Jim Capaldi came into Traffic a hell of a lead vocalist. Once in that band however, he moved to the back, sat down, and pretty much clammed up. But ask anyone who’d ever seen the Hellions or Deep Feeling, and they’d give it to you straight – Jim was as much a front man as a drummer – a soul shouter with power, gravel and a little menace in his voice. The alliance with Steve Winwood would change things of course; as Traffic got rolling, Jim’s singing seemed destined for a more supporting role…
But he did get to the front now and again – twice in fact on ‘The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys’, and once before that, on the debut album. But that turned out to be a mere prelude to the next phase. Once he started cranking out his own albums in the 1970’s, Jim Capaldi was, by far, the most prolific ex-Traffic singer/songwriter.
But here we go back to earlier, simpler days. A typically overlooked track from the Mr. Fantasy album, ‘Dealer’ is really cool – very atmospheric, with a Spanish inflected acoustic guitar and melodic double-tracked flutes. Often mistaken for a ‘drug song’ – roulette and playing cards are the currency here. In fact, the song may actually have been inspired by Traffic’s manager, Chris Blackwell – a well-known lover (and master) of the game. From: https://possibilitiesofzero.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/traffic-looking-for-the-dealer-bbc-late-67/
