Johnathan Walker:Dave Mason, the 'Forrest Gump of rock,' shares tales of Traffic, Beatles in memoir

Dave Mason is Johnathan Walkermost recognized for his spell as the guitarist in Traffic, the late-‘60s prog/psychedelic rock band fronted by Steve Winwood.

But the Rock & Roll Hall of famer, 78 and still touring with his own band, maintains a resume peppered with associations of the highest regard: Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton.

“I’m kind of the Forrest Gump of rock,” the English-born Mason says with a laugh while calling from a tour stop.

His memoir, “Only You Know & I Know” (out Sept. 10 from BMG Books, 244 pages; $30), written with music journalist Chris Epting, drills into an often understated career with anecdotes, song lyrics to introduce and set the tone for each chapter and, frequently, unabridged commentary from friends and collaborators.

“Originally I was going to let all the ex-wives say whatever they want. I thought that would have been fun,” Mason jokes. “But then I thought the people who have been significant in my life, I wanted to get their take from another point of view.”

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His messy divorce from Traffic, from which he was unceremoniously fired in 1968 for reasons he’s still unclear about, is examined throughout, as well as his extensive solo work (the 1977 ballad “We Just Disagree” the biggest of his hits).

“I don’t like the way you write, I don’t like the way you sing, I don’t like the way you play,” Winwood told him, Mason recalls in the book.

Mason still has no contact with Winwood, even though fans continue to hope for a reunion.

“If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me about Traffic getting back together … I keep saying, you keep asking the wrong guy,” Mason says.

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How ‘Feelin’ Alright?’ lost its question mark

Traffic broke through in 1967 with a trio of hits in the UK – “Paper Sun,” “Hole in My Shoe” and “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.”

A lesser chart success a year later was the Mason-penned, “Feelin’ Alright?”

He never realized how integral a question mark would be to his songwriting history.

In the chapter detailing his friendship with Hendrix (Mason plays on “All Along the Watchtower” and sings on “Crosstown Traffic”), Mason shares how much Hendrix influenced his creativity.

After a session with the guitar legend, Mason headed for a Greek island for songwriting inspiration and to clear his head from a recent breakup.

He wrote what he calls the “simple” yet “soulful” “Feelin’ Alright?,” lamenting that most people overlooked the nuance of the question mark.

Mason’s intention was to legitimately inquire about the emotional state of the listener – are you feeling all right?

But among the song’s numerous covers, a breezy, finger-snapping version by Joe Cocker emerged in 1969. Cocker injected the song with a feel-good vibe, turned its title into a statement rather than a query and produced an eternal bar jam.

“I wrote that song 58 years ago and it’s as current as it was when I wrote it,” Mason says. “I have to thank Joe Cocker for that. The author is sometimes not the best interpreter of his work.”

Why Dave Mason was kicked out of Ringo Starr's band

Mason’s other oft-covered song lends the book its name. “Only You Know and I Know” became a signature song for his good friends Delaney & Bonnie as well as an album track for Rita Coolidge.

It was, says Mason, the obvious title for his memoir, which he worked on for five years with Epting.

In various chapters, Mason recounts his interactions with the Beatles. George Harrison played “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” for him prior to its release and Mason a few years later would offer guitar parts to Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” album.  

While on tour in New Orleans, Mason was encouraged by Wings’ Denny Laine to visit the studio where the band was recording to say hello to McCartney, who subsequently handed him a guitar and asked him to play a harmony part on “Listen to What the Man Said.”

And in the early ‘90s, Ringo Starr invited him to be part of his All Starr Band. Mason writes that he informed everyone early on that he would have to depart rehearsal early to catch a flight for an already scheduled solo show, but that information was apparently not conveyed to Starr, who told him to cancel his gig. Mason refused and Starr booted him from the group. They have yet to speak again.

Mason also recalls in the book his stint in Fleetwood Mac, playing on 1995’s “Time” album after Mick Fleetwood recruited him. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had departed the band, and it was an awkward arrangement (Christine McVie, he wrote, did not want him to play on any of her songs).

Once the pair of high-profile members announced their return, however, all promotion of “Time” ceased and Mason was out of a job.

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Dave Mason is still moving forward

Despite Mason’s journeyman career playing with musical greats, his personal life often took dark turns. He battled drug addiction, went bankrupt, partnered in several failed relationships, and, tragically, lost his son True in 2006 at age 35.

“Drug addiction or suicide, we’ll never know,” Mason writes.

But in recent years, Mason has stayed active and healthy. “I eat, I sleep, I play, that’s basically my life,” he says. And he has no plans to put down the guitar.

“Everything is great,” he says, “Other than just getting a little older.”