Dave Mason came to realize something interesting about his life in music as he was retracing his steps for the purpose of writing an autobiography he hopes to publish in 2024.
“I suppose the amount of other artists that I've worked with on what turned out to be some of the more significant recordings is a lot when you look at it in totality in the book,” Mason says, with a bit of an audible shrug.
In addition to being enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Traffic, Mason appears on such classic recordings as the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'," George Harrison's“All Things Must Pass,” the Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" and the Jimi Hendrix Experience's definitive recasting of Bob Dylan’s "All Along the Watchtower."
Mason’s book, “Only You Know and I Know,” shares a name with a career-defining highlight of his solo years, which peaked — commercially at least — with "We Just Disagree," a timeless ballad that hit No. 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
He also has a new song out called "Mangos," available at davemasonmusic.com. All songwriting proceeds from "Mangos" are being donated to the Maui Food Bank. Mason and his wife spent most of the pandemic living in Hawaii.
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We caught up with Mason by phone in advance of his upcoming Phoenix concert at the helm of a solo band that features Vanilla Fudge organist Mark Stein on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the historic Celebrity Theatre.
Here’s what he had to say.
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Dave Mason talks about his latest tour ahead of Phoenix concert
You're here on the Endangered Species tour. I’m hoping you could talk about that tour name.
I am an endangered species. My era of people are dropping away, as evidenced by the last couple of years. There's not many of us left who can still get up and still do it.
You've got another guy who can still get up and do it in the band now, Mark Stein of Vanilla Fudge. How's that been working out?
Really cool. We were actually together in a band, like, 30 years ago. He recently rejoined and it's been great. He still sings his butt off and plays great. And of course, we have to do "You Keep Me Hangin’ On."
Dave Mason on his autobiography, 'Only You Know and I Know'
You've written a book. Was that a good experience for you?
Well, I probably would not have done it had I not been more or less badgered into it by fans constantly going "Where's the book? Where's the book?" A gentleman named Chris Epting was at a show maybe four or five years ago and started talking to my wife, Winifred, about helping me put it together. She was out there at the merch table selling CDs.
If it was left up to me, I probably wouldn't have done it. I'm a pretty private person. Also, times and places and events, they're like a fog for me (laughs). I needed somebody to do the research and Chris became that person. What I tried to do is not just write another rock 'n' roll book. I tried to put together a story about someone's life, my ups and downs, my wins and losses.
As a private person, how does it feel to have that story out there?
Well, it's fine. It's my story. And at 77 years of age, it really doesn't matter.
Did you come away with any insights or deeper understandings of yourself from all the reflection that went into it?
No. I don't think so. Other than going back and saying, "Well, that was stupid, I wouldn't do that again." (laughs) But hey, that's how we learn. We hopefully learn from our failures, not from our successes.
Were there parts that you felt less comfortable sharing than others?
Yeah. Some. Not many. Once I started doing it, it was just, "Well, I don't want to half-ass this." Like anything I do, if I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it all the way or not do it at all.
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Dave Mason reflects on Traffic and what happened
You were inducted to the Hall of Fame as part of Traffic. You've obviously had your ups and downs with them. When you look back on Traffic, are those happy memories?
The beginning? The early parts? Yes. They were great.
What do you think of the records you made together?
Well, for me, it was my early days. I'd just started writing. Even though I wrote their biggest hit, "Hole in My Shoe," for me, I'm not too enamored by the stuff I wrote on the first album. The second album? That's a different story. Things started to gel more musically. I thought the second album was a great progression.
It’s a very different album.
Well, yeah, the first one was sort of very much a studio creation. Especially back in those days, it wasn't very easy to reproduce that stuff live. Especially "Hole in My Shoe." Today, with the age of technology, you could do it probably just like the record. But back then, it wasn't that way. The second album was more "Here's a band, here are the songs and these can be played and performed," which is really what the criteria — for me anyway — was.
"Hole in My Shoe" is my favorite song on that first album.
(laughs at great length). It's a nursery rhyme.
Where do things stand between you and Steve Winwood? I know there was some tension between the two of you.
I don't have any tension. Anything that was there was all coming from the other direction. But it's all in the book, how it all came apart.
How did it feel to step away from Traffic when you did?
Well, it was what it was. I just had to keep moving, get something happening. I tried a couple solo singles. I produced an album for a group called the Family. I worked with Hendrix. After Cream broke up, Ginger Baker and I tried putting a band together, but I quit because it was three people, so it would've been too much of a comparison to Cream and I didn't want to get in that situation.
The rest of it was basically a question of ‘there's nothing here in England for me anymore.’ And I just up and left and I moved to America, where the origins of all that music is from. The British Invasion, as I keep saying, is an American story. They just copied everything that came out of here, they put a twist on it and sold it back to you.
Dave Mason looks back on 'Alone Together,' his solo debut
Your first solo album "Alone Together," is such a classic album. How did it feel to have that be your first real statement as a solo artist?
I don't know. Traffic was just getting known, kind of, when I moved over here. Nobody knew who the hell I was. I got this boutique label to sign me and I was feeling really good just playing guitar with Delaney & Bonnie, which I did for a year or more.
And then I made a solo album and, to me, it was simply that. I got a new little handful of songs. Tommy LiPuma co-produced it with me, put together a great band, which at the time I didn't really know because I didn't know everybody involved. Just great, great players. Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon, Leon Russell.
It was just a question of making another album as far as I was concerned, obviously hoping it would garner some sort of success. But I had really no thoughts as to how it would be received. You make it, you throw it out there and hope people like it. (laughs)
It sounds like it was a good experience.
Oh yeah. I didn't know that many people over here. So it was all new and exciting for me. And I was what, 22 years of age, 23?
You recently revisited that album on "Alone Together Again." What inspired you to do that?
Well, the original master tapes got lost in the fire at Universal and I thought, "Screw it. I'll just re-record the whole thing. And this time, I'll own it."
The story behind Dave Mason's biggest hit, 'We Just Disagree'
You obviously had a giant hit with "We Just Disagree." When you recorded that, did you think "Oh yeah, this is gonna be a big hit?"
Well, Jim Krueger, my guitar player, wrote it. He said, "I've got this song. I think it would be great for you." He played it, and I was like, "Yeah, that's a great song." That was it. I did it because it was a great song and it worked within the context of how I write, which is I try to write about timeless themes so that the songs don't become dated. Whether it was gonna be a hit or not, I had no idea.
How did it feel to see it start climbing the charts?
Well, you know, it only got to the Top 20. I don't think it really was that big a hit. I've never had a No. 1 record or any big hit records even in all those years in the '70s when I was playing Madison Square Garden. I always had albums that did well. But my live performances are what kept me going. Back in the '70s when I was in my 20s, I played every campus in this country. Several times. So all these people kind of grew up with me. (laughs)
Dave Mason on recording 'All Along the Watchtower' with Jimi Hendrix
You've played on some amazing records made by other artists. What do you recall of working with Hendrix on “All Along the Watchtower”?
He was just something very unique. There are a lot of great guitar players but no more Hendrix. He was something else. I played on "Electric Ladyland" and worked with him a little bit. He is missed. It's too bad he's not still around.
What did you think of where Jimi was taking “All Along the Watchtower”?
I thought it was great. I thought it was gonna be a hit.
Dave Mason on the Rolling Stones' 'Street Fighting Man'
You're on “Street Fighting Man” by the Rolling Stones.
I am playing some of the drums and I play that weird little horn on the fadeout.
I was wondering how you ended up playing that weird little horn.
I kind of knew Brian Jones somewhat. And also the Stones were recording in the same studio Traffic used. They used the same engineer and same producer, Jimmy Miller. So everybody knew everybody and I was there that day at the studio. I have no recollection why. But that’s the song that they were working on. And it was like, "Hey, Dave, play this."
That's so '60s.
(Laughs) But that's what you could do back then. We were in London. That's where everybody congregated. So things like that could happen. You ran into everybody. You went to a club back then and it would be myself, some other guys from Traffic. There might be a couple Stones. McCartney or Lennon would be there. Hendrix. There were a number of places. Scotch of St. James, Bag O' Nails. But we were all there. You couldn't help but bump into everybody.
Dave Mason on working with George Harrison and Paul McCartney
You're also on “All Things Must Pass.”
I don't really remember what songs I played on because it was a lot of people had been invited. I think somebody knows what I played because it's marked down somewhere. I have no idea.
You’re on Paul McCartney's "Listen to What the Man Said." Had you two worked together prior to that session?
Early on, a girl I was dating was designing a piece of furniture for McCartney. He came over to her studio and I got to spend an evening with him and got invited to Abbey Road. I would go down there occasionally when they were recording. And I got to know Paul a little bit, and George.
Dave Mason reflects on time in Fleetwood Mac and that band's future
I saw you on that Fleetwood Mac tour.
In '94, I was in a version of Fleetwood Mac. We did an album called "Time" that nobody knows we did. Christine McVie was part of the album but wouldn't go on the road. I was there for about a year or so. We toured a lot here in America and Europe.
That was an interesting version of the band.
It sort of became like a Fleetwood Mac copy band. The only original members were Mick and John.
I see that Stevie Nicks has said she doesn’t think she’ll ever work with Fleetwood Mac again now that Christine's gone. I’ve been wondering if Mick is gonna try to pull another lineup like that one that you were in together?
I don't know. I mean, he's talked about putting together something with everybody that was part of Mac. Of course, some people aren't around anymore. But he's talked about it. Whether it'll happen, who knows?
Dave Mason concert in Phoenix
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24.
Where: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix.
Admission: $35-$125.
Details: 602-267-1600,celebritytheatre.com.
Reach the reporter ated.masley@arizonarepublic.comor 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter@EdMasley.
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