Dave Mason

For other people called Dave or David Mason, see David Mason (disambiguation).

Dave Mason
Mason in 2003
Background information
Birth name	David Thomas Mason
Born	(1946-05-10) 10 May 1946 Worcester, England
Genres	Folk rock, pop rock, psychedelic rock, soft rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	guitar, vocals, bass guitar, mellotron, sitar, tambura
Years active	1966–present
Labels	Blue Thumb, Harvest, Columbia
Website	www.davemasonmusic.com

David Thomas "Dave" Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded 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 Bramlett, 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. "We Just Disagree", Mason's 1977 solo US hit, written by Jim Krueger, has become a staple of US Classic Hits and Adult Contemporary radio playlists.

In 2004, Mason was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of Traffic.

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 he left again. Last Exit (1969), 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 toured with the band in 1971 and played on Welcome to the Canteen. In his brief spells with the group, Mason never quite fitted in; Steve Winwood later recalled, "We all [Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood] tended to write together, but Dave 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 career was launched in England in 1966. Hendrix first heard the song "All Along the Watchtower", by Bob Dylan, at a party to which he was invited 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 12-string acoustic guitar. According to session engineer Eddie Kramer, it took Mason about 27 takes to get his part recorded satisfactorily, because he had difficulty mastering the tricky rhythmic 'turnaround' in the introduction. Mason has denied that this happened. The song was released on the album Electric Ladyland in September 1968. 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 U.S. Mason later recorded his own version of the song for his 1974 album, Dave Mason, with Bob Glaub on bass.

External videos
Oral History, Dave Mason shares moments of his life story and career. interview date February 23, 2007, NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Oral History Library

Mason appears on the Rolling Stones' 1968 album Beggars Banquet, although uncredited. 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 later withdrawn from sale (and is now a collectors item). 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 (Mason's bandmate in the Hellions, Deep Feeling, and Traffic), and played the guitar solo on "Don't Be a Hero".

Mason in 1974

After Traffic, Mason pursued a moderately successful solo career. On his first single, "Just for You", with the B-side "Little Woman" as the B-side, he was backed by the band Family, following his production of Family's first album. His songwriting and sound culminated on his 1970 album Alone Together, with backing of drummer Jim Gordon, featuring "Only You Know and I Know," which reached No. 42 on the Billboard chart. 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. In 1977, Mason had his biggest hit with "We Just Disagree", written by Krueger. Reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, it was later successfully recorded by country singer Billy Dean. 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.

Mason in 2014

Mason's 1980 single, "Save Me", featured 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. In 1997 Mason was scheduled to be a member of Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, performing "Only You Know and I Know", "We Just Disagree" and "Feelin Alright", but for unknown reasons he was dropped from rehearsals before the tour started.

In 2002, he released the DVD Dave Mason: Live at Sunrise, a recording of a live performance at the Sunrise Musical Theater in Sunrise, 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 was 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. Mason also is a founding board member of Yoga Blue, a non-profit organization devoted to teaching yoga and other holistic practices to those recovering from substance abuse and other self-destructive disorders. Mason, together with his longtime friend John Niekrash, is also involved in the program Work Vessels for Veterans (WVFV), an all volunteer movement that provides veterans transitioning to civilian work with tools that have ranged from computers to boats to tractors.

External links

• Dave Mason's official website