About Dave Mason
David Thomas Mason is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic, and went on to play and record with many notable pop and rock musicians, including Paul McCartney, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Steve Winwood, Fleetwood Mac, Delaney & Bonnie, Leon Russell, and Cass Elliot.
One of Mason's best known songs is "Feelin' Alright", recorded by Traffic in 1968 and later by many other performers, including Joe Cocker, whose version of the song was a hit in 1969. For Traffic, he also wrote "Hole in My Shoe", a psychedelic pop song that became a hit in its own right. "Only You Know and I Know" became a signature song for Delaney and Bonnie, and "We Just Disagree", Mason's 1977 solo U.S. hit, written by Jim Krueger, has become a staple of U.S. classic hits and adult contemporary radio playlists.
In 2004, Mason started a new electric guitar company with business partner and industrial designer Ravi Sawhney, the same year as he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of Traffic.
Mason's tenure with Traffic was disjointed. He was a founding member of the group, but left following the release of their debut album, Mr. Fantasy , only to rejoin halfway through the sessions for their next album, Traffic , after which he left again. Last Exit , a compilation of odds and ends, features little material by Mason apart from his song "Just for You". Traffic later re-formed without Mason, although he briefly began working with the band for a third time, touring with them in 1971 and playing on Welcome to the Canteen. In his brief spells with the group, Mason never did quite fit in; Steve Winwood later recalled, "We all tended to write together, but Mason would come in with a complete song that he was going to sing and tell us all what he expected us to play. No discussion, like we were his backing group."
Mason was a friend of guitarist Jimi Hendrix, whose rock career was launched in England in 1966. Hendrix first heard the song "All Along the Watchtower", from Bob Dylan's album John Wesley Harding, with Mason at the apartment of a friend who had acquired a prior release of the album. Hendrix recorded his own version at Olympic Studios, South West London, with Mason playing 12-string acoustic guitar. The song was released on the album Electric Ladyland in September 1968. Mason also sings backing vocals on "Crosstown Traffic". When it came out as a single in October, it hit No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart and reached the Top 40 in the US. Mason later recorded his own version of the song for his 1974 album, Dave Mason, with Bob Glaub on bass. Mason appears on the Rolling Stones' 1968 album Beggars Banquet, playing the Shehnai and bass drum on Street Fighting Man. Mason's connection was Jimmy Miller, who served as producer for the Stones and Traffic. In 1969–1970, Mason toured with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, along with Eric Clapton and George Harrison. Mason appears on George Harrison's 1970 solo set All Things Must Pass. In 1970, Mason was slated to be the second guitarist for Derek and the Dominos. He played on their early studio sessions, including the Phil Spector production of "Tell the Truth", which was withdrawn from sale and eventually released on Eric Clapton's 1988 box set Crossroads. He also played at their first gig at the London Lyceum but left the group soon after that. He co-wrote the song "Big Thirst" on Oh How We Danced, by Jim Capaldi , and played the guitar solo on "Don't Be a Hero".
After Traffic, Mason pursued a moderately successful solo career. His first single was "Just for You"; on the B-side, "Little Woman", he was backed by the band Family, following his production of Family's first album, 1968's Music in a Doll's House . Mason released an album with Cass Elliot in 1970. He finally released his first solo album in 1970 Alone Together featuring "Only You Know and I Know", which reached No. 42 on the Billboard chart, as well as the lesser hit "Look at You, Look at Me". In the early 1970s he enlisted his friend, singer-songwriter Ray Kennedy, to tour and write for his next album. In the mid- to late 1970s, he toured and recorded with guitarist Jim Krueger, keyboardist Mike Finnigan, bassist Gerald Johnson and drummer Rick Jaeger. Mason followed up with the album, Let It Flow, released in April 1977. The album peaked at only No. 37, but was in the charts for 49 weeks and went platinum as a result carried by the success of the album single "We Just Disagree", which was written by Mason's backup guitarist, Jim Krueger. The single topped at #12, and other album singles "So High " and "Let It Go, Let It Flow" also charted in the U.S. Mason's next album was Mariposa de Oro, released in 1978. The album contained a cover of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," which became a Top 40 single; the album itself reached number 41 and went gold. Mason played himself in the film Skatetown, U.S.A., performing two songs in a roller disco as well as writing and performing the film's theme song. In 1980 Mason released Old Crest on a New Wave; the album stalled at number 74 and had one single make the charts, "Save Me." This failure of the album resulted in Mason leaving his label Columbia. Mason struggled to attract another major label but continued to tour in an acoustic duo with Krueger. In 1987, he released two albums, Some Assembly Required on the Canadian label Maze Records and Two Hearts on MCA Records; the latter album featured the single "Dreams I Dream," a duet with Phoebe Snow that reached number 11 in the adult contemporary charts.
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