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Steve Miller Band — Quicksilver Girl
Album: Sailor
Avg rating:
6.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1391









Released: 1968
Length: 2:40
Plays (last 30 days): 4
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She's a quicksilver girl
A lover of the world
She spreads her wings
And she's free
She's a quicksilver girl
A lover of the world
She's seen every branch
On the tree
Ah, ah, quicksilver girl
Ah, ah, quicksilver girl
Ah, ah, quicksilver girl
Ah, ah, quicksilver girl
Ahhhh, ahhhh, ahhhh, ahhhh
If you need a little lovin'
She'll turn on the heat
If you take a fall
She'll put you back on your feet
If you're all alone
She's someone to meet
If you need someone
She's a quicksilver girl
A lover of the world
She spreads her wings
And she's free
Comments (78)add comment
Not everything here is in tune
Posted 2 days ago by BonzoWiltsUK    [ Reply ]
 virwill7 wrote:


Ha. You mean Beck heard Steve Miller -- after Beck was born ;)


Well he could have heard this one in utero since he wasn't born until 2 years after it came out. 😜
Posted 2 months ago by Tippster    [ Reply ]
I have the album and it is a really good one.  My fave of his.  This is before Boz left.
Posted 5 months ago by bachbeet    [ Reply ]
 forthbrdge wrote:

I find the spread of ratings for this song interesting. Most songs on RP seem to fall into one of two rating spreads: a)Universally Liked/Loved where there is a peak between 6-8 and not much else in the remaining ratings, or b) Mostly Liked/Loved with Haters where there is a peak between 6-8 and a spike at the low end of the spectrum.  

But the rating spread for Quicksilver girl is remarkably flat across the board, with similar numbers of people feeling everything from Suck-Barfo to God-like. Maybe the net effect is the community's response to the song is globally meh...



5 years after this post 25% of the votes are for 7, so we've moved past the MEH phase to this is pretty OK.
Posted 6 months ago by brosen    [ Reply ]
before he discovered overalls 
Posted 6 months ago by marysclark    [ Reply ]
 primm wrote:

look close that is boz scaggs on the bass ! love this early miller stuff



me too!! i remember when i first heard this 30+ yrs ago thinking, wow - did i  miss some beach boys stuff or some todd rundgren stuff? then, finding out it was steve miller, i checked out a lot more of his early days. such talent. great stuff. 

i can see beck being inspired by this, too, as some have said.

also, for some reason, i seem to remember this being in the movie The Big Chill, but maybe it wasn't...
Posted 11 months ago by lily34    [ Reply ]
His tonality is shaky at best here. Still better than autotune any day.
Posted 1 year ago by ziakut    [ Reply ]
He had better tunes.
Posted 1 year ago by joko63808    [ Reply ]
I think most people think Steve Miller is only his top 40 hits. His early stuff is so much better. Brave New World is an excellent example!
Posted 1 year ago by steviedeant    [ Reply ]
Nice little lyrical nod to the Beatles Taxman there.
Posted 1 year ago by mrselfdestruct    [ Reply ]
File this along with Spinal Tap's early material

This proves it ain't easy to copy Brian Wilson
Posted 1 year ago by thewiseking    [ Reply ]
You idiots can’t appreciate such good music from the 70’s. “She knows every branch in the tree.”?
Posted 1 year ago by atanydistance    [ Reply ]
 bseib wrote:

I heard Beck for a moment. :-)



Ha. You mean Beck heard Steve Miller -- after Beck was born ;)
Posted 2 years ago by virwill7    [ Reply ]
I bet a dating a quicksilver girl makes for a toxic relationship!

...barrrrrrrum dissshhh! :)
Posted 2 years ago by njswede    [ Reply ]
Recording quality is outstanding
Posted 2 years ago by rascal    [ Reply ]
 Pjesnik wrote:



If you intend to do some quantification of ratings, you should include terms such as: mean, median, percentile an quartiles.  


And mode.  I find that the mode of these ratings is often the most useful.  For this song, the mean rating is 5.9, but the mode value is 7.
Posted 2 years ago by damonlazer    [ Reply ]
Two years since my last post on this song, so I will repeat it. Awful. Steve Miller can't sing. 
Posted 2 years ago by dfphillips1    [ Reply ]
 bseib wrote:

I heard Beck for a moment. :-)




Did it ever happen again?
Posted 2 years ago by Pjesnik    [ Reply ]
 On_The_Beach wrote:
I'll take this trippy tune over "Jungle Love" any day.

"The question to everyone's answer
Is usually asked from within"

; P
Posted 3 years ago by easmann    [ Reply ]
 forthbrdge wrote:

I find the spread of ratings for this song interesting. Most songs on RP seem to fall into one of two rating spreads: a)Universally Liked/Loved where there is a peak between 6-8 and not much else in the remaining ratings, or b) Mostly Liked/Loved with Haters where there is a peak between 6-8 and a spike at the low end of the spectrum.  

But the rating spread for Quicksilver girl is remarkably flat across the board, with similar numbers of people feeling everything from Suck-Barfo to God-like. Maybe the net effect is the community's response to the song is globally meh...




If you intend to do some quantification of ratings, you should include terms such as: mean, median, percentile an quartiles.  
Posted 3 years ago by Pjesnik    [ Reply ]
I'll take this trippy tune over "Jungle Love" any day.
Posted 3 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
Would be nice to follow this up with Gillian Welch's song My First Lover!

My first lover
My first lover
He was tall and breezy with his long hair down
But he gets a little hazy when I think of him now
My first lover
My first lover
He was always talking trying to bring me down
But I was not waiting for a white wedding gown
From my first lover
I do not remember any going wrong
Just a record playing that old Steve Miller song
Quicksilver girl
Quicksilver girl
At a surfer party with the whiskey porin
And the bottle rolling I was on the floor
With my first lover
My first lover
I do not remember any fights or fits
Just shakey morning after calling it quits
With my first lover
Quicksilver girl
Quicksilver girl
Quicksilver girl, and she's free


Posted 3 years ago by Phlegmaticman    [ Reply ]
 justin4kick wrote:

I always thought Steve Miller was just that joker that wanted to fly like an eagle on a jet airliner. Radio Paradise proves that there's more to Mr. Miller than just that.


He also likes women who turn up the heat. Man's multidimensional.
Posted 3 years ago by tinypriest    [ Reply ]
I always thought Steve Miller was just that joker that wanted to fly like an eagle on a jet airliner. Radio Paradise proves that there's more to Mr. Miller than just that.
Posted 3 years ago by justin4kick    [ Reply ]
 obankenobi wrote:

Steve Miller fan and I had not heard this Steve Miller before.  RP strikes again!

I read Dan Hicks' autobiography, and he relates how he, Boz Scaggs and Steve Miller were all in the SF psychedelic scene at the time... and his girlfriend ran off with Boz Scaggs

A long-gone buddy of mine did some artwork for Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks, signed as 'Ironfeather'. As well as several concerts posters for Mother Earth. Not sure if they were ever released, since they are a bit graphic. I have a few original prints.

Speaking of the SF scene, I have a Big Brother and the Holding Company poster for a Fillmore West (?) show. Upper left corner has a square cut out of it with surgical precision, about 1". I don't know why...
c.


Posted 3 years ago by cc_rider    [ Reply ]
 tcseeley wrote:
I bought this album from a cut-out bin in college, but it was named "Living In The USA".  It was years before I figured out what was going on. Originally released as "Sailor", when "Living In The USA" became the biggest hit, they changed the packaging to garner more sales. Kind of turns me off.

I also read somewhere that he intentionally separated the introduction to "Fly Like An Eagle", made it a separate track on the LP and named it "Space Intro" to increase the royalties he would receive from radio station that would necessarily have to play both tracks.

I think Steve Miller is kind of a dick.
 
Oh boy. Steve Miller wanted to maximize his earnings on his one marketable skill, and for that he's "kind of a dick". Count me among the dicks.
Posted 3 years ago by dwlangham    [ Reply ]
Never heard this before, was surprised to look up and see it was SMB. It doesn't sound like the SMB stuff overplayed on commercial radio, fortunately. My music collection holds nothing from Steve Miller, because I was put off by that same commercial stuff. Well, I'll reopen my mind, at least partially.
Posted 3 years ago by all_ears    [ Reply ]
 bseib wrote:
I heard Beck for a moment. :-)
 
Same!
Posted 4 years ago by zinzarin    [ Reply ]
Love Steve Miller, but I can't listen to this track .. there are so many flat notes in the vocals. :(
Posted 4 years ago by talexb    [ Reply ]
This is Miller's hippy, drug chick stuff that everyone was doing in '68.
Posted 4 years ago by mermansf    [ Reply ]
Posted by tcseeley:

I bought this album from a cut-out bin in college, but it was named "Living In The USA". It was years before I figured out what was going on. Originally released as "Sailor", when "Living In The USA" became the biggest hit, they changed the packaging to garner more sales. Kind of turns me off.

I also read somewhere that he intentionally separated the introduction to "Fly Like An Eagle", made it a separate track on the LP and named it "Space Intro" to increase the royalties he would receive from radio station that would necessarily have to play both tracks.

I think Steve Miller is kind of a dick.

 kurtster wrote:

They re released  his early albums in a lower priced set sold individually with predominantly purple covers in the early 70's.  Right around when Number 5 came out and got some new attention for Miller.

If he intentionally separated the tracks for royalties, that makes him smart.  R & R is usually about how stupid or trusting everyone was and in return got ripped off by the industry.

Nice to hear about the smarter ones.  You only get one chance to score.  Don't ever leave money on the table.

Know the difference between a smart and not so smart leading actor ?  The not so smart one will take a salary and part of the profits.  The smart one will take 1% of the gross ...
 
He might be smart. I have no way of knowing. I do know a lot of smart people that are also dicks. They're not mutually exclusive qualities.

I know it's not fair to blame artists for the abuses of the music industry. But I am still resentful of the days when I had to pay $15 to purchase a single song because it was only available on an artificially inflated CD or LP. So when I hear this guy is shaking down radio stations to pay him two prices for one song, I put him in the dick category whether it's smart or not.
Posted 4 years ago by tcseeley    [ Reply ]
The early Steve Miller years were awesome.  Best of Boz Scaggs as well; never much cared for him on his own.  Too bad that Miller devolved into a virtual pop rock performer. He got lazy and went for the easy riffs and lyrics.  No doublt made a lot of money going this route, but abandoned his creative genius.
Posted 4 years ago by ozzie1313    [ Reply ]
Wow. I know I'm in the minority when I say that Steve Miller tops out at about 6-7 for me, but this is, well, not that.
Posted 4 years ago by acolt    [ Reply ]
 zedstation wrote:
Brian Wilson had a dream about writing this song.
 

How interesting. Justin Hayward had  that dream too!
Posted 4 years ago by churchd    [ Reply ]
 tcseeley wrote:
I bought this album from a cut-out bin in college, but it was named "Living In The USA".  It was years before I figured out what was going on. Originally released as "Sailor", when "Living In The USA" became the biggest hit, they changed the packaging to garner more sales. Kind of turns me off.

I also read somewhere that he intentionally separated the introduction to "Fly Like An Eagle", made it a separate track on the LP and named it "Space Intro" to increase the royalties he would receive from radio station that would necessarily have to play both tracks.

I think Steve Miller is kind of a dick.
 
They re released  his early albums in a lower priced set sold individually with predominantly purple covers in the early 70's.  Right around when Number 5 came out and got some new attention for Miller.

If he intentionally separated the tracks for royalties, that makes him smart.  R & R is usually about how stupid or trusting everyone was and in return got ripped off by the industry.

Nice to hear about the smarter ones.  You only get one chance to score.  Don't ever leave money on the table.

Know the difference between a smart and not so smart leading actor ?  The not so smart one will take a salary and part of the profits.  The smart one will take 1% of the gross ...
Posted 4 years ago by kurtster    [ Reply ]
Love hearing Steve miler stuff that does not get played too ofton
Posted 4 years ago by jp33442    [ Reply ]
 forthbrdge wrote:
I find the spread of ratings for this song interesting. Most songs on RP seem to fall into one of two rating spreads: a)Universally Liked/Loved where there is a peak between 6-8 and not much else in the remaining ratings, or b) Mostly Liked/Loved with Haters where there is a peak between 6-8 and a spike at the low end of the spectrum.  

But the rating spread for Quicksilver girl is remarkably flat across the board, with similar numbers of people feeling everything from Suck-Barfo to God-like. Maybe the net effect is the community's response to the song is globally meh...
 
I think it depends on how you felt being a hippie.
Posted 4 years ago by naomin    [ Reply ]
 robertomiller wrote:
What? I thought this was a new song from Beck!
 
Ging mir genauso. Ist jetzt Beck altmodisch oder war Steve Miller seiner Zeit voraus?
Posted 5 years ago by ger-man    [ Reply ]
What a gem!  So happy to be brought back in time!  Thanks!
Posted 5 years ago by dublanica    [ Reply ]
This is truly awful.  Steve Miller can't sing.
Posted 5 years ago by dfphillips1    [ Reply ]
What? I thought this was a new song from Beck!
Posted 5 years ago by robertomiller    [ Reply ]
 obankenobi wrote:
Steve Miller fan and I had not heard this Steve Miller before.  RP strikes again!

I read Dan Hicks' autobiography, and he relates how he, Boz Scaggs and Steve Miller were all in the SF psychedelic scene at the time... and his girlfriend ran off with Boz Scaggs
 
Love this song.  My grandson re-turned me on to "Song for our Ancestors" from the same album, which I had not heard in 40 years or so.  
Posted 5 years ago by khardog145    [ Reply ]
Steve Miller fan and I had not heard this Steve Miller before.  RP strikes again!

I read Dan Hicks' autobiography, and he relates how he, Boz Scaggs and Steve Miller were all in the SF psychedelic scene at the time... and his girlfriend ran off with Boz Scaggs
Posted 5 years ago by obankenobi    [ Reply ]
I bought this album from a cut-out bin in college, but it was named "Living In The USA".  It was years before I figured out what was going on. Originally released as "Sailor", when "Living In The USA" became the biggest hit, they changed the packaging to garner more sales. Kind of turns me off.

I also read somewhere that he intentionally separated the introduction to "Fly Like An Eagle", made it a separate track on the LP and named it "Space Intro" to increase the royalties he would receive from radio station that would necessarily have to play both tracks.

I think Steve Miller is kind of a dick.
Posted 5 years ago by tcseeley    [ Reply ]
Beach Boyish and nice music made before he started wearing overalls
Posted 5 years ago by marysclark    [ Reply ]
 forthbrdge wrote:
I find the spread of ratings for this song interesting. Most songs on RP seem to fall into one of two rating spreads: a)Universally Liked/Loved where there is a peak between 6-8 and not much else in the remaining ratings, or b) Mostly Liked/Loved with Haters where there is a peak between 6-8 and a spike at the low end of the spectrum.  

But the rating spread for Quicksilver girl is remarkably flat across the board, with similar numbers of people feeling everything from Suck-Barfo to God-like. Maybe the net effect is the community's response to the song is globally meh...
 
Maybe it's a reflection of the ages of RP listeners?
Posted 5 years ago by SmackDaddy    [ Reply ]
What lazy mush.
Posted 5 years ago by rita_johnson    [ Reply ]
8.5
Posted 5 years ago by Shaggy27    [ Reply ]
As at least one other here has mentioned, in this track at least, SMB preceded Beck by 40 something years.   
Posted 5 years ago by kingart    [ Reply ]
I find the spread of ratings for this song interesting. Most songs on RP seem to fall into one of two rating spreads: a)Universally Liked/Loved where there is a peak between 6-8 and not much else in the remaining ratings, or b) Mostly Liked/Loved with Haters where there is a peak between 6-8 and a spike at the low end of the spectrum.  

But the rating spread for Quicksilver girl is remarkably flat across the board, with similar numbers of people feeling everything from Suck-Barfo to God-like. Maybe the net effect is the community's response to the song is globally meh...
Posted 6 years ago by forthbrdge    [ Reply ]
 Jack_Jefferson wrote:
Very nice.  I think RP played another pre-Joker song from the Steve Miller Band yesterday.  Hope this is some kind of good luck.  I was a big fan in my younger years.

 
again today!  Loved this early Steve Miller and this especially.
Posted 7 years ago by ronniegirl    [ Reply ]
Very nice.  I think RP played another pre-Joker song from the Steve Miller Band yesterday.  Hope this is some kind of good luck.  I was a big fan in my younger years.
Posted 7 years ago by Jack_Jefferson    [ Reply ]
 Hasan wrote:
Sometimes you stick on something truly awful, just to raise some amusing howls of protest,.  Don'cha, Bill?

 
Radio Paradise is the finest entertainment ever.  In the history of everything.
Posted 7 years ago by DaidyBoy    [ Reply ]
 Jota wrote:
Not his best but a good change from it.

 
Way better than that Top 40 crap he started pumping out later :^ /
Posted 7 years ago by dragon1952    [ Reply ]
Brian Wilson had a dream about writing this song.
Posted 7 years ago by zedstation    [ Reply ]
look close that is boz scaggs on the bass ! love this early miller stuff
Posted 8 years ago by primm    [ Reply ]
Not his best but a good change from it.
Posted 8 years ago by Jota    [ Reply ]
 kcar wrote:
First impression: sounds like album filler from a different geologic age. I expect more from Steve Miller's guitar and pop-lyric genius than this.  

 {#Hand} Put the disc down, Mr. Goldsmith, and slowly back away.

 
Actually, this is what I expect from Steve Miller...not after he sold out to go all commercial on us, or as you put it "pop". Kinda like Rod Stewart eventually did post Jeff Beck, Faces, etc. {#Rolleyes}
Posted 8 years ago by dragon1952    [ Reply ]
One of the first songs of Steve Miller I heard that mad me a fan of his.  Used this song in a ski film I made in college film course.
Posted 8 years ago by linzbrock    [ Reply ]
This is the song Gillian Welch was listening to in "My First Lover."
Posted 9 years ago by Geecheeboy    [ Reply ]
 bseib wrote:
I heard Beck for a moment. :-)

 
And Beck heard this {#Cool}
not that it really matters who heard who first
Posted 9 years ago by OHMish    [ Reply ]
 bstevens1951 wrote:
If you are not in your 60's, you just won't get it.

 
I'm into the 60's and really like Steve Miller (pre-Joker phase) and even I don't get it
Posted 9 years ago by Emwolb    [ Reply ]
If you are not in your 60's, you just won't get it.
Posted 9 years ago by bstevens1951    [ Reply ]
I heard Beck for a moment. :-)
Posted 9 years ago by bseib    [ Reply ]
 kcar wrote:
First impression: sounds like album filler from a different geologic age. I expect more from Steve Miller's guitar and pop-lyric genius than this.  

 {#Hand} Put the disc down, Mr. Goldsmith, and slowly back away.

 
Yeah, this is from 1968 or so - his psychedelic era; several years before his pop era.  I think Boz Scaggs was on this album.
Posted 10 years ago by Proclivities    [ Reply ]
Absolutely my favorite Steve Miller song. I'm not 100 percent sure, but I think this song is about a girl that sells herself for money.
Posted 10 years ago by Kokoloco53    [ Reply ]
I really had no idea what this was...listened to it to the end....Steve Miller? REALLY? 
RP continues to amaze, dazzle, and surprise 
Posted 10 years ago by fatcatjb    [ Reply ]
For all of Miller's disdain for the Haight-Ashbury scene in San Francisco, he was very much impressed by the groupies, apparently those who followed the Quicksilver Messenger Service. Well, why not?
Posted 10 years ago by WonderLizard    [ Reply ]
First impression: sounds like album filler from a different geologic age. I expect more from Steve Miller's guitar and pop-lyric genius than this.  

 {#Hand} Put the disc down, Mr. Goldsmith, and slowly back away.
Posted 10 years ago by kcar    [ Reply ]

I'm a Steve Miller fan from way back.  

He has a significant body of work prior to The Joker and whatnot.  "Brave New World," "Baby's House," "Seasons," "Kow Kow" ...

Quite frankly, he's a heck of a musician.

 
Posted 10 years ago by hallogallo    [ Reply ]
 hayduke2 wrote:
yeah man, this is cool, simple but cool

 
no man, this isn't cool, it's simple sh**
Posted 10 years ago by BMTR    [ Reply ]
Sometimes you stick on something truly awful, just to raise some amusing howls of protest,.  Don'cha, Bill?
Posted 10 years ago by Hasan    [ Reply ]
Nice to hear this song again, its been a while....
Posted 10 years ago by DaveInSaoMiguel    [ Reply ]
yeah man, this is cool, simple but cool
Posted 10 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]
I made it all the way through the interlude before PSD. This is not one for me.
Posted 10 years ago by q4Fry    [ Reply ]
This gets a benefit-of-the-doubt 2 because it is Steve Miller.
Posted 10 years ago by bentonian    [ Reply ]
Two Steve Miller Band deep cuts debuting within two days?

I like where this is going.
Posted 10 years ago by Derecho    [ Reply ]
OH I love this song, haven't heard it in decades!  SO happy to hear it, and for the first time on RP!
Posted 10 years ago by ronniegirl    [ Reply ]