I'm going to agree with Watchman. I think it's one of those old fashioned metronomes with a swinging arm that gives off a click for each beat. It's probably more prominent on the remastered CDs.
I heard the same sound today on another song from the UA Collection. It think it was on Peaceful Waters, but I'm not positive. I was driving along in the car and thought I had a tire out of balance and the keys were clicking together. Then I turned down the stereo and didn't hear it.
There are many experienced musicians who use metronomes. Sometimes, it's hard to keep the tempo at a steady pace, especially when there are three or four other musicians playing along. It could be that Lightfoot had a problem keeping the tempo up when he recorded SFAWN, and he resorted to using a metronome. It's not an uncommon practice.
Cathy
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