March 19, 2021 • 10 mins
During the 60s and 70s, psychedelic rock band Traffic pushed rock and roll into new directions by mixing blues and folk with new musical sounds, jazz improvisations, and extended jams. It comes as no surprise that in 2004, Dave Matthews was on hand to induct them. As Traffic accepts, Dave Mason shares the notion that rock and roll is really all about an attitude as Steve Winwood thanks everyone for recognizing the spirit of the band – the true meaning behind the music of Traffic.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to Induction Vault, a production of I Heart Radio
and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Good evening.
If we can have a little quiet place, then we
can begin the proceedings. Otherwise we can be very very late.
During the sixties and seventies, psychedelic rock band Traffic pushed
(00:27):
rock and roll into new directions by mixing blues and
folk with new musical sounds, jazz improvisations, and extended jams.
So it was no surprise that in two thousand four
Dave Matthews was on hand to induct them, as the
Dave Matthews Band was known as one of the best
jam bands in rock. Dave relays how his older brother
turned him onto the music of Traffic when he was
(00:49):
very young, getting the crowd riled up when he starts
into the hook of Dear Mr. Fantasy. Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason,
and Steve Winwood take the stage along with Stephanie Woods,
sister the late Chris Wood, to accept the honor. Capaldi
tells how dangerous ideas can take on a life of
their own, while Mason shares the notion that rock and
(01:09):
roll really is all about an attitude. Steve Winwood thanks
everyone for recognizing the spirit of the band, the true
meaning behind the music of Traffic. So when you're a
little kid, and I was a little kid when I
first heard Traffic, my my brother turned me onto all
(01:33):
the cool music that i've and still does weird bands
from Eastern Europe anyway, and that's what he does now.
But when I was a little kid, he turned me
onto lots of good stuff, dealing and the Beatles. That
was his fault too, I was a little too, and
Traffic was one of them. I thought the first album
of Traffic was Traffic, but in fact, in fact, that
(01:56):
was their second album. Their first album was Mr. Annessy.
That's a good one, isn't it. When I was gonna
what I was gonna talk about is as a little kid,
I I just thought they wrote really great music about
sort of cartoon kind of cartoon characters and this wonderful thing.
(02:17):
And then lost or twenty maybe nineteen or twenty. In
my early twenties, I realized they they were seeing cartoon characters, probably,
But but when I was little, I just thought, Wow,
these guys are really having a lot of fun. Um
talking about cartoon characters. Um uh, I want to say
(02:40):
that that they affected me in a great way when
I was small, especially their first two albums. I loved
singing them and I loved singing along with them, and
I thought I was some sort of I was a
member of their fantasy. UM. But there's a story that
I have which is really the reason that I accepted
(03:01):
the honor of coming here and inducting Traffic into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And that was I.
I think I was probably somewhere between nineteen twenty two
that that's sort of a little blurry for me. Or
maybe it's a little earlier and a little later, but
it's kind of blurry for me. UM. I was at
(03:21):
a film festival in Grahamstown, South Africa, and UH at
the university there, and I and I had been drinking,
and uh I had also and there have been other
things have been involved. There was smoke involved, that was involved,
and there was I think there was other things that
(03:41):
you could swallow that we're involved too. So and neiless
to say I wasn't in great condition. And I'm not
telling people this is a good idea. I'm just saying
this is what had happened to me. I'm being honest
with you. And I was on a couch. I don't
know whose couch it was. That's a sad thing. And
I was in a house and I don't know whose
house it was, and I was, and I began to
(04:02):
be afraid, terribly afraid. I know I was on a couch.
I was with friends, but they could have been anywhere.
I don't know where they were. And I was afraid,
desperately afraid. I think I was going to hell. I
don't mean that my sins were gonna send me to hell,
but I was actually en route to hell at that point.
(04:25):
You know, there was in the distance the devil's eyes,
and you know, and I was, and I thought I was.
I was quite convinced that the end was near. And then,
like a friend in a crowded room of scary strangers,
I heard dear Mr Faits playing me up to something
(04:51):
that'll make us all happy, and I thought, why everything's
gonna be okay? So, because I honestly believe they're one
of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time,
and sometimes, and in fact, very often underappreciated, it is
(05:15):
my enormous honor to induct traffic the late Chris Wood,
Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, and the great Steve when you
went to the rock. After the break, we'll hear from
(05:35):
members of traffic on the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame induction Bolt. Yeah, thank you, thank you very much.
(06:03):
Great speech, though, wasn't it. Well. Um, I just want
to thank everybody. It's a great honor for us. So
America adopted us a long time ago. And uh, what
can I say? These two guys on I never forget
(06:23):
meeting them, It's ingrained in my memory. I was blind,
drunk and I fell headlong into the gutter and though
they were looking up at me, yes, and uh, I
just want to thank everybody in the foundation we're putting
(06:45):
us in. I gotta thank my beautiful Brazilian wife is
here and Nilia tonight, and my two daughters sitting up there,
Tabitha and Telula. You're rock my mom and dad for
making it possible that I exist, although George would have
told me you existed long before that. German and uh,
(07:11):
I just also want to say, you know when um,
you're eighteen years of age, still on the street corner
in Worcester in the Midlands, near where we all come from,
and you say to your mates, I've got a great
name for a band, Traffic, and then it comes to
fruition and having been what I've been through and standing
(07:32):
here today here on the stage, it just goes to
show you how dangerous some ideas can be. This is
Chris Wood's sister. She's here for Chris, Stephanie. Chris was
(08:00):
a magic man in Traffic. He was the one that
came up with John Barleycorn must die for those you
remember that one. We sadly missed Chris, but he's just great.
I'm just overwhelmed with this. It's fantastic Traffic forever. Thank you.
(08:25):
It's a great honor to be adductive, of course into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Um. Who the
thought we'd still be making music at this age. But
of course rock and roll is not an age, it's
an attitude, so um and it's been a great honor
to have made the music with these people. I mean,
(08:46):
they're just fantastic. It Steve incredibly with a musician, Yeah,
and Jim with those wonderful lyrics of his and great
inspiration for a lot of the Traffics. I want to
thank the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame so much.
God bless you all. Yeah, it's been a fantastic honor,
(09:18):
uh to play and be a part of traffic. So
thank you very much, and thank you for recognizing the spirit.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks for joining us
(09:49):
on this week's episode of Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame Induction Vault. For more on your favorite inductees, to
shop inductee merch or to plan your trip to the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, visit rock hall dot com.
Plus view rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Special
on demand on HBO Max. Our executive producers are Noel Brown,
Shelby Morrison, and Esa Gurkey. Supervising producer is Taylor Shakin.
(10:14):
Research and archival assistants from Isabelle Keefer and Shannon Herb.
Thanks again for joining us on this week's episode of
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ball. Induction Ball
is a production of I Heart Radio and the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame. For more podcasts from I
(10:35):
heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Welcome to Induction Vault, a production of I Heart Radio
and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Good evening.
If we can have a little quiet place, then we
can begin the proceedings. Otherwise we can be very very late.
During the sixties and seventies, psychedelic rock band Traffic pushed
(00:27):
rock and roll into new directions by mixing blues and
folk with new musical sounds, jazz improvisations, and extended jams.
So it was no surprise that in two thousand four
Dave Matthews was on hand to induct them, as the
Dave Matthews Band was known as one of the best
jam bands in rock. Dave relays how his older brother
turned him onto the music of Traffic when he was
(00:49):
very young, getting the crowd riled up when he starts
into the hook of Dear Mr. Fantasy. Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason,
and Steve Winwood take the stage along with Stephanie Woods,
sister the late Chris Wood, to accept the honor. Capaldi
tells how dangerous ideas can take on a life of
their own, while Mason shares the notion that rock and
(01:09):
roll really is all about an attitude. Steve Winwood thanks
everyone for recognizing the spirit of the band, the true
meaning behind the music of Traffic. So when you're a
little kid, and I was a little kid when I
first heard Traffic, my my brother turned me onto all
(01:33):
the cool music that i've and still does weird bands
from Eastern Europe anyway, and that's what he does now.
But when I was a little kid, he turned me
onto lots of good stuff, dealing and the Beatles. That
was his fault too, I was a little too, and
Traffic was one of them. I thought the first album
of Traffic was Traffic, but in fact, in fact, that
(01:56):
was their second album. Their first album was Mr. Annessy.
That's a good one, isn't it. When I was gonna
what I was gonna talk about is as a little kid,
I I just thought they wrote really great music about
sort of cartoon kind of cartoon characters and this wonderful thing.
(02:17):
And then lost or twenty maybe nineteen or twenty. In
my early twenties, I realized they they were seeing cartoon characters, probably,
But but when I was little, I just thought, Wow,
these guys are really having a lot of fun. Um
talking about cartoon characters. Um uh, I want to say
(02:40):
that that they affected me in a great way when
I was small, especially their first two albums. I loved
singing them and I loved singing along with them, and
I thought I was some sort of I was a
member of their fantasy. UM. But there's a story that
I have which is really the reason that I accepted
(03:01):
the honor of coming here and inducting Traffic into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And that was I.
I think I was probably somewhere between nineteen twenty two
that that's sort of a little blurry for me. Or
maybe it's a little earlier and a little later, but
it's kind of blurry for me. UM. I was at
(03:21):
a film festival in Grahamstown, South Africa, and UH at
the university there, and I and I had been drinking,
and uh I had also and there have been other
things have been involved. There was smoke involved, that was involved,
and there was I think there was other things that
(03:41):
you could swallow that we're involved too. So and neiless
to say I wasn't in great condition. And I'm not
telling people this is a good idea. I'm just saying
this is what had happened to me. I'm being honest
with you. And I was on a couch. I don't
know whose couch it was. That's a sad thing. And
I was in a house and I don't know whose
house it was, and I was, and I began to
(04:02):
be afraid, terribly afraid. I know I was on a couch.
I was with friends, but they could have been anywhere.
I don't know where they were. And I was afraid,
desperately afraid. I think I was going to hell. I
don't mean that my sins were gonna send me to hell,
but I was actually en route to hell at that point.
(04:25):
You know, there was in the distance the devil's eyes,
and you know, and I was, and I thought I was.
I was quite convinced that the end was near. And then,
like a friend in a crowded room of scary strangers,
I heard dear Mr Faits playing me up to something
(04:51):
that'll make us all happy, and I thought, why everything's
gonna be okay? So, because I honestly believe they're one
of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time,
and sometimes, and in fact, very often underappreciated, it is
(05:15):
my enormous honor to induct traffic the late Chris Wood,
Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, and the great Steve when you
went to the rock. After the break, we'll hear from
(05:35):
members of traffic on the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame induction Bolt. Yeah, thank you, thank you very much.
(06:03):
Great speech, though, wasn't it. Well. Um, I just want
to thank everybody. It's a great honor for us. So
America adopted us a long time ago. And uh, what
can I say? These two guys on I never forget
(06:23):
meeting them, It's ingrained in my memory. I was blind,
drunk and I fell headlong into the gutter and though
they were looking up at me, yes, and uh, I
just want to thank everybody in the foundation we're putting
(06:45):
us in. I gotta thank my beautiful Brazilian wife is
here and Nilia tonight, and my two daughters sitting up there,
Tabitha and Telula. You're rock my mom and dad for
making it possible that I exist, although George would have
told me you existed long before that. German and uh,
(07:11):
I just also want to say, you know when um,
you're eighteen years of age, still on the street corner
in Worcester in the Midlands, near where we all come from,
and you say to your mates, I've got a great
name for a band, Traffic, and then it comes to
fruition and having been what I've been through and standing
(07:32):
here today here on the stage, it just goes to
show you how dangerous some ideas can be. This is
Chris Wood's sister. She's here for Chris, Stephanie. Chris was
(08:00):
a magic man in Traffic. He was the one that
came up with John Barleycorn must die for those you
remember that one. We sadly missed Chris, but he's just great.
I'm just overwhelmed with this. It's fantastic Traffic forever. Thank you.
(08:25):
It's a great honor to be adductive, of course into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Um. Who the
thought we'd still be making music at this age. But
of course rock and roll is not an age, it's
an attitude, so um and it's been a great honor
to have made the music with these people. I mean,
(08:46):
they're just fantastic. It Steve incredibly with a musician, Yeah,
and Jim with those wonderful lyrics of his and great
inspiration for a lot of the Traffics. I want to
thank the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame so much.
God bless you all. Yeah, it's been a fantastic honor,
(09:18):
uh to play and be a part of traffic. So
thank you very much, and thank you for recognizing the spirit.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks for joining us
(09:49):
on this week's episode of Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame Induction Vault. For more on your favorite inductees, to
shop inductee merch or to plan your trip to the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, visit rock hall dot com.
Plus view rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Special
on demand on HBO Max. Our executive producers are Noel Brown,
Shelby Morrison, and Esa Gurkey. Supervising producer is Taylor Shakin.
(10:14):
Research and archival assistants from Isabelle Keefer and Shannon Herb.
Thanks again for joining us on this week's episode of
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ball. Induction Ball
is a production of I Heart Radio and the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame. For more podcasts from I
(10:35):
heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
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