# In 1969, Traffic looked like the next big thing. Then a haunted studio caused them to split: “There was something evil”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1969-traffic-looked-like-the-next-big-thing-then-a-haunted-studio-caused-them-to-split-there-was-something-evil/
- Published: 2026-11-04T17:17:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T06:49:48+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/did-a-haunted-studio-cause-traffic-to-split-in-1969/
- Topics: Entertainment, Horror, Paranormal, Weird & Viral

## Key points

- Traffic paused in 1969 after recording at an isolated Berkshire farm.
- Jim Capaldi blamed the cottage’s sinister atmosphere.
- Winwood was unsure whether unusual experiences were linked to drugs.

## Summary

Traffic were regarded as a talented, experimental British band whose early albums hinted at greater success to come. A brief split in 1969 interrupted that rise, and drummer Jim Capaldi later blamed the unsettling atmosphere of the isolated farm where they recorded their debut, *Mr. Fantasy*.

The band recorded at Sheepcote Farm, a 19th-century property in Aston Tirrold, Berkshire, without electricity or running water. Capaldi recalled unexplained footsteps and said the cottage had “something evil” about it; Steve Winwood spoke of a mystery in the landscape, while Dave Mason dismissed the ghost stories. Winwood also wondered whether drugs shaped some of the experiences, and the article notes the band went on to release acclaimed albums in the early 1970s.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.