(April 27, 2026) – In a week marked by the passing of Alan Osmond and the tenth anniversary of Prince’s death, the debut of Michael — the long-awaited and controversial biopic about Michael Jackson — has invited inevitable comparisons across generations of pop royalty.
After all, the Osmonds and Prince were both considered rivals to the Jacksons and Michael, respectively, during the 1970s and ‘80s.
But amid those expected parallels came a far less obvious — and far more uncanny — connection: the passing of a musician who once shared the studio with Jackson at a pivotal moment in both men’s careers.
That musician was Dave Mason, who died in his sleep on Sunday, April 19, at the age of 79 — leaving behind a legacy that stretched from the psychedelic rock era to an unlikely footnote in Jackson’s rise to solo superstardom.
Mason was a founding member of the 1960s group Traffic, along with Steve Winwood, and late ex-members Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
Aside from his time in Traffic, Mason is well known for having played with George Harrison (on the All Things Must Pass album), Jimi Hendrix (“All Along the Watchtower”), Eric Clapton, Cass Elliott, and Paul McCartney (Mason played lead guitar on this blogger’s favorite McCartney track, “Listen to What the Man Said”).
My introduction to Mason came by way of his solo single, 1977’s “We Just Disagree.” The guitar-driven pop/rock ballad was among the very first songs I heard played on Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 in the fall of 1977 after I’d just discovered the radio countdown show as a kid.
Few at the time could have predicted a musical intersection between Mason — best known for his laid-back, guitar-driven rock — and the high-energy, rhythmic pop-soul of the Jackson 5.
But their connection began earlier than many realize.
In 1971, the Jackson 5 — still signed to Motown — recorded a cover version of Mason’s composition “Feelin’ Alright?,” the song he’d written and first recorded with Traffic in 1968. The Jackson brothers first performed their cover version live during a 1971 concert tour and included it in their Going Back to Indiana live LP that summer. The brothers also performed it with Diana Ross during her television special that year.
“Feelin’ Alright?,” most famously covered by the late Joe Cocker, marked a couple of rarities for the Jackson 5. First, it featured lead vocals by Jermaine, Jackie, Michael and Marlon. Secondly, it was the only song on Goin’ Back to Indiana that wasn’t penned by a Black songwriter.
It was that foundation that led to their most direct collaboration in 1980, when Mason enlisted Jackson to provide backing vocals on “Save Me,” from his album Old Crest of a New Wave. Both men were signed to CBS (now Sony) Records—Jackson on Epic, Mason on Columbia.
At the time, Jackson was riding the momentum of Off the Wall, making his presence on “Save Me” both surprising and, in hindsight, quietly historic. Michael was no stranger to doing session work in the time between Off the Wall and Thriller, notably providing backup vocals for Stevie Wonder’s “All I Do” (1980), Diana Ross’ “Muscles” (1982), and Donna Summer’s “State of Independence” (also ‘82). As Mason once said in an interview, Michael came into the studio and did far more than anyone anticipated. That he wasn’t listed on the label as a featured artist may have been one of Columbia’s biggest gaffes, in hindsight.
The tune, an organ-driven rocker penned by “We Just Disagree” songwriter Jim Krueger, would be Mason’s last Hot 100 hit. It was Mason at his most soulful, with Michael providing his signature yelps and ad libs. The song’s energy was palpable, sounding both contemporary and a bit ahead of its time. If you listen closely you might even hear a pre-Bad MJ belting his trademark “shamone” as the song fades in its final seconds.
“Save Me” debuted at No. 75 on the chart dated July 12, 1980, as Jackson’s “She’s Out of My Life” was descending from its No. 10 peak.
In a remarkable bit of chart symmetry, Jermaine Jackson’s “Let’s Get Serious” hit its No. 9 peak that same week, while Diana Ross’ “Upside Down” made its debut — marking a rare moment when multiple branches of the Jackson musical family tree (and that “Feelin’ Alright” connection) were active across the charts simultaneously.
The No. 75 start of “Save Me” seemed promising, but the tune petered out at No. 71 two weeks later and was off the list for good the following week, ending Mason’s pop chart career. In an unexpected twist, however, “Save Me” got a second wind and entered the Billboard Soul Singles chart a month later, spending five weeks there and climbing as high as No. 70 in September. The only other song by a rock act on that chart at the time was Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” whose single release Michael had also famously encouraged.
When Mason’s lone soul chart entry exited that chart in October 1980, it was the Jacksons’ new song “Lovely One” that moved in, making the chart’s highest new entry at No. 33.
That song launched Michael’s mini-reunion with his brothers following his solo success with Off the Wall. Meanwhile, Mason, who’d parted ways with Columbia, would go on to release seven more studio albums in his lifetime, none of which made the Billboard 200.
Mason’s career, however, would continue in various forms — through additional albums, collaborations (including with former Traffic mate Jim Capaldi), a memoir, and even a brief stint with Fleetwood Mac — but his place in pop history includes a moment few saw coming: lending his sound to the artist who would soon become the biggest star on the planet.
And so, in a week when Michael is rekindling the legend of Michael Jackson for a new generation, the quiet passing of Dave Mason serves as a reminder that even the most unexpected musical intersections can leave lasting legacies.
Some connections feel coincidental. This one almost writes itself.
R.I.P. Dave Mason (1946-2026)
DJRob
DJRob (he/him) is a freelance music blogger from the East Coast who covers R&B, hip-hop, disco, pop, rock and country genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff! You can follow him on Bluesky at @djrobblog.bsky.social, X (formerly Twitter) at @djrobblog, on Facebook or on Meta’s Threads.
You can also register for free by selecting the menu bars above to receive notifications of future articles.
I used this collaboartion as part of my recent post on Mason’s death. Great song!
Great song indeed! I didn’t see your post. Was it on your page or a group page?