David Thomas Mason
(born May 10, 1946) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. In his long career, Mason has played and recorded with many of the era's most notable musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Fleetwood Mac and Cass Elliot. Mason's best known song is "Feelin' Alright?", recorded by Traffic in 1968 and covered by dozens of artists, including Joe Cocker, who had a major hit with the song in 1969. For Traffic, he also wrote "Hole in My Shoe", a kind of psychedelic satire that became a classic in its own right. "We Just Disagree", Mason's 1977 solo hit written by Jim Krueger, has become a staple of Oldies and Adult Contemporary radio playlists.
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DAVE MASON TICKETS
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Musical career
Mason's tenure with Traffic was disjointed. He co-founded the group, but left following the recording of their debut album,
Mr. Fantasy
(1967), only to rejoin halfway through the sessions for their next
album,
Traffic
(1968), after which the band broke up.
Last Exit
(1969), a compilation of odds and ends, features little material by Mason apart from his song "Just For You". Traffic would later reform without Mason, although he briefly toured with the band in 1971 as captured on
Welcome to the Canteen
.
Mason was a good friend of legendary guitarist
Jimi Hendrix, whose career was launched in England in 1967. Hendrix first heard the song "
All Along the Watchtower", by
Bob Dylan, at a party he was invited to by Mason, and promptly decided to
record his own
version. That night he recorded the song at
Olympic Studios, South West
London, with Mason playing
acoustic guitar. It was released on the
Electric Ladyland
album in September 1968. When the song came out as a
single in October, it hit #5 on the
UK Singles Chart and was a
Top 40 in the
U.S. Mason later recorded his own version of the song on his self-titled 1974 album,
Dave Mason
with Bob Glaub on bass.
Mason appears on the Rolling Stones' 1968 album
Beggars Banquet
, although uncredited. Mason's connection was
Jimmy Miller. Miller 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, Dave was slated to be the second guitarist for
Derek and the Dominos, but left the group before they entered the studio.
After Traffic, Mason pursued a moderately successful solo career. His first single, "Little Woman", had
Family backing him, following his production of Family's first album. His song writing and sound culminating on his 1970 album
Alone Together
with backing of drummer
Jim Gordon. In the mid-late 1970s, he toured and recorded with guitarist Jim Krueger,
keyboardist Mike Finnigan,
bassist Gerald Johnson and drummer Rick Jaeger. The 1976 album,
Certified Live
is a display of Mason's songwriting, arranging, vocal and guitar talents. In 1977, Mason had his biggest hit with "We Just Disagree", written by Jim Krueger. Reaching #12 on the
Billboard Hot 100, it was later successfully covered by
country singer
Billy Dean. Mason's 1980 single, "Save Me", was notable for featuring a duet with
Michael Jackson.
For a brief period in the 1990s, Mason joined
Fleetwood Mac and released the album
Time
with them in 1995.
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In 2002, he released the
DVD,
Dave Mason: Live at Sunrise
. It featured a live performance at the
Sunrise Theater in southeast
Florida, backed by Bobby Scumaci on keyboards;
Johnne Sambataro on rhythm guitar (who rejoined Mason for the DVD, after previously touring with him in 1978);
Richard Campbell on bass and Greg Babcock on drums.
At one time, Mason lived in the
Ojai Valley in
California. As of 2005, he is currently performing about 100 shows a year with the Dave Mason Band across the U.S. and
Canada.
Philanthropy
Mason is a proponent of music education for children. In 2005, he signed on as an official supporter of
Little Kids Rock, a non-profit organization that provides free musical instruments and lessons to children in public schools throughout the U.S. He sits on the organization's board of directors as an honorary member. He is also involved in the program Work Vessels for Veterans, which provides veterans transitioning to civilian work with tools that have ranged from computers to boats to tractors.
Discography
Studio Albums
- 1970 Alone Together
- 1971 Dave Mason & Cass Elliot
- 1972 Headkeeper
- 1973 It's Like You Never Left
- 1974 Dave Mason
- 1975 Split Coconut
- 1977 Let It Flow
- 1978 Mariposa De Oro
- 1980 Old Crest On A New Wave
- 1987 Two Hearts
- 1987 Some Assembly Required
- 2008 26 Letters - 12 Notes
Live Albums
- 1973 Dave Mason is Alive!
- 1976 Certified Live
- 1999 Live: 40,000 Headmen Tour (w/ Jim Capaldi)
- 2002 Live At Perkins Palace (originally recorded 1981)
- 2002 Live At the Sunrise
- 2007 XM Live (originally released in 2005 on Dave Mason's website, released to general public 2007)
Compilations
- 1972 Scrapbook
- 1974 The Best Of Dave Mason
- 1978 The Very Best of Dave Mason
- 1981 The Best of Dave Mason
- 1995 Long Lost Friend: The Very Best of Dave Mason
- 1999 Ultimate Collection
- 2006 The Definitive Collection
Singles
- 1968 "Little Woman"
- 1970 "Only You Know and I Know" US #42
- 1970 "Satin Red and Black Velvet Woman" US #97
- 1972 "To Be Free" US #121
- 1977 "So High (Rock Me Baby and Roll Me Away)" US #89
- 1977 "We Just Disagree" US #12, US AC #19
- 1978 "Mystic Traveller"
- 1978 "Don't It Make You Wonder"
- 1978 "Let It Go, Let It Flow" US #45
- 1978 "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" US #39
- 1980 "Save Me"(With Michael Jackson) US #71
- 1988 "Dreams I Dream" (duet with Phoebe Snow) US AC #11