Dave was born David Thomas Mason in May 10, 1946 in Worcester, England. He started his career at the age of 15 when he joined an instrumental Shadows/Ventures-like band called The Jaguars. They released two singles,.one in 1963 of which only 500-1000 copies were pressed and one in 1965 (one year after the band had broken up). Both of these singles are considered extremely rare.
Dave joined a band called The Hellions in 1964. The band included a childhood friend of his -- drummer/vocalist Jim Capaldi. They released three singles on Pye Records. Then he was in a short-lived band called Deep Feeling that recorded some great music -- although unfortunately none of it ever got released. There had been a misprint on a Various Artists album called “Rock Generations Vol. 8” which claimed to contain some Deep Feeling tracks. Unfortunately it wasn't them. It was really a band named The Mark Leeman Five.
After he left Deep Feeling, he became a roadie for the Spencer Davis Group. That's where he met Steve Winwood. Soon after he and Winwood got together with Dave's childhood friend Capaldi and multi-instrumentalist Chris Wood (who was previously in Sounds of Blue, the band Christine Perfect played bass in). They soon formed the legendary band called Traffic. Although the band was highly successful, there were intense clashes between Mason and Winwood. Winwood wanted the band to write songs together whereas Mason preferred to write on his own and submit songs when he was ready. As a result of the conflict, Mason left Traffic in December 1967 and didn't rejoin the band again until May 1968. Dave wrote some of his best known songs during these times -- classics such as “Hole in My Shoe” and “Feelin’ Alright”.
Traffic finally did end up breaking up for good in 1969 due to Winwood's desire to join what was to be a short-lived supergroup called Blind Faith. Mason decided to join forces with the other Traffic members to form a band of their own. They called themselves Mason, Wood, Capaldi, & Frog. Frog, by the way, was keyboardist Mick Weaver, who went by the name Wynder K. Frog in the newly formed band. A BBC Transcription disc did surface of the band opening up a Jimi Hendrix Experience show at the Royal Albert Hall where Mason actually joined Hendrix on stage. This was documented in a film called “Experience” and its audio portions have shown up on assorted Hendrix albums of those Albert Hall recordings. But other than the aforementioned boots, there has never been any legally released material from that band.
In between Traffic stints, Mason did some very impressive session work appearing on Hendrix’s “All Along The Watchtower” & “Crosstown Traffic” from Jimi’s classic “Electric Ladyland” album. Dave was actually interviewed on the "Classic Albums: Electric Ladyland” DVD for his appearance on that album. He also played on The Stones “Street Fighting Man” from their “Beggars Banquet” album and produced and played on Family’s debut album “Music in a Dolls’s House”.
Even after the separation and discord, it ended up that Mason did tour with Blind Faith -- just not in their band. Ironically he was on their tour but as a guitarist in Delaney & Bonnie’s band (Blind Faith's opening act) And Blind Faith's guitarist Eric Clapton was so inspired by what Delaney & Bonnie were doing that he ended up joined their band after Blind Faith broke up. This line up recorded the landmark album “Delaney & Bonnie and Friends: On tour with Eric Clapton”.
Soon after, Dave settled in the US permanently and recorded what many still believe to be his best solo album to date, “Alone Together”. One of the first friends he made when he came to the US was Cass Elliot (known as Mama Cass from the Mamas and the Papas). They joined forces on the “Dave Mason and Cass Elliot” album the following year. Cass was excited about the new duo’s future but Dave apparently only saw their collaboration as a one off project. Their whole partnership was plagued by record label red tape anyway so Dave surprised everyone at this point by rejoining his old band Traffic (which Winwood had reformed minus Mason after Blind Faith’s demise) in the summer of 1971.
This new Traffic lineup lasted just 6 gigs but that was enough to produce the impressive live album “Welcome to the Canteen”. Dave returned to the US and planned on continuing his solo career with a double album, one including live material of old favorites and a studio album of new material. Legend has it that Dave attempted to renegotiate his contract at this point with his label, Blue Thumb, and that after they refused to give him more money, he then took the master tapes he was working on with him and tried to sue the label. While the legal wrangles dragged on, Blue Thumb used their two track tapes of what Mason had recorded as their masters and released an album called “Headkeeper” (consisting of one side studio material -- one side of concert recordings). Blue Thumb then released the rest of the live material (with some overlaps) on the 1973 “Dave Mason Is Alive” album. Mason referred to these albums as “bootlegs” in the press during his battle with Blue Thumb.
The fighting continued through 1973. Due to his not being able to work during the legal battles, he then filed for bankruptcy which ironically through a loophole, got him out of his Blue Thumb contract. So, through an odd series of events he was now free to sign with major label Columbia Records who had been wanting to sign Dave for a long time. The downside in all of this was that now he felt rushed by Columbia to get records out fast. As a result he says of feeling pressured, he had to hastily record many covers and sub par songs -- the result being less than stellar releases during those years. Although he still was able to sell out large venues as Madison Square Garden in 1980, Columbia Records dropped him after the “Old Crest On A New Wave” album ran its course.
Dave spent the early to mid 80’s battling drug addiction. He found refuge hibernating in the guest house of his neighbor and friend, Mick Fleetwood. Save for an unplugged style video concert release in 1981 and the odd TV appearance, Dave didn’t return to recording until 1987 when the Canadian label Maze had Dave record an album called “Some Assembly Required”. Though the record didn't sell well, it did seem to get him a deal later that year with Voyager Records, an MCA affiliate. As a result came the more high profile “Two Hearts” album which included guest appearances from prominent artists like Phoebe Snow (whom Dave had worked with before on her standout 1974 self titled album). The album also featured a collaboration with Dave's ex-bandmate Steve Winwood, who by then had become a well known solo artist in his own right. Unfortunately, their musical reunion was short-lived.
Dave continued his hard touring schedule. His tireless efforts paid off with some exposure in Japan with a few TV specials. But then he was deflated to hear the news of the passing of his long time friend and musical collaborator Jim Krueger. Dave had worked with Jim quite often since they first met in 1974. Jim also wrote Dave’s biggest solo hit to date, “We Just Disagree” (from his smash 1977 album “Let It Flow”).
At this point Dave felt he needed a change to escape the lifestyle that reminded him of his lost friend. And it was also at this time that Dave’s pal Mick Fleetwood was having trouble finding a replacement for Rick Vito who had just left Fleetwood Mac. After talking with Dave one day, Mick joked about how poorly the auditions were going to find Vito's replacement..."If things get any worse, I might have to ask you to join!”-- to which Dave shocked Mick by responding...“Oh I’d love to be in your band Mick!” Mick was thrilled to learn that he was actually serious. In 1993 Dave Mason became a member of Fleetwood Mac.
This new Fleetwood Mac lineup started touring Europe and the States -- but all before they had a new album in stores to promote. The release of "Time" was delayed for so long that by the time the album finally got released 1995 the tour was over. Dave contributed two songs to "Time", "Blow By Blow" and "I Wonder Why".An entirely different version of "Blow by Blow" had appeared on the album “Soccer Rocks the Globe” one year before. Unfortunately for this hard-working hard-touring lineup of Fleetwood Mac, the new album didn't sell well. The hardcore Rumours-era fans didn't take to their new interpretations of the old Mac classics like "Gold Dust Woman", "Don't Stop", "Say You Love Me" and some others.
In 1997, it had been reported that Dave was going to join Ringo Starr’s All Star Band but by all accounts, he pulled out of the project at the last minute.
It’s hard to know how Dave would’ve been able to manage it anyway due to his commitments to Fleetwood Mac in 1994, but he was very hurt about not being asked to rejoin Traffic for their 1994 “Far From Home” album. But nonetheless, he did get together again with Jim Capaldi and went out on tour in 1998. In 1999, a live album chronicling that tour was released called “Live - The 40,000 Headmen Tour”. In 2000 a CD was sold on-line and at shows which included further Mason solo concert recordings and a new studio version of the old Traffic song “(Roamin’ thro’ the gloamin with) 40,000 Headmen” featuring Capaldi.
Dave’s non-stop solo touring continues to this day. He has released most of his 1981 unplugged concert (previously titled “Dave Mason in Concert” -- this time called “Live at Perkins Palace”) on DVD and CD as well as a powerful 2002 Florida show on CD and DVD called “Live at Sunrise”.
These days Dave is working on a studio album of all new material from which noted DJ’s such as Scott Muni have reportedly previewed tracks on their radio shows.
On March 15 2004, Dave Mason was inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of Traffic. Yet another member of Fleetwood Mac that graces that Cleveland hall of rock legends.
