Other Traffic singles

Doug, while I don't have the original UA "Paper Sun" 45, it is listed as (3:22) in Whitburn's Pop Singles Annual.

Speaking of other Traffic singles, here's a late bloomer. A really, REALLY late bloomer:


TRAFFIC - "LOW SPARK OF HIGH HEELED BOYS"
(Island/Collectables 2618; the A-side is "Feelin' Alright.")


This 1992 release marked "Low Spark"'s first-ever U.S. appearance on 45. There's no listed time, which really makes the ultra-quiet, long fadeup a true your-mileage-may-vary exercise in determining its exact length. I came up with (5:37).

At first listen, this 45 may seem like it's simply a (very, very) early fade. But closer scrutiny reveals some differences from the 1971 vinyl LP cut. As one might expect, the bass has been reduced, due to the long playing time. The track is also more compressed than the vinyl LP version.

But what makes this obscure 45 unique is that it is a slightly different mix. The bongo drum on the vinyl LP mix is panned hard left, with the piano on the right. On this 45, the piano remains panned right, but the bongo is much more centered; just slightly left of center.

Doug, nine years later, I have some insight for you on
"Gimme Some Lovin'" by Traffic (technically, the artist is
Traffic, Etc) on UA 50841.

The listed times roughly correct for both parts
(3:45/4:07). I don't have the full LP version, but comparing to
one 8:53 clip on YouTube, it looks like Part 1 has at least two
edits, and Part 2 seems intact.

Part 1 removes about 24 seconds somewhere in the first minute
of the introduction, and it also cuts from the second chorus to
the organ solo, eliminating the sax solo, before fading.

Part 2 fades in where Part 1 ended off. From what I can tell,
it captures the rest of the LP version, ending cold with live
applause.

On a related Traffic note, "Glad (Part 1)" was released
as a stereo/mono promo on UA 50883, listed/actual 2:40.
The stereo side, at least, is an early fade, from about
2:21.

Does anyone know more about that "Low Spark" reissue 45?
I've always been curious about that. There was no edit
in the 70s, was there?

Edited by eric_a

eric_a wrote: I don't have the full LP version, but comparing to one 8:53 clip on YouTube, it looks like Part 1 has at least two edits, and Part 2 seems intact.

I found a used copy of "Welcome To The Canteen" and my hypothesis seems to be
correct. Unfortunately, it's on vinyl so I don't have CD time codes, which
would be especially helpful for a live album, especially since there seems to be
some tape slippage on either the LP or 45 pressing. Despite the imprecision,
hope this helps Doug or anyone else interested.

Part 1 has two cuts and a fade.

- Start when the congas kick in on beat. Let's call this point 0:00 on the LP
version.

- Cut from 0:35 to 0:59 on the downbeats. The cut comes after one two bars of
guitar licks and eliminates 13 bars.

- Cut from 3:37 to 4:04 on the downbeats. This removes the entire sax solo and
picks up with the organ solo.

- Gradual fade from about 3:28 to 3:45.


Part 2 is simply the end of the track, roughly the last 4:07 of the track. If
you get it right, there's a three second fade in, the organ chords come in at
0:03 and vocals resume at 0:17.