Traffic Heaven Is In Your Mind CD

Additional Tracks

Traffic: Steve Winwood (vocals, guitar, piano, harpsichord, organ, bass, percussion); Dave Mason (vocals, guitar, sitar, tamboura, shakkai, Mellotron, bass); Chris Wood (vocals, flute, saxophone, organ); Jim Capaldi (vocals, drums, percussion).
Reissue producer: Bill Levenson.
Recorded at Olympic Sound Studios, London, England between April and November 1967.
Originally released on Island (9061).
Personnel: Steve Winwood (vocals, guitar, piano, harpsichord, organ, bass guitar, percussion); Chris Wood (vocals, flute, saxophone, organ, percussion); Jim Capaldi (vocals, drums, percussion).
Recording information: Olympic Studios, London, England (04/1967-11/1967).
Photographers: Michael Putland; Mike Sida.
Arranger: Steve Winwood.
In January 1968, United Artists Records released a reconfigured American version of Traffic's debut album Mr. Fantasy under the new title Heaven Is in Your Mind, but after the first pressing reverted to calling it Mr. Fantasy. In 2000, Island reissued two CD versions, one titled Mr. Fantasy containing the British track listing in mono, the other titled Heaven Is in Your Mind with the U.S. track listing in stereo. Both albums contained bonus tracks, making their contents similar (but not quite identical). Actually, the album originally called Heaven Is in Your Mind was the superior version even before this development brought the two editions into stark comparison, since the changes actually improved the record by adding strong singles. But just as important as the substitutions was the sequencing, which banished the British-flavored novelty songs to the middle of Side Two; "Dear Mr. Fantasy," which would turn out to be the best-remembered song on the album, was moved to a climactic position as the penultimate cut on Side Two. The result de-emphasized Traffic's pop-psychedelic style (a hangover from the influence of Sgt. Pepper) and promoted its abilities as a jamming blues-rock outfit, talents that were abetted by Jimmy Miller's production and that helped launch them as an album act in the U.S. The 2000 reissue includes as bonus tracks the two deleted Dave Mason songs and two songs from the Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush soundtrack. Island's decision to reissue both versions could easily confuse consumers; the U.S. stereo version, once again known as Heaven Is in Your Mind, is really the one to own if you're only buying one. ~ William Ruhlmann
Rehearsed and written at a cottage in the Berkshire countryside, Traffic's debut was former child prodigy Steve Winwood's first foray into headier territory after a stint playing R&B-fueled rock & roll with the Spencer Davis Group. Rounded out by drummer Jim Capaldi and multi-instrumentalists Chris Wood and Dave Mason, Traffic's 1967 debut MR. FANTASY was originally released in the U.S. under the title HEAVEN IS IN YOUR MIND. This reissue contains the album as it appeared in the U.S. plus several bonus tracks.
The record includes experimentation with vaudeville-inspired numbers ("Berkshire Poppies"), flamenco-flavored fantasy ("Dealer") and sitar-drenched meditations ("Utterly Simple"). Winwood's inspired organ playing and soulful singing pokes out on cuts like "Coloured Rain." In keeping with the band's unorthodox approach to composition and arrangement, "Giving To You" offers a funky groove sandwiched between tidbits of an overheard conversation about the relative merits of jazz.