Editing Jim Capaldi (section)

===Final Traffic years, first solo years===
[[File:Traffic 1973.jpg|thumb|right|Traffic onstage in 1973. Capaldi is in the middle of the five musicians in this photo, somewhat obscured in the background.]]
With Traffic on hiatus due to Steve Winwood's struggles with [[peritonitis]], Capaldi recorded a solo album ''[[Oh How We Danced]]'' in 1972. This set contained a broad variety of musical styles and featured contributions from [[Free (band)|Free]] guitarist [[Paul Kossoff]], the [[Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section]], and several members of Traffic. It was well received by critics and proved to be a modest success in the US, encouraging Capaldi to pursue a solo career alongside his work with Traffic.

After two more albums with Traffic, the group took a short break, allowing Capaldi to record ''[[Whale Meat Again]]'', which was slightly less successful than his debut both in terms of reviews and sales. The title track was a thoroughly hard rocking and unapologetic environmentalist tirade; aggressive sociopolitical-themed songs became a recurring theme in Capaldi's work. He began work on his third solo album, ''[[Short Cut Draw Blood]]'', alongside recording ''[[When the Eagle Flies]]'' with Traffic. As the band set off on the supporting tour, an early single from ''Short Cut'', "[[It's All Up to You]]", made the UK Top 40.<ref name="UK charts"/> Though Capaldi's first major solo hit, it proved only a prelude to the album's chief success. Traffic disbanded after the tour, leaving Capaldi to focus all his efforts on his solo career. ''Short Cut Draw Blood'' appeared the following year. In October 1975, a single taken from the album, a [[cover version]] of [[The Everly Brothers]]' "[[Love Hurts]]", reached number four in the UK chart<ref name="UK charts">[https://archive.today/20120912114305/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/jim%20capaldi/ Jim Capaldi in the UK charts], The Official Charts. Retrieved 11 August 2011.</ref> and charted worldwide. The album is considered by many to be his masterpiece, tackling issues such as the environment, government corruption, and drugs. He also embarked on a very brief acting career, appearing in the rarely seen 30-minute short film ''[[Short Ends]]'' (1976), which was directed by [[Esther Anderson (Jamaican actress)|Esther Anderson]] and co-starred [[Judy Geeson]] and Hilary Baker.