Earlier this month two of the cornerstones of our humble forum died within a week of each other, they being Dave Mason and Patrick Campbell-Lyons. I thought it appropriate to take time in honouring these fine musicians and their contributions to the music we love.Respect and condolences goes out to their families and loved ones. Thank you for the music gentlemen.

Yes, unfortunately those musical inspirations we have much enjoyed through our lives are unfortunately reaching ages were health begins to fail, and other issues arise due to old age, past habits, lifestyles catching up with weary tired bodies and minds,

Most of them in their late 70s and 80s.

Patrick Campbell Lyons and Dave Mason are 2 artists who arose during a time when Pop music wasn't afraid to take a chance, where newcomers could experiment,and move away from the beat era,RnB era & Mod era,into a world of expansive arrangements, whimsical themes, orchestral concept like albums, eastern infused sitar laden singles and songs and be part of the psychedelic era and beyond, where even today 30th April 2026 their music still sounds otherworldy and original.

PATRICK CAMPBELL LYONS RIP.

Patrick Campbell Lyons of course as part of Nirvana, but had previously had releases as Hat & Tie and The Second Thoughts.
Nirvana debut album "The Story Of Simon Simopath" was an early excursion into concept album territory, awash with lush orchestration, beautiful melodic tunes, psychedelic whimsy and frippery, and excellent widespan production with tasteful baroque touches.
In my opinion it was ahead of the game in the pop world and is quite rightly seen as a psychedelic orchestral delight by many today!

2 follow up albums came with the magnificent "All Of Us"which is more blatantly psychedelic in sound and slightly darker in theme, and the Island Records rejected "Dedicated To Markos"or "Black Flower"as it's sometimes called, which was another pop masterpiece, filled with lush arrangements, baroque pop nuggets and trully expansive melodic songs.

Unfortunately Alex & Patrick decided to go their own ways as the 70s arrived, but Patrick kept the Nirvana name, released 2 albums "Local Anaesthetic"&"Songs Of Love and Praise"under the Nirvana name but in essence weren't Nirvana, and sounded nothing like Nirvana.

He also became an A&R man for Vertigo Records,and also released a solo album"Me And My Friend", which shows Patrick to still have a jauntiness to his writing, but none of his post Nirvana works met with much commercial success, but he continued making music till the very end.

DAVE MASON RIP

He found huge commercial success being part of Traffic, recording essential British Psychedelia through 1967 & 1968.
In particular with the albums "Mr Fantasy"&"Traffic"and 45slike Hole In My Shoe & Paper Sun.

He started with the band The Hellions,who evolved into proto psych outfit Deep Feeling (the cd Pretty Colours shows how ahead they were with a UK psych sound)without Dave Mason.

Mason and Jim Capaldi teamed up with Steve Winwood and Chris Wood to form Traffic in early 1967 and having huge success, with Dave Mason coming and going through 67&68.
Eventually Traffic would disintegrate.

He produced the debut Family album "Music In A Dolls House"which is a British psychedelic classic album.

He went on to appear on records by Jimi Hendrix"Electric Ladyland", Rolling Stones"Beggars Banquet"& George Harrison "All Things Must Pass".
He was also in the original line up of Derek And The Dominos, but left before recordings took place.

Dave Mason travelled to the West Coast of the USA, recorded his debut solo album"Alone Together"released in 1970, with a support group that was a who's who of the most talented successful musicians in Britain and USA like Eric Clapton, Jim Capaldi, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett,Jim Gordon,Rita Coolidge, Leon Russell, Carl Radle and so on.

This is an excellent album,kinda a soulful, pastoral,bucolic, hippie type mix, with folky, country soulful numbers through this musical blender, an absolute hugely successful musically artistic work that I don't think he matched again.

His next project was a collaboration with an unlikely individual, ex Mamas & Papas Cass Elliot, again a successful musical journey but it met with similar minor sales as Alone Together, not hugely commercially successful.

He then surprisingly rejoined Traffic for the album "Welcome To The Canteen"in 1971.

Dave Mason was a hugely respected multi instrumentalist, others loved his playing, hence he received many requests to play on others records.

He continued to release albums with less success throughout the 70s, having quieter years as the 80s and 90s wore on, though he'd have a big hit in 1977 with "We Just Disagree"and in 1980 he did a duet with Michael Jackson with"Save Me".
He then joined Fleetwood Mac for the album"Time"in 1995,but soon left as he often did through his career.

He had a long 60 years musical career,but he has sadly stopped playing music forever!!

BOTH Patrick Campbell Lyons and Dave Mason deserved more than a passing mention,as BOTH were important in that heady time in particular, being members of bands that represented the highly influencial psychedelic musical influence that still resonates today.

This IS my own personal tribute to the passing of Patrick Campbell Lyons and Dave Mason..... RIP X