The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys by Traffic

The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys is the fifth studio album by English rock band Traffic, released in 1971. It was their first album to feature percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baah and their only album to feature drummer Jim Gordon and bassist Ric Grech. Grech had previously worked with Traffic singer/multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood in the short-lived supergroup Blind Faith while Gordon had played with another former Blind Faith member, Eric Clapton in the similarly short-lived Derek and the Dominoes. As with other Traffic albums, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys featured different forms and offshoots of rock including jazz rock, progressive rock, as well as classic rock and roll. The name of the album's title track was suggested by the actor Michael J. Pollard. The album features the hit "Rock & Roll Stew" and the FM hit, "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys". This is the only original Traffic album to feature two lead vocals by Jim Capaldi ("Light Up or Leave Me Alone" and "Rock & Roll Stew"). His only other unaccompanied vocal on a Traffic studio album was "Dealer" from Mr. Fantasy (1967). The LP's front cover is notable for its top right and bottom left corners being clipped, giving the illusion of a three-dimensional cube. On original pressings of the UK and some European versions, the title of both the album and song are shown as 'The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys' (with a hyphen) on the record labels. The album was certified gold less than a year after its release in the United States, and eventually certified platinum in 1996. It was remastered and reissued with one bonus track on 19 March 2002. It was voted number 625 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000).