Dave Mason has rerecorded his 1968 Traffic classic “Feelin’ Alright’” for the quarantine age with help from Sammy Hagar, Mick Fleetwood, Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers.
The song wasn’t a huge hit when it appeared on the first Traffic record, but it’s since been covered by everyone from Joe Cocker and Three Dog Night to the Jackson Five, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Paul Weller and Isaac Hayes.
“Who would have thought that this would go on to be covered by so many different artists and bands, you just never know,” Mason says in a statement. “But what I do know today is that people need some hope and comfort and especially music, which is why I called up some friends to rerecord a special version of the song. To do this remotely was somewhat challenging, hence the name ‘The Quarantines,’ but the spirit of strength, hope and heart prevail.”
The group that Mason recruited for this new rendition of “Feelin’ Alright’,” which is fleshed out by Mason’s drummer Alvino Bennett and Pat Simmons, Jr. (the son of Doobie Brothers guitarist Pat Simmons), are calling themselves Dave Mason and the Quarantines. The song premiered today on SiriusXM’s Classic Vinyl Channel.
Mason was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Traffic in 2004. The Doobie Brothers were supposed to enter the Hall earlier this year, but the induction has been pushed back to November and will now be a virtual event on HBO due to the pandemic. Their 50th-anniversary reunion tour with Michael McDonald was slated for this summer, but that has been delayed until next year.
“We all miss performing live,” Mason says in a statement. “It’s important to us to be able to stay connected with our fans (not to mention each other!).”
