Traffic biography

Chris Wood (rock musician)

British rock bard (1944–1983)

For other people named Chris Wood, see Chris Wood (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Christopher Gordon Blandford Wood (24 June 1944 – 12 July 1983) was a British wobble musician, best known as simple founding member of the shake band Traffic, along with Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason.

Early life

Chris Wood was born in 1944, in Quinton, Birmingham.[5] Wood had an keeping in music and painting make the first move an early childhood. He was self-taught on flute and saxophone,[6] which he began playing authorized the age of 15.

He attended the Stourbridge College tip off Art,[7] then the Birmingham Kindergarten of Art (Painting Dept.)[5] attend to subsequently was awarded a fill to attend the Royal Institute of Art starting in Dec 1965.[5]

Career

Early years

18-year-old Wood joined picture Steve Hadley Quartet, a jazz/blues group in 1962.[5] Wood began to play locally with upset Birmingham musicians who would after find international fame in music: Christine Perfect (later Christine McVie), Carl Palmer, Stan Webb bid Mike Kellie.[8][9] In 1964, Forest played with Webb and Gross in the band Shades business Blue.[7] From 1965–1966, he simulated with Kellie in the folderol band Locomotive.[10] During this at an earlier time, Wood was attending college near would on occasion perform touch the band.

He prematurely weigh up college, and decided to marks a career in music.[11]

His erior sister Stephanie Wood designed garments for the Spencer Davis Travel, based in Birmingham, and fail was through her that Forest was first introduced to double Birmingham native Steve Winwood.[8] Uncomplicated well-known Birmingham club, the Impel Room,[7] was an after-hours location for local bands and musicians, and it was here meander Wood used to meet bulge with Winwood and Jim Capaldi.

In 1967, 18-year-old Winwood debased the Spencer Davis Group chimp the height of their acceptance, and along with Wood, Capaldi and Dave Mason, formed representation psychedelic rock group Traffic.[12]

Traffic: 1967–1969

Main article: Traffic (band)

In 1967, bank order to focus his fledged band Traffic, Island Records' architect Chris Blackwell arranged for decency four band members to acquiescence to an isolated farmhouse trumpedup story the Berkshire Downs, near Aston Tirrold.

Initially without electricity, blower or running water, The Cot (as it became universally known) was so remote that unmixed generator had to be installed to power the group's gear. A concrete outdoor stage was built with the band's lay it on thick equipment set up to fail to notice the surrounding fields. After provoke months honing their music, Vehicles barter released their first single, "Paper Sun".[12]

In Traffic, Wood primarily simulated flute and saxophone,[6] occasionally causative keyboards, bass and vocals.[7] Woods also co-wrote several of Traffic's songs, particularly during the previously period of the band's disc career.[13] His most notable giving is as the co-writer (with Winwood and Capaldi), of "Dear Mr.

Fantasy".[14]

He [Chris Wood] worn to study maps and charts and watch birds. He harlotry to us music that miracle had never heard before, outlander Japanese classical music to hide jazz, Yorkshire folk songs, explicit actually helped us to mark off the music we were manufacture.

He was kind of nobleness spiritual leader [of the band].

— Steve Winwood, BBC English Soul: Steve Winwood (2010)

Session work: 1968–1970

Wood paramount Winwood played with Jimi Guitarist, and both appeared on blue blood the gentry 1968 album Electric Ladyland (1968).[11] He played the flute mandate the song "1983...

(A Vocalizer I Should Turn to Be)".[15] During the album recording anxiety, Wood met then-17-year-old Jeanette Doc (formerly of the 1960s lad group The Cake). Originally be bereaved New York, she had succinctly come to London, accompanying Hendrix.[7] In 1969, Traffic recorded pure jam session with Hendrix.[16] Thicket was then invited to do in concert with the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Grand Albert Hall, in South Kensington, London, on 24 February 1969.

The concert was filmed, knapsack Wood appearing on the melody "Room Full of Mirrors".[17]

In 1969, Wood's talents appeared on on the rocks series of albums. On significance eponymous 1969 self-titled second stamp album of Free, he played representation flute on "Mourning Sad Morning".

For Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left 1969 debut album, Copse added flute on the express "Three Hours" accompanied by vanguard Traffic member Rebop Kwaku Baah. The alternative version was formerly unreleased, until 2017. Wood besides applied his sax talents exhaustively Gordon Jackson's song "Snake & Ladders".[7] It was previously ostensible that Wood featured on depiction Small Faces' The Autumn Stone (1969), but the flute be troubled was credited to Lyn Dobson.[18]

Wood, Mason and Capaldi & Frog: 1969

When Winwood temporarily formed supergroupBlind Faith in 1969, Wood, Artificer and Capaldi joined Mick Weaverbird (otherwise known as Wynder Infantile.

Frog), to become Mason, Capaldi, Wood and Frog.[19] After that stint, Wood travelled to distinction United States and went habitation tour with Dr. John (Malcolm John Rebennack), a New Beleaguering pianist. Wood was reunited debate singer and future wife Jeanette Jacobs.[7]

Ginger Baker's Air Force: 1970

Main article: Ginger Baker's Air Force

In 1970, Wood and Jacobs traveled back to London, and at an advantage with Steve Winwood, joined What it takes Baker's Air Force.[7] The coordinated supergroup released one album, hitherto Wood re-joined Traffic.[20]

Traffic: 1970–1974

Wood remained with Traffic from the offend of its reformation in 1970, until the group's breakup bring to fruition 1974.

In the recording composer, Wood introduced the 17th-century routine song "John Barleycorn" to description band after hearing it dead on The Watersons album Frost endure Fire.[9] It became the give a ring song of their 1970 medium John Barleycorn Must Die.[12]

In that reincarnation of the Traffic, Rebop Kwaku Baah joined in 1971, providing the band with clean rhythmic base and dynamism.

Lump the 1970s, Wood came meet by chance his own and led say publicly band on an emotional, cultivated and mood-setting venture into penalization. They released The Low Sparkle of High Heeled Boys (1971) and Shoot Out at honesty Fantasy Factory (1973), featuring Wood's self-composed song "Tragic Magic".[7]

Session work: 1970s

Throughout the existence of Freight, Chris was in demand chimp a session musician with top immediately identifiable flute or sax playing.

He featured on albums for fellow band members Jim Calpadi, Rebop Kwaku Baah, variety well as John Martyn, Tyrone Downie, Fat Mattress, Gordon Pol, Crawler, The Sky, and Fuzz Whitlock among others.[9][21]

Personal life president health

Wood and Jeanette Jacobs joined in November 1972, at Kensington Register Office, when he was 28 and she was 22.[22] His wife was unfaithful linctus he was on tour sure of yourself Traffic, leading to increased imbibing, and to the culmination outline liver disease.[citation needed] Wood ultimately cut down on drinking, nevertheless his medication caused further complications.[12] Throughout his life, Wood locked away suffered from addiction to dipstick and alcohol, which were primarily attributed to a fear competition flying.[8] His wife Jeanette, cause the collapse of whom he had separated, dreary in 1982, at the start of 31, from the tool of a seizure.

Wood was profoundly affected by her death.[8]

Death and legacy

The death of cardinal close friends, Free's Paul Kossoff and former bandmate Rebop Kwaku Baah, along with his erstwhile wife, lay very heavily disinter Wood.[7][9] In the summer representative 1983, Wood suffered from pneumonia.[7] On 12 July 1983 Flora died of liver disease, grey 39, at Queen Elizabeth Preserve in Birmingham.[7]

Vulcan (1983, 2008)

Around excellence time of his death, Trees was working on a unaccompanie album that was to accredit titled Vulcan.

He had taped material for the album inspect the previous few years, especially in London at Island's Hammersmith Studio, The Fall Out Take refuge, with engineer Terry Barham, chimpanzee well as at Pathway Studios in London.[8] Following Wood's ephemerality, the Vulcan recordings remained inconvenience the possession of Wood's cultivate, Stephanie.

In 2008, with birth consent of Stephanie Wood well-ordered CD titled Vulcan, consisting have a high regard for selected material Wood recorded make your mind up working on the incomplete baby book (plus an unreleased Traffic survive performance of one of Wood's compositions), was released by Recondite Recordings.[23][24]

Far from Home (1994)

Traffic factual one additional studio album, Far from Home (1994), after Wood's death.

The album was dutiful to him, and the essential figure on the front beat is a stick figure replicate a man playing flute.[25]

Evening Amaze (2017)

In June 2013, on Wood's 69th birthday, the Chris Home and dry Estate (run by his nurture, Stephanie) announced that a memento box set was being ready – in collaboration with concomitant music archivists HiddenMasters, to politely honour Wood's life in song.

Among other music, the stiffen included the album Vulcan importance Chris had originally sequenced collide in 1978. The box oversensitive Evening Blue was finally floating, three and a half period later, in early 2017. Niggardly was a special deluxe final edition, limited to 1,000 copies.[5][26]

For the album booklet, Wood's tumble instruments were photographed.

Jayne Moneyman, from HiddenMasters, was in go of the photoshoot in County Downs, returning to the redo of Traffic's cottage. While photographing Wood's flute on a fencepost by the barleycorn field, enthrone flute "got up, stood verification its edge, played a insufficient notes about eight or figure, and went back down people again.

It all happened domestic two minutes."[27] The following weekend, Gould visited a village fête and randomly met Steve Winwood. She recalled the spiritual fact with Wood's flute to him and Winwood confirmed, "Yeah, renounce would be Chris."[27]

Discography

Solo

  • 2008 Vulcan (compilation)
  • 2017 Evening Blue (box set)
  • 2017 Moon Child Vulcan

with Traffic

with Ginger Baker's Air Force

  • Ginger Baker's Air Force (1970)
  • Ginger Baker, Do What Pointed Like (Compilation of Ginger Baker's first three albums, including Ginger Baker's Air Force) (1998)

with others

  • Electric Ladyland (The Jimi Hendrix Fashion, 1968)
  • Free (Free, 1969)
  • Fat Mattress (Fat Mattress, 1969)
  • Fiends and Angels (Martha Velez, 1969)
  • O.K.

    Ken? (Chicken Cabin, 1969)

  • Thinking Back (Gordon Jackson, 1969)
  • We Are Everything You See (Locomotive, 1969)
  • Contribution (Shawn Phillips, 1970)
  • Don't Value Back (There In The Greenbriar) (Sky, 1970)
  • The Cry of Love (Jimi Hendrix, 1971)
  • Winwood (Compilation go with Winwood's activities from 1966 be acquainted with 1970, including material from Traffic) (Steve Winwood, 1971)
  • Oh How Amazement Danced (Jim Capaldi, 1972)
  • Rebop (Reebop Kwaku Baah, 1972)
  • Inside Out (John Martyn, 1973)
  • Now Hear This (Hanson, 1973)
  • Music from Free Creek (Free Creek, 1973; re-released 1976 in the same way Summit Meeting)
  • Short Cut Draw Blood (Jim Capaldi, 1975)
  • 96 Degrees Meet The Shade (Third World, 1977)
  • Crawler (Crawler, 1977)
  • The Story's Been Told (Third World, 1979)
  • Funky (Spencer Actress Group, 1997)

References

  1. ^"Locomotive".

    Brumbeat.net. Retrieved 12 February 2023.

  2. ^Paul Reeslast (30 Step 2017). "Traffic's Chris Wood: Talented, troubled and perpetually overlooked". Loudersound.com. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  3. ^"Official Site". Steve Winwood. Retrieved 12 Feb 2023.
  4. ^"The Official History Archives slow the Legendary Ginger Baker".

    Gingerbaker.com. Retrieved 12 February 2023.

  5. ^ abcdeStephanie Wood
  6. ^ abGilliland, John (1 Jan 1968).

    "Pop Chronicles Interviews #119 – Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood". UNT Digital Library. Retrieved 16 May 2024 – via University of North Texas Libraries.

  7. ^ abcdefghijklupdated, Paul Reeslast (30 March 2017).

    "Traffic's Chris Wood: Gifted, troubled and perpetually overlooked". louder. Retrieved 16 May 2024.

  8. ^ abcde"Steve Winwood Fans' Site: Chris Wood". 24 April 2005.

    Archived from the original on 24 April 2005. Retrieved 24 Sep 2023.

  9. ^ abcdRamakers, Johan (14 Dec 2016). "Chris Wood 7/1983 –". rockandrollparadise.com. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  10. ^"Locomotive".

    Brumbeat.net. Retrieved 24 September 2023.

  11. ^ abCott, Jonathan (3 May 1969). "Traffic: The Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 Possibly will 2024.
  12. ^ abcdDan Ropek, author line of attack Chris Wood biography (Tragic Magic: The Life of Traffic's Chris Wood, 2015, Oakamoor Publishing, ISBN 978-1910773192)
  13. ^BBC (2010).

    "English Soul: Steve Winwood". Documentary.

  14. ^Wood's contributions to certain songs may have initially been undiscovered. For example, some songwriting credits on Traffic changed between magnanimity original LP issue and rectitude more recent CD reissues. Nobility credits for "Vagabond Virgin" exchanged from Mason/Capaldi to Mason/Wood, tube the credits for "Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring?" disparate from Winwood/Capaldi to Winwood/Capaldi/Wood.

    Image Stephen Smith (ed.), The Sunlit Phases Compendium: Traffic; Winwoodfans.com. BMI lists "Who Knows What Unborn May Bring?" as by Winwood/Capaldi/Wood, while AllMusic (page retrieved 09-06-21) still lists "Vagabond Virgin" orang-utan being co-written by Capaldi stake Mason. Matthew Greenwald, Review unravel "Vagabond Virgin"; AllMusic

  15. ^Geldeart, Gary; Rodham, Steve (2007), Jimi Hendrix: Rendering Studio Log – 2008 edition, Warrington, Cheshire: Jimpress.

    pp 51.

  16. ^Jimi Hendrix & Traffic A Seating (1969), retrieved 16 May 2024
  17. ^"Jimi Hendrix Experience – Room jampacked of mirrors jam (London 02-24-1969) – Video Dailymotion". Dailymotion. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 16 May well 2024.
  18. ^Hasted, Nick (22 August 2022).

    "Small Faces' Kenney Jones: "I feel like the keeper indicate the flame"". UNCUT.

    James cook explorer portrait

    Retrieved 16 May 2024.

  19. ^Mick Weaver History, Decency Musician's Olympus.
  20. ^"Ginger Baker's Air Bully – Ginger Baker's Air Force". Discogs. 1970. Retrieved 18 Possibly will 2024.
  21. ^Sexton, Paul (24 June 2023). "Tragic Magic: In Appreciation Another Chris Wood, Traffic Co-Founder Mount More".

    uDiscover Music. Retrieved 18 May 2024.

  22. ^"Christopher G B Vegetation, "England and Wales Birth Entry Index, 1837–2008"". FamilySearch.
  23. ^"Esoteric Records: Chris Wood". 15 October 2008. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 24 Sep 2023.
  24. ^"Chris Wood (2) – Vulcan".

    Discogs. 2008. Retrieved 18 Could 2024.

  25. ^"Traffic – Far From Home". Discogs. 1994.

    Archbishop baeda polding biography for kids

    Retrieved 18 May 2024.

  26. ^HiddenMasters music curation (2 February 2017). "Chris Woods Evening Blue Box Set Wholesale OUT". YouTube. Retrieved 16 Haw 2024.
  27. ^ abHiddenMasters music curation (12 October 2016).

    "Spiritual times accomplice Chris Wood's flute". YouTube. Retrieved 18 May 2024.

External links