Jim Capaldi began branching out after
Traffic collapsed and found himself in demand as a songwriter in Europe for movie soundtracks.
The Contender began as just such a project, only
Capaldi took the title cut and added others to release his fourth solo effort. Other highlights include "You Burn Me" and "Daughter of the Night." While
The Contender had a meatier, punchier sound to it, it did show
Capaldi wasn't afraid to stretch here and there as well as grow musically. However, there were no American hits to help fans discover this disc at the time. ~ James Chrispell