I Got a Name
I Got a Name is the fifth and final studio album (and first posthumous release) by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released on December 1, 1973.[5] It features the ballad "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song", which reached number 9 in the US singles chart, and the ballad "Salon and Saloon", the last song Croce recorded in his lifetime. The song was written by his guitarist Maury Muehleisen and was included on the album as a gift to the writer. The song is noted for its sparse piano-only vocal backing. This would be Croce's final album recorded during his lifetime, as Croce died in a plane crash on September 20, 1973, the day before the album's title song was released, leaving wife Ingrid Croce and son Adrian J. Croce. The title track, the theme from the film The Last American Hero, was another posthumous hit for Croce, reaching number 10 in the US singles chart.
| I Got a Name | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 1, 1973[1] | |||
| Recorded | The Hit Factory, New York City | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 30:57 | |||
| Label | ABC (US) Vertigo (UK) | |||
| Producer | Terry Cashman, Tommy West | |||
| Jim Croce chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I Got a Name | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[3] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[4] |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Got a Name" | Charles Fox, Norman Gimbel | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Lover's Cross" | Jim Croce | 3:04 |
| 3. | "Five Short Minutes" | Jim Croce | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Age" | Jim Croce, Ingrid Croce | 3:46 |
| 5. | "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues" | Jim Croce | 2:32 |
| 6. | "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" | Jim Croce | 2:34 |
| 7. | "Salon and Saloon" | Maury Muehleisen | 2:31 |
| 8. | "Thursday" | Sal Joseph | 2:28 |
| 9. | "Top Hat Bar and Grille" | Jim Croce | 2:47 |
| 10. | "Recently" | Jim Croce | 2:34 |
| 11. | "The Hard Way Every Time" | Jim Croce | 2:29 |
Personnel
- Jim Croce – guitar, vocals
- Leroy Brown – vocals
- Gary Chester – drums
- George Devens – percussion
- Steve Gadd – drums
- Ellie Greenwich – vocals
- Michael Kamen – synthesizer
- Joe Macho – bass
- Rick Marotta – drums
- Bobby Matos – percussion
- Terence P. Minogue – strings, vocals
- Maury Muehleisen – guitar, vocals
- Henry Gross – lead and rhythm electric guitar on "Five Short Minutes"
- Marty Nelson – vocals
- Alan Rolnick – guitar, vocals
- Tasha Thomas – vocals
- Tommy West – bass, keyboards, vocals
- Stu Woods – bass
Production
- Producers: Terry Cashman, Tommy West
- Recording Engineer: Bruce Tergesen
Chart positions
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Singles[7]
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | "I Got a Name" | Adult Contemporary | 4 |
| 1973 | "I Got a Name" | Pop Singles | 10 |
| 1974 | "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" | Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1974 | "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" | Pop Singles | 9 |
| 1974 | "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" | Country | 68 |
| 1974 | "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues" | Adult Contemporary | 9 |
| 1974 | "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues" | Pop Singles | 32 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications |
|---|---|
| United States | Gold |
References
- Strong, Martin Charles & John Peel Great Rock Discography
- Allmusic review
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- Rolling Stone review
- VH1 Artist Discography entry at http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/croce_jim/373780/album.jhtml
- "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1974". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. December 28, 1974. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
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