Oh How We Danced

For the song of the same name, see Waves of the Danube.

Oh How We Danced is the debut studio album by the British musician Jim Capaldi. The album was recorded while Traffic was on hiatus due to Steve Winwood's struggles with peritonitis^[1] and was released by Island Records in 1972. Like his contemporary albums with Traffic, it was unsuccessful in his native United Kingdom but did better in the United States, reaching number 82 in the Billboard 200 chart^[2] and producing the hit single "Eve", which reached number 91 in the Billboard Hot 100.^[3][4][5]

Oh How We Danced
Studio album by Jim Capaldi
Released	February 1972
Recorded	December 1971
Studio	Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Sheffield, AL Island Studios, London
Genre	Rock
Length	37:25
Label	Island
Producer	Jim Capaldi, Chris Blackwell
Jim Capaldi chronology
Oh How We Danced (1972) Whale Meat Again (1974)
Singles from Oh How We Danced
"Eve" Released: February 1972 "Oh How We Danced" Released: June 1972
CD reissue cover

The track "Open Your Heart" is a surplus recording from Traffic's then most recent album, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. All of the remaining tracks, save "How Much Can a Man Really Take?", were recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Classic Rock	[7]

Critical reception for Oh How We Danced was resoundingly positive. Rolling Stone applauded Capaldi's clever yet earnest lyrics and the strong collection of guest musicians, concluding that the album has "not a whiff of mediocrity to be heard."^[8] Allmusic's retrospective review complimented the strong set of songs and "its mellow vibe, generated by the genial familiarity of the players". They also made note of "Capaldi's sweet, unassuming voice", an echo of Rolling Stone's reference to his "sweet smooth easy voice."^[6] In a review for the 2012 reissue of the album, Terry Stauntman of the British magazine Classic Rock described the album as very close to Traffic latest works, with the difference that "the more soulful side of the band is given a sharper focus".^[7]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Jim Capaldi, except where indicated.

Side one

1. "Eve" – 3:39
2. "Big Thirst" (Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason) – 5:27
3. "Love Is All You Can Try" – 3:23
4. "Last Day of Dawn" – 4:24

Side two

1. "Don't Be a Hero" – 5:58
2. "Open Your Heart" – 4:04
3. "How Much Can a Man Really Take?" – 5:21
4. "Anniversary Song" (Saul Chaplin, Al Jolson) – 4:28 [Mislabeled on some releases as "Oh How We Danced"]

One further track, "Going Down Slow All the Way", was recorded at an unidentified studio in England and released as the b-side to the single "Eve". The track features only piano, tambourine, bass drum, and a single vocal, all presumably played by Jim Capaldi, who produced the track by himself. It was included as bonus of the 2012 CD release of the album.^[6]

Personnel

• Jim Capaldi – lead vocals, piano (track 6), acoustic guitar (track 4)

Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section

(except tracks 6-7)

• David Hood – bass
• Roger Hawkins – drums
• Barry Beckett – piano, organ (tracks 1, 5)
• Jimmy Johnson – electric guitar

Additional musicians

• Paul Kossoff – electric guitar (tracks 2, 4-5, 7-8)
• Dave Mason – harmonica (track 2) electric guitar solo (track 5)
• Steve Winwood – organ (track 1, 6), backing vocal (track 6), guitar (track 3)
• Chris Wood – flute (track 7), electric saxophone (track 6)
• Ric Grech – bass (track 6)
• Jim Gordon – drums (track 6)
• Rebop Kwaku Baah – percussion (tracks 4, 6), congas (track 7)
• Trevor Burton – bass (track 7)
• Mike Kellie – drums (track 7)
• Bob Griffin – piano (track 7)
• Sunny Leslie – backing vocal (track 2)

Technical

• Chris Blackwell, Jim Capaldi – producers
• Brian Humphries, Jerry Masters – engineer
• Neal Preston – cover photography

References

1. Capaldi, Jim (1983). "The Ends of Traffic, Soloing & Brazil". Fierce Heart press kit.
2. "Billboard 200 - Jim Capaldi". Billboard. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
3. "Eve" chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
4. Billboard, 12 Feb 2005, p. 8: "Jim Capaldi, solo artist, songwriter and drummer with British rock ... of the much-covered "Love Hurts" in 1975 and enjoyed widespread airplay with the singles "Eve" and "It's All Up to You."
5. Nite, Norm N. (1980). Rock On: The Modern Years: 1964–Present. Vol. 2. p. 64: "Jim Capaldi Born: Aug 24, 1944 Hometown: Evesham, Worcestershire. ... He achieved an American hit in 1972 with "Eve," followed in 1975 by two chart entries, "lt's Alright" and "Love Hurts".
6. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Jim Capaldi - Oh How We Danced review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
7. Stauntam, Terry (July 2012). "Jim Capaldi - Reissues". Classic Rock. No. 172. p. 105.
8. Carr, Patrick (27 April 1972). "Album Reviews: Jim Capaldi - Oh How We Danced". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2019.

External links

• Jim Capaldi's official website