M. B. Music Website
QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE
Group members (up to 1975)
JOHN CIPOLLINA (Berkeley, Ca., 24-8-1943 / 29-5-1989): lead guitar [appears on first 5 albums and on "Solid Silver"] founder member, quit in 1970, rejoined shortly in 1975
GARY DUNCAN (born GRUBB): guitar & vocals [appears on all albums except "Shady Grove"] joined in 1965, quit in 1969, rejoined in 1970
DINO VALENTI (Danbury, Ct., 7-10-1943 / Santa Rosa, Ca., 16-11-1994): guitar, vocals [appears from "Just For Love" to "Solid Silver"] founder member, had to quit in 1965 to rejoin in 1970
DAVID FREIBERG (Berkeley, Ca., 24-8-1938): bass, keyboards & vocals [appears on first 5 albums, "Solid Silver", "Peace By Piece"] joined the band in 1965, immediately after Valenti's imprisonment
GREGORY ELMORE: drums [on all albums]; joined in 1965
JIMMY MURRAY: harmonica, vocals [appears on "Revolution" soundtrack only] founder member, quit in 1967
CASEY SONOBAN: drums; joined in 1965 and quit shortly after
ALEXANDER "SKIP" SPENCE (Windsor, Ontario, CN, 18-4-1946 / 2000): guitar; joined in 1965 and quit shortly after to join Jefferson Airplane
NICKY HOPKINS (London, UK, 24-02-1944 / Los Angeles, Ca., 06-09-1994): keyboards [from "Shady Grove" to "What About Me"] 1969-1970
MARK RYAN: bass [on "Quicksilver" and "Comin' Thru"] 1971-1972
MARK NAFTALIN: keyboards [on "What About Me" only] 1970-1971
CHUCK STEAKS: keyboards [on "Quicksilver" and "Comin' Thru"] 1971-1972
Also played with the band in 1973-1974: JOHN NICHOLAS (bass), HAROLD ACEVES (percussion), SKIP OLSEN (bass), BOB FLURIE, BOB HOGAN.
Other session-men played in some QMS albums. Click on the album titles for details.
U.S. Albums Discography
( and personal ratings; click on album titles - where available - for details )
QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE (1968) A-
HAPPY TRAILS (1969) A
SHADY GROVE (1969) B+
JUST FOR LOVE (1970) B
WHAT ABOUT ME (1970) C+
QUICKSILVER (1971) C-
COMIN' THRU (1972) C-
ANTHOLOGY (1973) 2LP, compilation
SOLID SILVER (1975) C+
PEACE BY PIECE (1986) D+
SONS OF MERCURY: THE BEST OF (1991) CD-only comp
SHAPE SHIFTER (1996)
LIVE AT FIELDSTONE (1997)
LOST SILVER & GOLD 2CD: live + b-sides + unreleased trax
U.S. Singles Discography
Pride of Man / Dino's Song (1967) Capitol 2194
Stand By Me / Bears (1967) Capitol 2320
Who Do You Love? / What Do You Love? (1968) Capitol 2557
Holy Moly / Words Can't Say (1968) Capitol 2670
Shady Grove / 3 or 4 Feet From Home (1969) Capitol 2800
Fresh Air / Freeway Flyer (1969) Capitol 2920
What About Me? / Good Old Rock'n'Roll (1969) Capitol 3046
Hope / I Found Love (1970) Capitol 3233
Doin' Time In The U.S.A. / Changes (1972) Capitol 3349
Other releases
REVOLUTION! (1968) United Artists UAS-5185 feat. Codine and Baby I'm Gonna Leave You, recorded in 1967
FILLMORE: THE LAST DAYS (1973) Mojo and Fresh Air recorded live @ Fillmore West in 1973.
MAIDEN OF THE CANCER MOON (1983) UK Psycho. Essential 2LP set recorded live in 1968.
Solo discographies
JOHN CIPOLLINA
MONKEY MEDICINE (1982) Line [with NICK GRAVENITES]
DINO VALENTI
DINO VALENTI (1968) Epic BN-26335
NICKY HOPKINS
REVOLUTIONARY PIANO (1966) UK CBS 62679
THE TIN MAN WAS A DREAMER (1973) UK CBS 65416
NO MORE CHANGES (1975) USA Mercury SRM1-1028
Related groups
COPPERHEAD
COPPERHEAD (1973) Columbia KC-32250 Also released in the UK and in Holland. Reissued in the UK by Edsel (ED-136) with one bonus track.
LIVE (1973) Blue Velvet FCP-002 Sort of bootleg, I think.
DRUNKEN IRISH SETTER (1990) Oh Boy 9026 (CD-only) Bootleg, recorded live @ S.F. 16-12-1972.
THE GROUP ALSO RECORDED A SECOND STUDIO ALBUM FOR THE COLUMBIA LABEL THAT IS STILL UNRELEASED.
RAVEN
JOHN CIPOLLINA'S RAVEN (1980) Line
Other participations
JOHN CIPOLLINA
MAN - MAXIMUM DARKNESS (1975) United Artists
ROCKY SULLIVAN - ILLEGAL ENTRY (1980) Juppiter
TERRY & THE PIRATES - TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT (1979) Wild Bunch
TERRY & THE PIRATES - THE DOUBTFUL HANDSHAKE (1980) Line
TERRY & THE PIRATES - WIND DANCER (1981) Rag Baby
TERRY & THE PIRATES - RISING OF THE MOON (1982) Rag Baby
ROBERT HUNTER - AMAGAMALIN STREET (1984) 2LPs Relix
MIKE WILHELM & THE FRISCO JAMMERS - MEAN OL' FRISCO (1985) New Rose
MERRELL FANKHAUSER - DR. FANKHAUSER (1986) D-Town
ZERO - HERE GOES NOTHIN' (1987) Relix
TERRY DOLAN'S ACOUSTIC RANGERS - same (1987) Line
THE DINOSAURS - same (1988) Relix
PETE SEARS - WATCHFIRE (1988) Redwood
STU BLANK - UNDER THE BIG TOP (1988) Kingpot
RAVEN - same (1995) Line Posthumous CD
V.A. - LEGENDS FROM THE BAY Vol.1 (1988) 2LPs Bootleg, live tracks by Copperhead, Dinosaurs and Terry & The Pirates.
SAN FRANCISCO ALL STARS - AMITYVILLE CONCERT Vol.1 & 2 (?) Flying Horses. Bootleg, circa 1979-1980 live recordings.
NOTE - It's absolutely impossible for me to list all the albums on which Nicky Hopkins played. A brief list is here, your additions are welcome.
NOTA - DISCOGRAFIA IN FASE DI COMPLETAMENTO. PER QUALSIASI CORREZIONE E/O AGGIUNTA, INVIATEMI UNA E-MAIL. GRAZIE IN ANTICIPO.
NOTE - THIS DISCOGRAPHY IS FAR FROM COMPLETE. FOR EACH ADDITION AND/OR CORRECTION, PLEASE SEND ME AN E-MAIL. THANKS IN ADVANCE.