"Fresh Air" is a 1970 song written by Gary Duncan, lyrics by Jesse Oris Farrow, the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

of Chester William "Chet" Powers, Jr., who also used the stage name of Dino Valenti. It was first recorded by the San Francisco-based band

Quicksilver Messenger Service Quicksilver Messenger Service is an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1965 in San Francisco. The band achieved wide popularity in the San Francisco Bay Area and, through their recordings, with psychedelic rock enthusiasts around the globe, ...

, which Valenti had recently rejoined. "Fresh Air" was the only single released from the album ''

Just for Love ''Just for Love'' is the fourth album by American psychedelic rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service. Released in August 1970, it marks the culmination of a transition from the extended, blues- and jazz-inspired improvisations of their first tw ...

''. The single peaked on November 7, 1970 at No. 49 during a nine-week stay on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, making it the band's most successful single. The song was recorded as part of the sessions for the ''Just for Love'' album between May and June, 1970. Both this and the follow up album '' What About Me'' were recorded during the band's relocation to Hawaii. Matthew Gruenwald of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

opined that the song featured some of

John Cipollina John Cipollina (August 24, 1943 – May 29, 1989) was a guitarist best known for his role as a founder and the lead guitarist of the prominent San Francisco rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service. After leaving Quicksilver he formed the band C ...

's best guitar work. In concert, the song was used to open the set.

References

{{Quicksilver Messenger Service 1970 singles Capitol Records singles Songs written by Chet Powers Quicksilver Messenger Service songs