If you were alive in the late 60s and all of the 70s, you were fed industry folderol about new bands constantly. That was the old way.
There were no zines, no alternative press (unless its origins were political), and no internet. Obs.
But there was radio promotion, touring, and the rock press, which was just beginning to take the music and the artists seriously, if you can believe that. And making lots of money selling ads against its content. No grousing about that, just the observation that one of the reasons things blew up after the Beatles showed everyone how is that small industry became a big one for a while, and while doing so it got the feel of being something new.
I’m sure I learned of Quicksilver listening to this great song on the radio. They have some other good ones, and seem from this vantage to be one of the better more forgotten bands in our history.
I quite liked this tune on the radio, so much that I bought the album. Man was I disappointed. Later I discovered that Happy Trails is a pretty good album, they did a good if way too long version of Who Do You Love. It’s kind of interesting that the best band from SF at this time, Creedence, was apparently not considered hip enough. Too commercial I guess. Silly boys and girls.
Love this song, which in the long version has solos by both Gary Duncan and John Cippolina, and a nice Nicky Hopkins solo, too. But, Gene is right, the rest of the album fell short (I think Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder is on that one, though?).
Happy Trails is good, the their eponymous debut album, with Pride of Man and Silver and Gold is my fave.
Quicksilver was always much more of a live band to me (saw them half a dozen times).
And, Creedence were great, but the best SF band at the time was the Airplane. They defined the times.