Quicksilver Messenger Service

Quicksilver Messenger Service are the most quintessential of all the bands to come out of San Francisco in the late 1960’s, and must be ranked along side of Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead for their unique sound. The distinctive Quicksilver sound was created by the dual guitars of John Cipollina and Gary Duncan who complimented each other so well, but it was Cipollina’s shimmering vibrato style that was to be the signature sound for QMS. Dino Valenti was also a prolific songwriter for the band and infused his theatrical folk background into their music to create ethereal and dramatic musical vistas within the music.

Valenti was unable to be part of band for long periods which gave QMS more time to develop as acid rock combo with long guitar workouts for Cipollina and Duncan which was to be their lasting legacy as the most inspirational band when it came to live performance. 

Check out their fantastic album from 1969 Happy Trails, as it has everything you could wish for!