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Chris Wood (rock musician)

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Chris Wood
For other people by this name, see Chris Wood.

Christopher Gordon Blandford 'Chris' Wood (24 June 1944, in Harborne, Birmingham – 12 July 1983, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham) was a founding member of the English rock band Traffic, along with Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Dave Mason.

History

Chris Wood had an interest in music and painting from early childhood. Self-taught on flute and saxophone, which he commenced playing at the age of fifteen, he began to play locally with other Birmingham musicians who would later find international fame in music; Christine Perfect (later Christine McVie,[1] of Fleetwood Mac), Carl Palmer,[2] later of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Stan Webb, later of Chicken Shack[3] and Mike Kellie,[4] later of Spooky Tooth and The Only Ones.[5] Wood played with Christine McVie in 1964 in the band Shades of Blue and then played with Kellie during 1965-1966 in the band Locomotive.[6]

He attended the Foley College of Further Education and College of Art in Stourbridge and subsequently was awarded a grant to attend the Royal Academy of Art. His younger sister Stephanie designed clothes for the Spencer Davis Group, based in Birmingham, and it was through her that Wood was first introduced to fellow Birmingham native Steve Winwood.[5]

In Traffic, Wood primarily played flute and saxophone, occasionally contributing keyboards and vocals. Wood also co-wrote several of Traffic's songs, particularly during the earlier period of the band's recording career. His most notable contribution is as the co-writer (with Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi), of "Dear Mr. Fantasy".[7]

Chris Wood played with Jimi Hendrix in 1968, appearing on Electric Ladyland. While Winwood temporarily joined supergroup Blind Faith in 1969, Wood, Mason and Capaldi joined Mick Weaver of Wynder K Frog, playing first as Mason, Capaldi, Wood and Frog, but soon as "Wooden Frog".[8] He then went on to tour the United States with Dr. John, where he met singer Jeanette Jacobs (formerly of the 1960s girl group The Cake). Wood and Jacobs married in 1969, when he was 25 and she was 19.

In 1969, Wood also appeared on the eponymous second album of Free and the Small Faces' The Autumn Stone. In 1970, Wood and his wife, along with Steve Winwood, joined Ginger Baker's Air Force, releasing one album before reforming Traffic. Wood remained with Traffic from the time of its 1970 reformation until its 1975 breakup. He played on John Martyn's Inside Out (1973).

Through much of his life, Wood suffered from addiction to drugs and alcohol, which were initially attributed to a fear of flying.[5] His wife Jeanette, from whom he had separated but was still on good terms, had died in 1980, at the age of 30, from the effects of a seizure. Wood was profoundly affected by her death.[5][9]

While working on a solo album that was to be titled Vulcan, Chris Wood died in 1983 of pneumonia in Birmingham, England. The album had been recorded over the previous few years, primarily in a recording studio Wood had purchased.[5] Following Wood's death, the Vulcan recordings remained in the possession of Wood's sister, Stephanie. With the consent of Stephanie Wood and after three years of research and preparation, the album was released by Esoteric Recordings in 2008.[10]

Discography

Solo

With Traffic

With Ginger Baker's Air Force

With others[12]

Notes

  1. ^ McVie was an art student in Birmingham for five years, with the goal of becoming an art teacher: see Christine McVie.
  2. ^ Born in Birmingham: see Carl Palmer.
  3. ^ A predecessor band of Chicken Shack was the Birmingham-based Sounds of Blue, formed in 1964 and featuring Birmingham art student Christine Perfect, among other later Chicken Shack members, plus Chris Wood. See Biography of Chicken Shack; www.fleetwoodmac.net.
  4. ^ Born in Birmingham: see Mike Kellie.
  5. ^ a b c d e Ellie Iglio and Stephanie Wood, Chris Wood Biography; www.winwoodfans.com.
  6. ^ Biography of Locomotive; www.brumbeat.net.
  7. ^ Wood's contributions to certain songs may have initially been overlooked. For example, some songwriting credits on Traffic changed between the original LP issue and the more recent CD reissues. The credits for "Vagabond Virgin" changed from Mason/Capaldi to Mason/Wood, and the credits for "Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring?" changed from Winwood/Capaldi to Winwood/Capaldi/Wood. See Stephen Smith (ed.), The Smiling Phases Compendium: Traffic; www.winwoodfans.com. The Allmusic guide (page retrieved 09-06-21) still lists "Vagabond Virgin" as being co-written by Capaldi and Mason, but regards the pairing as somewhat odd: "(The song is) a slightly odd addition to Traffic's canon, as it was co-written by Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi. Capaldi almost exclusively wrote with Steve Winwood, and Mason usually wrote his own compositions solo." Matthew Greenwald, Review of "Vagabond Virgin"; www.allmusic.co.
  8. ^ Mick Weaver History; see also Mick Weaver.
  9. ^ See also The Cake. Most reports of the death of Jeanette Jacobs reference 1980 as the year of death, and 30 as her age at death. However, in the Chris Wood Biography, co-written by his sister Stephanie, Jacobs' date of death is cited as January 1, 1982, and her age at death as 31.
  10. ^ Esoteric Recordings News Release, October, 2008; www.cherryred.co.uk.
  11. ^ Compilation of Ginger Baker's first three albums, including Ginger Baker's Air Force.
  12. ^ Excludes compilations.
  13. ^ A band that originally had Mike Kellie, later of Spooky Tooth, as its drummer, with Chris Wood on saxophone. Both were with the band from the time of its initial formation in 1965 and both left in 1966. Wood, then of Traffic, later contributed to the band's only album release. See Chris Wood Biography; see also Biography of Locomotive; www.brumbeat.net.
  14. ^ One of the earlier bands using the name "Sky", this one featuring Doug Fieger, later of The Knack.
  15. ^ Backing vocals, with Steve Winwood, on "Ezy Ryder", originally recorded December, 1969; see The Cry of Love.
  16. ^ Compilation of Winwood's group activities from 1966 to 1970, including material from the Spencer Davis Group, Powerhouse, Traffic and Blind Faith. Track listing is accessible here; www.allmusic.com.
  17. ^ A "super session", featuring, among others, Eric Clapton (as "King Cool") and Jeff Beck (as "A.N. Other"). See Interview with Moogy Klingman by I.C. Timerow, 2001; www.moogymusic.com.
  18. ^ Richie Unterberger, Review of Funky; www.allmusic.com
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