Dear Mr. Fantasy

"Dear Mr. Fantasy" is a rock song by Traffic from their 1967 album, Mr. Fantasy. An extended live version (10:57) of the song also appears on the 1971 Traffic album Welcome to the Canteen. The lyrics were written by Jim Capaldi, while the music was written by Steve Winwood and Chris Wood.^[1]

Steve Winwood played the song at Eric Clapton's 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival and the song appears on the festival DVD. The song was included on the setlist of Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton's joint tour in 2009. A live recording appears on the album Live from Madison Square Garden. Former Traffic member Dave Mason performed the song live and provided the lead vocal, guitar and harmonica.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Big Sugar and by Crosby, Stills, & Nash. Crosby, Stills, and Nash added two new stanzas to their version's lyrics:

Each time you choose to sing the rock & roll blues,

you take everybody's loneliness with you.

What do you lose each time you face down a room?

All of us see our changes through you.

So sing of the ocean of tears you have sailed,

Strangers and lovers that took you.

All of us sang, and all of us failed.

In one way we don't ever hear you.

The song was performed on throughout the 1980s by the Grateful Dead with keyboardist Brent Mydland on vocals. Phil Lesh and Friends, Gov't Mule and Widespread Panic occasionally cover the song. It also appeared on The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper. American hard rock band Tesla recorded it for the album Real to Reel (2007) and the Chicano rock band Los Lobos has played the song live, segueing into it from one of their own compositions.

Personnel

• Steve Winwood – guitar, lead vocal
• Dave Mason – bass guitar, harmonica, backing vocal
• Chris Wood – organ, backing vocal
• Jim Capaldi – drums, backing vocal
• Jimmy Miller – maracas

References