Traffic was formed in 1967, after Steve Winvood had quit the Spencer Davies Group, to join forces with Chris Wood, Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason. Their initial rehearsals, were conducted in a secluded Berkshire cottage; the intention was to work on a new synthesis, a uniquely British rock form that embraced folk, jazz, and classical styles. the band unveiled, in the summer of 1967, the Traffic's first release, a single called "Paper Sun", which hit number five in the British chart. By the end of 1967, and with three hit singles already behind them, Traffic released "Mr. Fantasy" album. Almost immediately band hit by murmours of internal strife; Mason at odds with Winwood over the direction of the band. Mason rejoined Traffic for an American tour and the band's second album, simply called "Traffic", in 1968. By the following years however, Traffic had ground to a halt, Winwood joined with Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton and Rick Grech to form "Blind Faith", while the others put together a band called Mason, Capaldi, Wood and Frog. Following the demise of "Blind Faith", at the end of an American tour, Winwood embarked on a solo album, to be called "Mad Shadows", once the sessions had finished, he enlisted the help of Capaldi and Wood (it quickly became evident that Traffic had been born again). The sessions ultimately resulted in the "John Barleycorn must die" album, an amalgam of rock, folk and jazz. It was followed by "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys"in 1971. Subsequently, the band, augmented by Jim Gordon (drums), Rick Grech (bass) and Reebop Kwaku Baah (percussion), published "Shoot out at the Fantasy Factory", released in 1973. Traffic's final album, "When the Eagle flies", was released in 1974. In 1994, Winwood and Capaldi used again the name Traffic, publishing "Far From Home" and going on tour. The album is dedicated to Chris Wood, who died eleven years before. In 2004, the Traffic were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but shortly thereafter, a new reunion of the band is made impossible because the death of Jim Capaldi, in January 2005.