At the end of 1966, Steve Winwood, still a member of the band The Spencer Davis Group, began to meet with other musicians in a series of Jam sessions at a venue in Aston, Birmingham called The Elbow Room, these were: Jim Capaldi (1944 - 2005) , Chris Wood (1944 - 1983) and Dave Mason (b. 1946). Shortly after, he will update at a country house in Aston Tirrold, Berkshire, to practice where Traffic would be born.
Traffic's recording debut came on May 19, 1967, with the single "Paper Sun/giving to you" in the UK. In August 1967 "Hole in My Shoe/ Smiling Phases" was his second single, a great success and would also be released in the US. After a third single, his first album was published: "Mr. Fantasy". on December 8, 1967. Recorded between April and November.
In January 1968, the band began recording his second album at the Olympic studios in London with producer Jimmy Miller, which was finished at the Record Plant studios in New York in May. While Traffic got into a long tour that ended in September with two concerts at the Fillmore East on the 20th and 21st, after which Mason stayed in the United States and left the band, for which Winwood announced its dissolution.
Upon his return to England, he formed Blind Faith, with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech (1946 - 1990), a group that started for just one year. In May 1969, what was to be Traffic's posthumous album "Laat Exit" was released.
The other members started a project with Mick Weaver, better known as Wooden Frog, which was limited to performances without any recording.
After the breakup of Blind Faith in 1969, Winwood began his solo stage, and recorded an album that, before going on sale, due to the specific interventions of Capaldi and Wood, was published under the name of Traffic: "John Barleycorn Must Die". , his most successful album to date.
Traffic was given a second chance and began a new tour of Europe between April and May 1970 followed by another tour of the US in June/July. After a well-deserved vacation, the band was back on tour in October, and in November Traffic's US record label: bit.ly/Tc71L United Artist Records recorded their two November performances at the Fillmore East on the 18th and 19th (with the band's new bassist , Ric Grech of Blind Faith).
Fillmore East - Track List concerts:
Early Show 01. Introduction 02. Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring 03. Every Mother's Son 04. Medicated Goo 05. John Barleycorn 06. Pearly Queen 07. Stranger To Himself 08. Empty Pages 09. 40,000 Headmen
Late Show 01. Introduction 02. Glad 03. Freedom Rider 04. John Barleycorn 05. Can't Find My Way Home 06. No Time To Live 07. Stranger To Himself 08. Feelin' Good 09. Dear Mr. Fantasy.
The tapes were given to Eddie Kramer to make the new Traffic album,
Side One: 1.."Back
Stage and Introduction" .2."Who
Knows What Tomorrow May Bring?"3. Glad.
Side Two: 1.Pearly Queen. 2.40,000 Headmen.3.Dear Mr. Fantasy.4.Can't Find My Way Home.
The fact that United Artists was going to release this record without Windwood's knowledge angered both him and the band enough that this release was pulled at the last minute, amid rumors that the master tape had been lost."
In 1971, Traffic had expanded with the additions of Dave Mason, Jim Gordon, and Reebop Kwaku Baah. The band only played six dates, two of which – their opening performance at Fairfield Hall, Croydon and a London benefit for Oz – were recorded and mixed to become "Welcome to the Canteen". Mason was keen to take this version of Traffic to the United States, but Winwood was only interested in doing these six dates. Mason said, "It's Stevie's band, so it's up to him."
"Welcome to the Canteen" would be the last album Traffic would release under the band's North American distribution contract with United Artists Records; their next album The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys would be issued by Island Records, who released Traffic's records in the U.K. and who (in late 1971) had recently established operations in North America.
In the United Kingdom, the album was a surprise flop, the first in a series of albums by the group that would fail to make an appearance in the charts.In the USA, however, it was a solid success, hitting number 26 in the charts and yielding the single "Gimme Some Lovin' (live)", which reached number 68 in the Billboard Hot 100.
Although regarded as a Traffic album, it was originally released without the name "Traffic" anywhere on it; credited instead to the seven individual musicians. Nonetheless the Traffic logo appeared on the cover (on the back, in this case) as on all of their albums. Most later issues retain the original front cover with its individual crediting, but credit the album to Traffic on the spine.
Ok, I bring you a reconstruction from "live traffic" using the lost Fillmore East
tapes".
Side One: 01."Back Stage and Introduction" .02."Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring?"03. "Glad / Freedom Rider" .
Side Two: 04.Every Mother's Son. 05. Medicated Goo. 06.Empty Pages. 07. 40.000 Headmen.