Biography
Few awards exist to honor the finest second guitarists in rock annals, yet Gary Duncan would merit strong consideration for his contributions to Quicksilver Messenger Service. The group endures chiefly through recollections of John Cippolina’s striking, shimmering leads; still, Duncan’s sympathetic second guitar supplied essential balance, delivering both rhythm support and independent, accomplished lead passages rendered in a more conventional tone.
Much like other psychedelic ensembles that coalesced in 1960s San Francisco, Quicksilver Messenger Service drew members from unlikely backgrounds. Duncan and drummer Greg Elmore arrived from the teen garage-rock circuit, having previously performed together in the Brogues. Born Gary Grubb, Duncan had already departed by the time that band cut its debut single in 1965. Rejoining under the name Gary Cole during summer 1965, he participated in the Brogues’ final recording, which paired a brooding rendition of “I Ain’t No Miracle Worker”—later associated with the Chocolate Watch Band—with “Don’t Shoot Me Down,” styled after one of his favored acts, the Pretty Things. After the Brogues disbanded late that year, Duncan and Elmore relocated from Merced to San Francisco and entered Quicksilver Messenger Service.
On the band’s initial pair of albums Duncan supplied vocals and shared songwriting credit on notable tracks including “Light Your Windows,” “Gold and Silver,” and “The Fool.” Dissatisfaction with the group’s reluctance to broaden its repertoire prompted his departure at the close of 1968. During 1969 he attempted collaborations with longtime friend Dino Valenti, who had been slated for the original Quicksilver lineup prior to an arrest that occurred before Duncan’s involvement or their introduction. By year’s end Duncan returned to the fold, coinciding with Valenti’s addition. The ensemble’s character shifted markedly as Valenti assumed prominent vocal and compositional duties, while John Cippolina and David Freiberg exited amid a series of less distinguished early-1970s releases. Valenti and Duncan sustained the project through much of the decade, yet Duncan eventually stepped away from music at its conclusion, taking work as a longshoreman for several years.
When Peace by Piece appeared in 1986, Duncan remained the only veteran member of the original Quicksilver—by then shortened in name—and he has continued performing, occasionally leading Quicksilver himself.
Much like other psychedelic ensembles that coalesced in 1960s San Francisco, Quicksilver Messenger Service drew members from unlikely backgrounds. Duncan and drummer Greg Elmore arrived from the teen garage-rock circuit, having previously performed together in the Brogues. Born Gary Grubb, Duncan had already departed by the time that band cut its debut single in 1965. Rejoining under the name Gary Cole during summer 1965, he participated in the Brogues’ final recording, which paired a brooding rendition of “I Ain’t No Miracle Worker”—later associated with the Chocolate Watch Band—with “Don’t Shoot Me Down,” styled after one of his favored acts, the Pretty Things. After the Brogues disbanded late that year, Duncan and Elmore relocated from Merced to San Francisco and entered Quicksilver Messenger Service.
On the band’s initial pair of albums Duncan supplied vocals and shared songwriting credit on notable tracks including “Light Your Windows,” “Gold and Silver,” and “The Fool.” Dissatisfaction with the group’s reluctance to broaden its repertoire prompted his departure at the close of 1968. During 1969 he attempted collaborations with longtime friend Dino Valenti, who had been slated for the original Quicksilver lineup prior to an arrest that occurred before Duncan’s involvement or their introduction. By year’s end Duncan returned to the fold, coinciding with Valenti’s addition. The ensemble’s character shifted markedly as Valenti assumed prominent vocal and compositional duties, while John Cippolina and David Freiberg exited amid a series of less distinguished early-1970s releases. Valenti and Duncan sustained the project through much of the decade, yet Duncan eventually stepped away from music at its conclusion, taking work as a longshoreman for several years.
When Peace by Piece appeared in 1986, Duncan remained the only veteran member of the original Quicksilver—by then shortened in name—and he has continued performing, occasionally leading Quicksilver himself.
Albums
