Traffic (album)
Encyclopedia
Traffic is the second album
by the English
rock band
Traffic
, released in 1968
on Island Records
in the United Kingdom
, and United Artists
in the United States
, catalogue UAS 6676. It peaked at number 9 in the UK albums chart
and at number 17 on the Billboard 200
.
, Dave Mason
had departed from the group. He produced the debut album
by the group Family
, containing in its ranks future Traffic bass player
Ric Grech
, while Traffic went on the road. In May, the band had invited Mason back to begin recording the new album.
Mason ended up writing and singing half of the songs on the album (including his biggest hit "Feelin' Alright
"), but making scant contribution to the songs written by Jim Capaldi
and Steve Winwood
. His flair for pop melody had always been at odds with the others' jazz
ambitions, evidenced by the dichotomy seen for the songs on this album, and by October he was again out of the band. He would return one more time for a tour and album in 1971
to run out the band's contract.
Traffic was reissued for compact disc
in the UK on January 11, 2000, with five bonus tracks, two from the soundtrack
to the United Artists
film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush and three from Last Exit. In the US, the remastered reissue of February 27, 2001 included mono
single
mixes of "You Can All Join In" and "Feelin' Alright," and "Withering Tree." The original album was produced by Jimmy Miller. The remasters were assisted in their production by Jim Capaldi.
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
by the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
, released in 1968
1968 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding.*January 6 – Gibson Guitar Corporation patents its Gibson Flying V electric guitar design....
on Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, catalogue UAS 6676. It peaked at number 9 in the UK albums chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
and at number 17 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Background and content
In January 1968, after some initial success in Britain with their debut album Mr. FantasyMr. Fantasy
-Original US album :# "Paper Sun" – 3:26# "Dealer" – 3:13# "Coloured Rain" – 2:46# "Hole in My Shoe" – 3:04# "No Face, No Name, No Number" – 3:38...
, Dave Mason
Dave Mason
David Thomas "Dave" Mason is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic...
had departed from the group. He produced the debut album
Music in a Doll's House
-Side two:- Personnel :* Roger Chapman – lead vocals, harmonica, tenor saxophone* John "Charlie" Whitney – lead guitar, steel guitar* Jim King – tenor and soprano saxophone, harmonica, vocals* Ric Grech – bass guitar, violin, cello, vocals...
by the group Family
Family (band)
Family were an English rock band that formed in late 1966 and disbanded in October 1973. Their style has been characterised as progressive rock, although their sound often explored other genres, incorporating elements of styles like as folk, psychedelia, acid, jazz fusion and rock and roll...
, containing in its ranks future Traffic bass player
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Ric Grech
Ric Grech
Richard Roman Grech was a British rock musician.-Career:Grech originally gained notice in the United Kingdom as the bass guitar player for the progressive rock group Family. He joined the band when it was a largely blues-based live act in Leicester known as the Farinas; he became their bassist in...
, while Traffic went on the road. In May, the band had invited Mason back to begin recording the new album.
Mason ended up writing and singing half of the songs on the album (including his biggest hit "Feelin' Alright
Feelin' Alright
"Feelin' Alright" also known as "Feeling Alright" is a song written by Dave Mason of the English rock band Traffic from their eponymous 1968 album, Traffic...
"), but making scant contribution to the songs written by Jim Capaldi
Jim Capaldi
Nicola James "Jim" Capaldi was an English musician and songwriter. His musical career lasted more than four decades. He co-founded Traffic in Birmingham with Steve Winwood, and the band's psychedelic rock was influential in Britain and the United States...
and Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
. His flair for pop melody had always been at odds with the others' jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
ambitions, evidenced by the dichotomy seen for the songs on this album, and by October he was again out of the band. He would return one more time for a tour and album in 1971
Welcome to the Canteen
Welcome to the Canteen is the fifth album by English rock band Traffic. It was recorded live at Fairfield Halls, Croydon and the Oz Benefit Concert, London, July 1971 and released in September of that year...
to run out the band's contract.
Traffic was reissued for compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in the UK on January 11, 2000, with five bonus tracks, two from the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to the United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush and three from Last Exit. In the US, the remastered reissue of February 27, 2001 included mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
mixes of "You Can All Join In" and "Feelin' Alright," and "Withering Tree." The original album was produced by Jimmy Miller. The remasters were assisted in their production by Jim Capaldi.
Reception
Allmusic gave a positive retrospective review of the album, commenting that it achieved a strong balance between Dave Mason's simple and straightforward folk-rock songs and Steve Winwood's complex and often haunting rock jams.Side one
- "You Can All Join In" (Mason) – 3:34
- Dave MasonDave MasonDavid Thomas "Dave" Mason is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic...
- lead vocalLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
; Steve WinwoodSteve WinwoodStephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
- electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocal; Chris WoodChris Wood (rock musician)Christopher Gordon Blandford 'Chris' Wood was a founding member of the English rock band Traffic, along with Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Dave Mason....
- tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
; Jim CapaldiJim CapaldiNicola James "Jim" Capaldi was an English musician and songwriter. His musical career lasted more than four decades. He co-founded Traffic in Birmingham with Steve Winwood, and the band's psychedelic rock was influential in Britain and the United States...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, backing vocal
- Dave Mason
- "Pearly Queen" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 4:20
- Winwood - vocal, Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, electric guitar, bass; Wood - fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
; Mason - harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
; Capaldi - drums
- Winwood - vocal, Hammond organ
- "Don't Be Sad" (Mason) – 3:24
- Mason - vocal, harmonica, electric guitar; Winwood - vocal, Hammond organ, electric rhythm guitar, bass; Wood - soprano saxophoneSoprano saxophoneThe soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
; Capaldi - drums, backing vocal
- Mason - vocal, harmonica, electric guitar; Winwood - vocal, Hammond organ, electric rhythm guitar, bass; Wood - soprano saxophone
- "Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring" (Capaldi/Winwood/Wood)The original LP issue credits the song to Winwood/Capaldi. However, both BMI records and later issues of the album list Chris Wood as co-writer. – 3:11
- Winwood - vocals, Hammond organ, guitars, bass; Capaldi - drums, percussion, backing vocal
- "Feelin' AlrightFeelin' Alright"Feelin' Alright" also known as "Feeling Alright" is a song written by Dave Mason of the English rock band Traffic from their eponymous 1968 album, Traffic...
" (Mason) – 4:16- Mason - lead vocal, guitar; Winwood - piano, bass, backing vocal; Wood - tenor saxophone, backing vocal; Capaldi - drums, percussion
Side two
- "Vagabond Virgin" (Capaldi/Mason) – 5:21
- Mason - vocal, guitar; Capaldi - vocal, drums, percussion; Winwood - piano, bass, backing vocal; Wood - flute
- "(Roamin' Thru the Gloamin' with) 40,000 Headmen40,000 Headmen"Roamin' Thro' the Gloamin with 40,000 Headmen" , written by Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi, was first recorded by Traffic in 1967 or 1968. It was initially released as B-side to the "No Face, No Name, No Number" single in 1968 and also appears on their second album Traffic...
" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 3:15- Winwood - vocal, guitar, organ, bass; Wood - flute, Coke tinCoca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, sleigh bellsSleigh BellsSleigh Bells is an American noise pop music duo. The group released their debut album, Treats, on May 11, 2010.-History:Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sleigh Bells is composed of Derek E. Miller and Alexis Krauss...
; Capaldi - drums
- Winwood - vocal, guitar, organ, bass; Wood - flute, Coke tin
- "Cryin' to Be Heard" (Mason) – 5:14
- Mason - lead vocal, bass; Winwood - Hammond organ, harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, backing vocal; Wood - soprano saxophone; Capaldi - drums, backing vocal
- Mason - lead vocal, bass; Winwood - Hammond organ, harpsichord
- "No Time to Live" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 5:10
- Winwood - lead vocal, piano, bass; Wood - soprano saxophone; Mason - Hammond organ; Capaldi - drums
- "Means to an End" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 2:39
- Winwood - vocals, piano, electric guitar, bass; Wood - drums, percussionThe album credits list Wood as the drummer, but this is presumably a typo on the sleeve, since no other source indicates that Chris Wood even knew how to play drums. Most likely it is in fact Jim Capaldi playing drums and percussion, given his usual capacity as drummer.
2000 reissue bonus tracks (UK only)
- "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush" (Capaldi/Mason/Winwood/Wood) – 2:45
- "Am I What I Was or Am I What I Am" (Capaldi/Winwood/Wood) – 2:36
- Tracks 1-2 from the film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
- "Withering Tree" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 2:57
- Winwood - vocal, piano, guitar, bass; Wood - flute, percussion; Capaldi - drums, percussion
- "Medicated Goo" (Jimmy Miller/Winwood) – 3:39
- "Shanghai Noodle Factory" (Capaldi/Larry FallonLarry FallonLarry Fallon was an American composer, arranger and record producer.Arranger credits include Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, Nico's Chelsea Girl, Jimmy Cliff's Wonderful World, Beautiful People, the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and Gil Scott-Heron's Bridges. He played the distinctive harpsichord...
/Miller/Winwood/Wood) – 5:03- Tracks 3-5 from the album Last Exit
2001 reissue bonus tracks (US only)
- "You Can All Join In" (Mason) – 3:45 [mono single mix]
- "Feelin' AlrightFeelin' Alright"Feelin' Alright" also known as "Feeling Alright" is a song written by Dave Mason of the English rock band Traffic from their eponymous 1968 album, Traffic...
" (Mason) – 4:03 [mono single mix] - "Withering Tree" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 2:53 [stereo single mix]
Additional personnel
- Terry BrownTerry Brown (record producer)Terry Brown is a record producer involved in a variety of work, but most noted for his involvement with the Canadian rock band Rush and the British/Canadian band Cutting Crew. Brown is currently working with emerging Ottawa roots-rockers Ken Workman & The Union. He is referred to fondly by the band...
, Eddie KramerEddie KramerEdwin H. Kramer is an audio engineer and producer who has worked with, among others, Led Zeppelin, Triumph, Kiss , Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Spooky Tooth, Peter Frampton, Curtis Mayfield, Santana, Anthrax, Carly Simon, Loudness, and Robin Trower.-1960s:Eddie...
, Glyn JohnsGlyn JohnsGlyn Johns is a musician, recording engineer and record producer.-Career:He has worked with such artists as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Easybeats, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Clash, The Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, Spooky Tooth, The Ozark...
, Brian Humphries - sound engineersAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Richard Polak - photography
External links
- [ Traffic's Traffic] at allmusic.com
- Traffic at JimCapaldi.com
- Traffic at Music.com