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2007–2008
|-
| valign=top |
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Michael Lewis''' – keyboards
* '''Sammy Piazza''' − drums
| valign=top |
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Michael Lewis''' – keyboards
* '''John Bird''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Bobby Vega''' – bass
* '''Greg Errico''' – drums
| valign=top |
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''David Freiberg''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Bobby Vega''' – bass
* '''Chris Smith''' – keyboards
* '''Prairie Prince''' – drums
* '''Linda Imperial''' – vocals
| valign=top |
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''David Freiberg''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Chris Smith''' – keyboards
* '''Prairie Prince''' – drums
* '''Linda Imperial''' – vocals
* '''Keith Graves''' – bass
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2008–2009
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2009–2012
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2012–2015
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 2015–present
|-
| valign=top |
* '''Gary Duncan''' – guitar, vocals
* '''David Freiberg''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Chris Smith''' – keyboards
* '''Linda Imperial''' – vocals
* '''Keith Graves''' – bass
* '''Donny Baldwin''' – drums
| valign=top |
* '''David Freiberg''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Chris Smith''' – keyboards
* '''Linda Imperial''' – vocals
* '''Keith Graves''' – bass
* '''Donny Baldwin''' – drums
* '''Peter Harris''' – guitar, vocals
| valign=top |
* '''David Freiberg''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Chris Smith''' – keyboards
* '''Linda Imperial''' – vocals
* '''Keith Graves''' – bass
* '''Donny Baldwin''' – drums
* '''Peter Harris''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Jude Gold''' − guitar, vocals
| valign=top |
* '''David Freiberg''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Chris Smith''' – keyboards
* '''Linda Imperial''' – vocals
* '''Donny Baldwin''' – drums
* '''Peter Harris''' – guitar, vocals
* '''Jude Gold''' − guitar, vocals
* '''Steve Valverde''' – bass
|}

===Timeline===
{{#tag:timeline|
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Alignbars = justify
DateFormat  = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1965 till:{{#time:d/m/Y}}
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ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1965
Colors =
 id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals
 id:v      value:pink legend:Backing_vocals
 id:g    value:teal legend:Lead_and_rhythm_guitar
 id:guitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar
 id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
 id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
 id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards
 id:studio value:black legend:Studio_Album
 id:bars    value:gray(0.95)

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LineData =
 layer:back color:studio
 at:01/05/1968 width:1
 at:29/03/1969 width:1
 at:01/12/1969 width:1
 at:01/08/1970 width:1
 at:01/12/1970 width:1
 at:01/11/1971 width:1
 at:01/04/1972 width:1
 at:29/08/1975 width:1
 at:04/05/1986 width:1
 at:01/03/1996 width:1
 at:15/05/2007 width:1

BarData =
 bar:Valenti text: Dino Valenti †
 bar:Duncan text:Gary Duncan †
 bar:Cipollina text:John Cipollina †
 bar:bird text:John Bird †
 bar:Peter  text:Peter Harris
 bar:Gold      text:Jude Gold
 bar:Murray text:Jim Murray †

 bar:Freiberg text:David Freiberg
 bar:Ryan text:Mark Ryan
 bar:Stanton text:Roger Stanton
 bar:Flurie text:Bob Flurie
 bar:Olsen text:Skip Olsen
 bar:vega text:Bobby Vega
 bar:keith text:Keith Graves
 bar:steve text:Steve Valverde

 bar:Elmore text:Greg Elmore
 bar:Aceves text:Harold Aceves
 bar:sammy  text:Sammy Piazza
 bar:Greg   text:Greg Errico
 bar:prairie text:Prairie Prince
 bar:Donny  text:Donny Baldwin

 bar:Hopkins text:Nicky Hopkins †
 bar:Naftalin text:Mark Naftalin
 bar:Steaks text:Chuck Steaks
 bar:Lewis text:Michael Lewis
 bar:smith  text:Chris Smith

 bar:Imperial text:Linda Imperial

PlotData=
 width:13
 bar:Cipollina from:start till:15/05/1971 color:g
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 bar:Ryan from:16/05/1971 till:31/07/1972 color:bass
 bar:Stanton from:01/08/1972 till:31/05/1974 color:bass
 bar:Flurie from:01/06/1974 till:31/03/1975 color:bass
 bar:Cipollina from:01/04/1975 till:28/12/1975 color:g
 bar:Freiberg from:01/04/1975 till:29/10/1975 color:bass
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 bar:Lewis from:30/10/1975 till:31/12/1979 color:keys
 bar:Elmore from:start till:01/08/1972 color:drums
 bar:Elmore from:31/03/1975 till:31/12/1979 color:drums
 bar:Aceves from:01/08/1972 till:31/03/1975 color:drums
 bar:freiberg from:30/01/2006 till:end color:guitar
 bar:smith from:30/01/2006 till:end color:keys
 bar:prairie from:30/01/2006 till:01/09/2008 color:drums
 bar:vega from:31/01/2006 till:01/07/2007 color:bass
 bar:keith from:01/07/2007 till:01/08/2014 color:bass

 bar:bird from:03/06/1988 till:04/12/1996 color:g
 bar:greg from:03/06/1988 till:04/12/1996 color:drums
 bar:sammy from:15/11/1984 till:03/06/1988 color:drums
 bar:lewis from:15/02/1986 till:04/12/1996 color:keys
 bar:duncan from:15/11/1984 till:04/12/1996 color:g width:3
 bar:duncan from:15/11/1984 till:04/12/1996 color:vocals
 bar:vega from:03/06/1988 till:04/12/1996 color:bass
 bar:vega from:03/06/1988 till:04/12/1996 color:bass

 bar:Steve from:01/08/2014 till:end color:bass
 bar:Peter from:07/01/2009 till:end color:g
 bar:Peter from:07/01/2009 till:end color:vocals width:3
 bar:Duncan from:start      till:03/03/1969 color:vocals width:3
 bar:Duncan from:start      till:03/03/1969 color:g
 bar:Duncan from:01/03/1970 till:31/12/1979 color:g
 bar:Duncan from:01/03/1970 till:31/12/1979 color:vocals width:3
 bar:Duncan from:30/01/2006 till:07/01/2009 color:g
 bar:Duncan from:30/01/2006 till:07/01/2009 color:vocals width:3
 bar:Gold from:05/06/2012 till:end color:g
 bar:Gold from:05/06/2012 till:end color:v width:3
 bar:Imperial from:30/01/2006 till:end color:v
 bar:Imperial from:30/01/2006 till:end color:vocals width:3
 bar:Donny from:01/09/2008 till:end color:drums

 width:3
 bar:Freiberg from:start till:15/05/1971 color:vocals
 bar:Murray from:start till:17/10/1967 color:vocals
 bar:Valenti from:01/03/1970 till:31/12/1979 color:guitar
 bar:Freiberg from:01/04/1975 till:29/10/1975 color:vocals
 bar:freiberg from:30/01/2006 till:end color:vocals
 bar:Cipollina from:start till:15/05/1971 color:v
 bar:Cipollina from:01/04/1975 till:28/12/1975 color:v
 bar:bird from:03/06/1988 till:04/12/1996 color:v

 width:7
 bar:Freiberg from:start till:15/05/1971 color:guitar
 bar:Freiberg from:01/04/1975 till:29/10/1975 color:guitar
}}

==Discography==

===Studio and contemporary live albums===
<br />
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Title
!Year
!US
!Certification
|-
|''[[Quicksilver Messenger Service (album)|Quicksilver Messenger Service]]'' 
|1968
|63
|
|-
|''[[Happy Trails (album)|Happy Trails]]''
|rowspan="2"|1969
|27
|
* US: Gold<ref name="riaa.com" />
|-
|''[[Shady Grove (Quicksilver Messenger Service album)|Shady Grove]]''
|25
|
|-
|''[[Just for Love]]'' 
|rowspan="2"|1970
|27
|
|-
|''[[What About Me (Quicksilver Messenger Service album)|What About Me]]'' 
|26
|
|-
|''[[Quicksilver (album)|Quicksilver]]''
|1971
|114
|
|-
|''[[Comin' Thru]]''
|1972
|134
|
|-
|''[[Solid Silver]]'' 
|1975
|89
|
|-
|''Reunion''<ref>[http://www.spincds.com/product.asp?id=9020638] {{dead link|date=July 2019}}</ref>
|recorded 2006, released 2009
|
|}

===Gary Duncan's Quicksilver studio and contemporary live albums===
*''[[Peace by Piece]]'' (1986)
*''Shape Shifter Vols. 1 & 2'' (1996) 
*''Live at Fieldstone'' (1997)
*''Three in the Side'' (1998) 
*''Shapeshifter Vols. 3 & 4'' (2006) 
*''Strange Trim'' (2006) 
*''Live at the 7th Note'' (2007)
*''Live 07'' (2008)
*''Six String Voodoo'' (2008)

===Archival live albums===
*''[[Maiden of the Cancer Moon]]'' (recorded 1968, released 1983)
*''[[At the Kabuki Theatre]]'' (recorded 1970, released 2007)
*''Live at the Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, 9th September 1966'' (recorded 1966, released 2008)
*''Live at the Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, 28th October 1966'' (recorded 1966, released 2008)
*''Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, 4th February 1967'' (recorded 1967, released 2008)
*''Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, 6th February 1967'' (recorded 1967, released 2008)
*''Live at The Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, 4th April 1968'' (recorded 1968, released 2008)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.voiceprint.co.uk/web/Catalogue/Artists/Quicksilver%20Messenger%20Service/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081231030620/http://www.voiceprint.co.uk/web/Catalogue/Artists/Quicksilver%20Messenger%20Service/|title=Welcome to Voiceprint!|archive-date=December 31, 2008}}</ref>
*''Live at the Quarter Note Lounge, New Orleans, LA, July 1977'' (recorded 1977, released 2009)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.voiceprint.co.uk/web/Release/BEARVP114CD/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605025451/http://www.voiceprint.co.uk/web/Release/BEARVP114CD/|title=Welcome to Voiceprint!|archive-date=June 5, 2011}}</ref>
*''Live at the Fillmore, June 7, 1968'' (recorded 1968, released 2013)
*''Live at The Old Mill Tavern – March 29, 1970'' (recorded 1970, released 2013)
* ''Live at the Winterland Ballroom, December 1, 1973'' (recorded 1973, released 2013) 
* ''Fillmore Auditorium  –  November 5, 1966'' (recorded 1966, released 2014)
*''Smokin' Sound'' (recorded 1968, released 2015)
* ''Cowboy On The Run – Live In New York'' (recorded 1976, released 2015) <ref>{{cite web|  url= https://www.discogs.com/Quicksilver-Messenger-Service-Cowboy-On-The-Run-Live-In-New-York/master/979050|  title= Quicksilver Messenger Service – Cowboy On The Run (Live In New York)|  website= Discogs.com|  access-date= July 12, 2017|  archive-date= January 19, 2017|  archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170119025648/https://www.discogs.com/Quicksilver-Messenger-Service-Cowboy-On-The-Run-Live-In-New-York/master/979050|  url-status= live}}</ref>
* ''Live in San Jose – September 1966'' (recorded 1966, released 2015)
* ''Fillmore Auditorium – February 5, 1967 Live'' (recorded 1967, released 2015) 
* ''Stony Brook College, New York 1970 Live'' (recorded 1970, released 2015)
* ''Live Across America 1967–1977'' (recorded 1967–1977, released 2016)
* ''More Happy Trails 1969 – Live'' (recorded 1969, released 2016)

===Compilation albums===
*''[[Revolution (1968 film)|Revolution]]'' (movie soundtrack) (1968) with [[Steve Miller Band]] and [[Mother Earth (American band)|Mother Earth]]
*''Quicksilver Anthology'' (1973)
*''Sons of Mercury 1968–75'' (1991)
*''[[Unreleased Quicksilver Messenger Service - Lost Gold and Silver]]'' (previously unreleased recordings) (1999)
*''Classic Masters'' (2002)
*''Castles in the Sand'' (previously unreleased studio jams 1969–1970) (2009) <ref>[http://www.spincds.com/product.asp?id=9020113] {{dead link|date=July 2019}}</ref>

===Singles===
*1967 – "[[Pride of Man]]" 
*1968 – "Dino's Song" (#63)
*1968 – "Stand By Me"
*1969 – "Holy Moly" 
*1969 – "Who Do You Love" (#91)
*1969 – "Shady Grove" 
*1970 – "[[Fresh Air (song)|Fresh Air]]" (#49)
*1971 – "What About Me" (#100)
*1971 – "I Found Love" 
*1972 – "Changes"
*1975 – "Gypsy Lights"

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://dfquicksilver.com/ Quicksilver Messenger Service official site]
*[https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/high-yo-silver-quicksilver-messenger-service-other-halfavalon-ballroom-san-francisco Poster] in the Smithsonian, for Quicksilver Messenger Service concert
*{{Discogs artist}}

{{Quicksilver Messenger Service}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quicksilver Messenger Service}}
[[Category:American acid rock music groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from San Francisco]]
[[Category:Psychedelic rock music groups from California]]
[[Category:Cleopatra Records artists]]
[[Category:Capitol Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1965]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1979]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2006]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2019]]
[[Category:1965 establishments in California]]