Mr. Fantasy

Steve Winwood was known for his blue-eyed soul with the Spencer Davis Group, and songs such as "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man" were the last in a string of hits from the group. By 1967, Winwood was out on his own, engaging some friends from his native Birmingham to form Traffic. They retired to the proverbial "cottage in the country" and created the first of two records that, along with Pink Floyd and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, would best characterize Britain's answer to America's acid rock: psychedelic rock. Their debut album, Mr. Fantasy, takes The Beatles' approach to great pop songs and adorns it with a palette straight from the era: Mellotron, sitar, lots of acoustic guitar, children's voices, etc. But into all of that, the band infuses a wide spectrum of influences; whether the raucous honky-tonk of "Berkshire Poppies" or the bluesy jazz of "Giving to You," Traffic is highly original and above all, rock ‘n' roll. Yet Winwood never loses sight of his R&B roots; just witness "Coloured Rain" and "Smiling Phases." The title track is perhaps the highlight, a preview of what the band could (and eventually would) deliver. Drummer Jim Capaldi and flautist/saxophonist Chris Wood provide ample support throughout; however, Dave Mason would prove to be a foil to the progressive experiments, leaving (but returning) soon after the recordings. The album made the UK Top 10, as did the singles "Paper Sun" b/w "Giving to You" and "Hole in My Shoe" b/w "Smiling Phases" earlier during London's Summer of Love. 1968 saw the whole trip repeated with the band's self-titled second album, Traffic. Although the album included two of Mason's finest compositions, "You Can All Join In" and "Feelin' Alright," only the latter would be issued as a single. Still, the album would again reach the UK Top 10 and even breach the US Top 20. But by 1969, Winwood disbanded Traffic to join the supergroup Blind Faith with Ric Grech, Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton.