Traffic was a
1970s rock band led by
Steve Winwood. With
Jim Capaldi[?],
Chris Wood[?] and
Dave Mason[?], the band formed after Winwood left the
Spencer Davis Group[?]. Their debut single was
1967's "Paper Sun", a UK hit. "Hole in My Shoe", the second single, was an even bigger hit, and set the stage for a rivalry between Winwood and Mason, the group's principal songwriters. Their debut album was
Mr. Fantasy[?] which, like the singles, was a hit in the UK but not in the US or elsewhere. Their second album,
Traffic[?], was released in
1968. The band began touring the US, but Mason was fired and Winwood announced the band's break-up. Winwood formed
Blind Faith but after that band split in
1969 he began working on a solo recording which eventually turned into another Traffic album,
John Barleycorn Must Die[?], their most successful album yet.
After some personnel changes (including the return of Mason), Traffic released The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys[?], an American hit that didn't chart in the UK. Once again, personnel problems wracked the band as Capaldi began a solo career. Still, Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory[?] was another hit, as was When the Eagle Flies[?] (1974 in music). Capaldi's solo career began to heat up, and Winwood finally launched one of his own, recording the smash hit album Arc of a Diver[?]. Winwood's solo career peaked with the album Back in the High Life[?]. Traffic did not record again until 1994, when they released Far From Home.
After re-uniting, Capaldi and Winwood toured widely but were unable to regain their former stature.
External Link
http://stevewinwood.com