Episode 02 of Dave Mason’s Feelin’ Alright? deepens the story behind one of British rock’s most influential bands, offering a firsthand account of how Traffic came together and how the music industry in the United Kingdom operated during the mid nineteen sixties. With clarity and candor, Dave Mason walks listeners through the cultural, musical, and personal forces that shaped his early career and helped define a generation.

Episode 02 opens with “Paper Sun,” Traffic’s debut single. Mason explains that in the UK it was considered wrong to ask fans to pay twice for the same song, once on a single and again on an album. British audiences expected albums to contain all new material, while record labels were reluctant to fund an LP without a hit single already on the charts. As a result, “Paper Sun” did not appear on Traffic’s first UK album, Dear Mr. Fantasy, though American releases handled the material differently. Critics responded favorably, with New Musical Express praising the song’s innovative and exotic sound. Mason also notes that he played sitar on the track, reflecting the era’s openness to experimentation.

From there, Mason traces the roots of Traffic to his long friendship with Jim Capaldi, who grew up just miles from Mason’s hometown of Worcester. The two played together in early bands such as Deep Feeling and the Hellions, releasing a few singles that never found commercial success. Mason hints that some of those recordings still exist in his personal archive and may surface in future episodes.

Mason recalls first hearing Steve Winwood on the radio as the teenage prodigy fronting the Spencer Davis Group. Winwood’s voice and musicianship made a lasting impression. Mason and Capaldi would often travel to Birmingham to play pubs and ballrooms, then unwind at an after hours club called the Elbow Room. It was there that they encountered a wide range of music, from jazz to blues to more contemporary sounds, and where they first crossed paths with Winwood and his friend Chris Wood. Those informal late night gatherings planted the seeds for what would become Traffic.

A pivotal story in the episode involves Mason working as a roadie for the Spencer Davis Group, largely as an excuse to stay close to Winwood. One night, when Winwood failed to appear for a sold out show, Mason was asked to step in. To his surprise, he pulled it off, later contributing backing vocals on hits such as “Gimme Some Lovin’” and “I’m a Man.” These songs would go on to become staples in American rock, covered by artists including Chicago and the Blues Brothers.

By early nineteen sixty seven, Mason, Winwood, Capaldi, and Wood committed to forming Traffic. Mason introduces “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” explaining that Capaldi wrote the lyrics while Winwood and Wood composed the music. Mason played harmonica and bass on the track. Signed to Island Records under Chris Blackwell, the band found an old cottage in Berkshire where they could write and rehearse away from London, immersing themselves fully in the creative process.

The episode also captures the interconnected nature of the British music scene. Mason recalls meeting Paul McCartney and visiting Abbey Road Studios, eventually becoming friendly with George Harrison. During a visit to Harrison’s home in Esher, Mason was introduced to early sitar experimentation and heard music from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, an experience he describes as eye opening and unforgettable.

Mason revisits “Hole in My Shoe,” the first song he ever wrote and Traffic’s second UK single. Although it reached number two on the charts, the band rarely performed it live. Mason explains that the sitar driven track never fully represented the group’s musical direction, despite its success.

Broadening the lens, the episode highlights other defining records from the summer of nineteen sixty seven, including Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever,” and the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Purple Haze.” Mason also acknowledges the powerful influence of American music, featuring Aretha Franklin, the Lovin’ Spoonful, and Van Morrison, illustrating how British and American sounds continually shaped one another.

As the episode draws to a close, Mason reflects on leaving Traffic after the first album, moving to Los Angeles, and forming friendships with Gram Parsons, Cass Elliot, and Delaney and Bonnie. A later reunion with Traffic during sessions for their second album led to the recording of new material, including “You Can All Join In” and “Feelin’ Alright.” Though his time with the band would soon end again, Episode 2 captures a formative period filled with creativity, collaboration, and lasting musical impact.