Almost Hits: Dave Mason - Only You Know And I Know (1970)

Dave Mason passed away on April 19, 2026 at age 79, and I have to admit that although I always liked his work, I really hadn't thought about him in quite a long time. That's what happens when an artist stops recording new material for almost two decades (1987-2008) and disappears from the radio. During that time, he only released four live albums.

Mason only experienced modest chart success, placing just two singles in the top 40 and none after 1978. His debut LP, Alone Together, was his most successful, peaking at #22. Is it because he didn't fall into one of the two major rock sub-genres most British classic rockers gravitated to in the early 70s, either blues-rock or prog-rock?

Mason's first single to make the top 100 was "Only You Know and I Know." It peaked at only #42. It was lifted from his debut, a very good, middle-of-the-road record that rocks without being too loud. As a singer, the former Traffic guitarist didn't have the greatest vocal range, but he always made the most of it and owned a pleasing set of pipes.

The album was loaded with an all-star roster. Jim Gordon, Jim Capaldi and Jim Keltner supplied drums while Carl Radle and Larry Knechtel shared bass duties. Leon Russell played piano.

Rita Coolidge added background vocals as did Delaney and Bonnie. The latter two had a bigger hit with a more soulful cover of "Only You Know and I Know" that made it all the way up to #20 on the Hot 100 the following year.

The liner notes don't indicate who appeared on each individual track, so who played on this album's opening song remains a mystery.
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Almost Hits is an occasional exploration into songs that failed to reach the top #20 on the American Billboard Hot 100. Many have become classics despite what their chart position would indicate.

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