Quicksilver Part 3: The Full Story Behind Dino Valenti’s Solo Album & His Early Days Before Quicksilver Messenger Service (The Crazy Tale of Quicksilver Messenger Service Series) (Ep. 275)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives. The Crazy Tale of Quicksilver Messenger Service is an audio documentary series that was crafted to act as the ultimate assemblage of fact and opinion on one of the greatest bands to ever walk the face of the earth. This 8-episode series is built around a 2 1/2 hour interview with The Patti Smith Group’s Lenny Kaye, and the main event: an unprecedentedly detailed five-hour interview with last man standing David Freiberg, a very special experience that—regardless of how you feel about the group—will absolutely blow your mind with its unique twists and turns. There’s in-depth commentary on their history, a slew of endlessly wild stories, and star ratings for every release. Prepare yourselves: Lenny Kaye’s the wind up, and David Freiberg is very much the pitch.

This is Part 3 of the series, a deep-dive into the early days of Dino Valenti, a fascinating chronology of the events that led to his initial vision for Quicksilver Messenger Service. In addition, we examine his one and only 1968 solo album.

Here are just a few of the many things discussed in this episode of Discograffiti:

Dino’s carny background, and his confusing slew of noms de plumes;

His early relationship with a certain legendary Andy Warhol superstar, about whom his song “Let’s Get Together” may have been written;

An overview of Dino Valenti’s Lost Recordings compilation;

How Dino funded the legal representation for his marijuana bust;

The second legendary song with which Dino became entangled, and how he got his hands on it;

The incredible story behind how Dino’s record label intentionally sought revenge against him;

Carol Kaye’s least favorite studio date of all time…with Dino Valenti;

And some behind-the-scenes tales that shed badly needed light on Dino’s one-of-a-kind solo record.