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. The second collection, "Happy Trails", is now regarded as a classic. George Hunter and his Globe Propaganda company were responsible for some of the finest album covers of the 60s and Happy Trails is probably their greatest work. The live music within showed a spontaneity that the band were never able to recapture on subsequent recordings. The side-long suite of Bo Diddley's 'Who Do You Love' has some incredible dynamics and extraordinary interplay between the twin guitarists.
Duncan departed soon afterwards and was replaced by UK session pianist and ex- Steve Miller Band and Jeff Beck Group member, Nicky Hopkins. His contributions breathed some life into the disappointing "Shady Grove", notably with the frantic 'Edward, The Mad Shirt Grinder'.
"Just For Love" showed a further decline, with Valenti, now back with the band, becoming overpowering and self-indulgent. "Fresh Air" gave them a Top 50 U.S. hit in 1970. Cipollina and Hopkins departed, as did Freiberg following his arrest in 1971 for drug possession (he found a lucrative career later with Jefferson Starship). The remaining trio of Valenti, Duncan, and Elmore hired replacements and cut another couple of albums before disbanding by 1979.
Various incarnations have appeared over the years with little or no success. As recently as 1987, Gary Duncan recorded an album carrying the Quicksilver name, that also featured Freiberg on background vocals, but by then old fans were more content to purchase copies of the first two albums on compact disc.
Gary Duncan has a side project as Crawfish of Love.
Not many of Quicksilver's members are left. John Cipollina passed away, May 29, 1989, and the great Nicky Hopkins left us in September 1994, and Dino Valenti died November 16, 1994.
In 2006, Gary Duncan and David Freiberg launched a 40th-anniversary Quicksilver celebration tour as Quicksilver Messenger Service. They are still performing.
Throughout 2014 David Freiberg is touring with Jefferson Starship (40th anniversary tour) joined by Paul Kantner (original member of Jefferson Starship and Jefferson Airplane)
I Found Love
Quicksilver Messenger Service Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You came along and made me see, oh you lifted me.
Shot up everything that our money could buy, over and over, tryin' to find out
why.
I was a sinkin' ship on a stormy sea, oh I found love.
I found love in a baby's smile, I found love in an old man's eye,
I found love in a lover's kiss, ooh I found love.
All my friends thought I was cryin', it's strange to see a good man going
I gave all I had to give and you came along, taught me how to live.
I want to thank you each and every day, thank you baby, for showin' me the
way,
I was a sinkin' ship on a stormy sea, oh I found love, love, love, I found
love
In Quicksilver Messenger Service's song "I Found Love," the singer has been struggling with pain and trouble for a long time. However, when the love interest enters their life, they find new hope and are lifted up. The lyrics describe how the singer was previously trying to drown out their problems with money, but now they have found love and a reason to live. They see love in the simple things, such as a baby's smile or an old man's eye, and cherish every moment of it. The singer is grateful for their lover and thanks them for showing them the way to a better life.
Line by Line Meaning
Been waiting here a long long time, pain and trouble on my mind,
I have been waiting for a long time, struggling with pain and problems.
You came along and made me see, oh you lifted me.
You appeared and helped me see things clearly, you lifted me up.
Shot up everything that our money could buy, over and over, tryin' to find out why.
I spent a lot of money on things, repeatedly trying to figure out what was missing.
I was a sinkin' ship on a stormy sea, oh I found love.
I was like a sinking ship in a stormy sea, but then I found love.
I found love in a baby's smile, I found love in an old man's eye,
I found love in a baby's smile and in the eyes of an old man.
I found love in a lover's kiss, ooh I found love.
I found love in the kiss of a lover.
All my friends thought I was cryin', it's strange to see a good man going down.
My friends thought I was upset, and it's sad to see a good man struggling.
I gave all I had to give and you came along, taught me how to live.
I gave everything I had and you came along and taught me how to live.
I want to thank you each and every day, thank you baby, for showin' me the way,
I want to thank you every day for showing me the way, my love.
I was a sinkin' ship on a stormy sea, oh I found love, love, love, I found love
I was like a sinking ship in a stormy sea, but I found love, love, love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, EMI Music Publishing
Written by: JODIE WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Montgomery Denzer
on Fresh Air
Cool man