Fresh Air (song)

Fresh Air is a 1970 song written by Jesse Oris Farrow, the nom de plume 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, the band Powers, known as Valenti had recently joined or rejoined a formation of the band that started in 1964. The original band Valenti conceived did not include Valenti as he was arrested and imprisoned for possession of marijuana. Quicksilver Messenger Service was one of the major bands of the San Francisco "Hippie Revolution" of the mid-1960s.^[1] When Valenti joined the band in 1970, they had already released three albums, without great commercial success. Valenti became the creative force in the band, aka Farrow writing eight of nine songs for their fourth album Just for Love including Fresh Air which was the only single released from the album. The album rose to #27 on the album chart. The single peaked on November 7, 1970 at #49, the biggest success of the band's career.^[2]

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. Valenti performed the vocals, this was regarded as perhaps the best guitar work from John Cipollina^[3] and Nicky Hopkins played the piano. In concert, the song was used to open the set.^[4]

Lyrics

Written in the times of the drug influenced late 1960's, the lyrics are a love song suggesting the protagonist would like to understand his "little girl's" position on the future of their relationship through the eyes of the sobriety of fresh air.^[5] It has been interpreted in the opposite perspective, with Fresh Air being a euphemism for marijuana smoke.

References