No More Jams From Traffic - Jim Capaldi Passes Away

Jim Capaldi


Jim Capaldi Dies of Stomach Cancer at Age 60

From Sound Generator

Traffic, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll hall of Fame in March 2004, made a name for themselves in the 1960s and into the 1970s as one of the UK's foremost bands. Made up of Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason and Chris Wood, Traffic were formed in 1967 and continued until 1974.Drummer, singer and songwriter Capaldi, who went on to have a successful solo career had been fighting stomach cancer for a short while. Late last year the band had planned to rehearse for a tour set to start in San Francisco in October. The planned tour was canceled when Capaldi was diagnosed with the illness.Traffic shot to fame with their seminal brand of British rock. Progressive, bluesy un-uniformed, psychadelic and at times folk laden, their sound brought them many fans on both side of the Atlantic. Their debut album in 1967 'Mr Fantasy' saw the coming together of four great musicians and gave a hint of what was to come. The next year saw the band release their self titled 'Traffic'. In 1969 came "Last Exit' and 'Best of traffic'. 1970's 'John Barleycorn Must Die' developed from a solo Steve Winwood project and saw the band embrace folk in their own special way. 'John Barleycorn' was originally an old folk song that Wood brought to he band as early as 1968.'Welcome To The Canteen' and 'The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys.' both came in 1971. 'Canteen' was a live album recorded in London with the latter's title track probably the bands most famous track. It also saw Jim Capaldi sing two tracks 'Rock & Roll Stew' and 'Light Up Or Leave Me Alone'. This signaled Capaldi's new role. Dave Mason had gone for good and the three piece expanded their line up with the inclusion of Rick Grech on bass, Rebop Kwaku Baah on percussion and James Gordon also on drums.1973's 'Shootout At The fantasy Factory' was recorded in Jamaica and rang the bell of change or at least transition. Perhaps an end to the previous incarnation and sound of Traffic. This album was darker and featured one of the bands longest and without doubt the standout track of the album 'Roll Right Stones' at 13 minutes and 40 seconds.As the band seemed to produce darker music the final year 1974 saw the release of 'Traffic On The Road.' A live album recorded in Germany and 'When The Eagle Flies.' This was a true concept album and reflected the tone of the early to mid seventies. An indication that perhaps the dreams of the sixties never really materialised or had at least been trampled on by the coming of the seventies. One track featured the Dali-esque lyrics of the late great Vivian Stanshall. The album still showed the band's cohesion and abilities but was perhaps a fitting end to an extraordinary band.Capaldi was the first to go solo. On his first two albums he didn't touch the drums. He was singer/songwriter. A role he prized into traffic albeit unnoticed at times. His first album was 'Oh How We Danced' released in 1972 when still part of Traffic followed by 'Whale Meat Again' in 1974.His third album produced by Capaldi and Chris Blackwell was 'Short Cut, Draw Blood' in 1975 followed by 'Daughter Of The Night' as well as 'The Contender' in 1978. A year later 'Electric Nights' was released with 'Let The Thunder Cry' in 1981, 'Fierce Heart' in 1983 and 'One Man Mission' in 1984. A four-year gap heralded Capaldi's return with 'Some Come Running' in 1998 and saw his band 'The contenders' tour during this period.Capaldi was working on his twelfth solo album when he was approached by former band mate Steve Winwood who asked him to be part of his forthcoming solo album. This led to the subsequent reformation of Traffic in 1993 and the release in 1994 of the album 'Far From Home'. The band went on the road for an extensive five month US tour where they headlined seventy-five shows to over 500,000 people and appeared at Woodstock and played ten shows together with fellow rock legends 'The Grateful Dead'Capaldi's 2001 studio album 'The Outside' featured a host of great musicians including George Harrison, Ian Paice, Paul Weller, Steve Winwood, Gary Moore, Jon Lord.Jim Capaldi will be remembered as founder and the solid basis of Traffic but also as a vocalist, an award winning songwriter and solo artist with hits on both sides of the Atlantic.

From Jim Capaldi's site

After Glow

I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when day is done.
I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,
of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.

I’d like the tears of those who grieve to dry before the sun,
of happy memories that I leave behind when day is done.

You may leave your tribute to Jim there as well.

More Jim Capaldi info:
Telegraph UK