Tag Archives: Only You Know and I Know

Song of the Week – Only You Know and I Know, Dave Mason

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Ignored             Obscured              Restored

Rock stars from the ’60s and ’70s classic rock era are dropping like flies these days.  Some of these passings hit me hard; usually, I can see it coming.  But when I learned this week that Dave Mason died on April 19, I was surprised by how deeply it affected me.

I’ve long been a fan of Traffic, and it’s sobering to realize that only Steve Winwood remains from the original quartet.  I followed Mason not only through Traffic, but also in his work as a sideman and across his solo career.  I won’t attempt a full recap of his accomplishments here; the recent obituary in The New York Times does that far better than I could.

New York Times – Dave Mason obituary

To honor Mason in today’s SotW, I’ve chosen “Only You Know and I Know” from his debut solo album Alone Together, memorably released on collectible marble vinyl on the Blue Thumb label.

“Only You Know and I Know” was later popularized by Delaney & Bonnie, who covered it on their 1971 album D&B Together — a record Mason himself played on, alongside an impressive roster that included Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, and Leon Russell, among others.

The track has a driving yet laid-back feel, pairing a catchy pop melody with a loose, rolling groove.  It gallops along on a sturdy bass line and shuffle beat, accented by Mason’s distinctive, fluid guitar lines.

Although Mason is credited with writing a number of rock classics — most notably the oft covered Traffic track “Feelin’ Alright” – “Only You Know and I Know” may well stand as his true masterpiece.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Classical Gas, Mason Williams; Only You Know and I Know, Dave Mason; Rock the Boat, Hues Corporation

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Ignored             Obscured              Restored

Playing on the albums Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek & the Dominoes, and George Harrison’s epic All Things Must Pass would be enough to cement any musician’s reputation as a superstar.

What if that same artist was a key contributor to all of these past SotW:

  • Midnight At The Oasis – Maria Muldaur
  • Through With Buzz – Steely Dan
  • Jump Into The Fire – Harry Nilsson
  • My Maria – B.W. Stephenson
  • Delta Lady – Leon Russell
  • Run Boy  Run – Longbranch Pennywhistle
  • Goin’ Back/Wasn’t Born to Follow – The Byrds
  • That Old Sweet Roll – The City

And these:

  • Different Drum – Stone Poneys
  • River Deep – Mountain High – Ike & Tina Turner
  • Gentle on My Mid/ Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell
  • You’re So Vain – Carly Simon
  • After Midnight – Eric Clapton
  • Looking for the Heart of Saturday Night – Tom Waits

I’m referring, of course, to “Big” Jim Gordon.  He was not just a great technical drummer; he also had the innate ability to play the right part to enhance whatever song he was working on.  It was this skill that made him such a sought-after drummer in so many different genres.

Take a listen to “Classical Gas” by Mason Williams.

Jim starts off playing softly, but as the brass comes in, his drums push the recording forward.  The bigger the production gets, the bigger his drums kick in to keep up.

Then there’s “Only You Know and I Know,” by Dave Mason.

Gordon had recorded the song first with Delaney & Bonnie.  But when it came time to make an updated version with Mason, he completely remade his rhythm track.  And it is one of his most creative.  It allows the guitars to swim in and out of his groove.

And who would think he could provide a pattern that would become a template for the disco beat?  Check out his drumming on the Hues Corporation’s “Rock the Boat.”

The Latin-tinged rhythm with the tom-tom offbeats is the song’s defining feature.

Unfortunately, the Jim Gordon story had a very sad ending.  He suffered severe mental illness for most of his life and could not control the voices he heard in his head that ultimately told him he must kill his mother.  He did just that in 1983 and spent the second half of his life institutionalized.

He died one year ago this week at the age of seventy-seven in a maximum-security psychiatric hospital.  A very sad coda to an illustrious career and contribution to rock and roll.

Enjoy… until next week.