Life and Times (Jim Croce album)

Life and Times is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released in January 1973.^[5][6] The album contains the No. 1 Billboard chart hit "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown".^[7] Croce was nominated for two 1973 Grammy awards in the "Pop Male Vocalist" and "Record of the Year" categories for the song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown".^[8] It would be the last album to be released during Croce's lifetime.

Life and Times
Studio album by Jim Croce
Released	January, 1973[1]
Recorded	1972
Studio	Hit Factory, New York City
Genre	Folk rock
Length	28:48
Label	ABC (USA)[2] Vertigo (UK)
Producer	Terry Cashman, Tommy West
Jim Croce chronology
You Don't Mess Around with Jim (1972) Life and Times (1973) I Got a Name (1973)
Singles from Life and Times
"One Less Set of Footsteps" Released: February 1973 "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" Released: April 1973 "It Doesn't Have to Be That Way" Released: December 1973

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[2]
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide	[4]

Production

The album was produced by Tommy West and Terry Cashman.^[4]

Critical reception

The New Rolling Stone Record Guide wrote: "Croce's nostalgic side began to take over and he started to produce strikingly impersonal experiments in the craft of sentiment. It fits him well."^[4]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"One Less Set of Footsteps"	2:46
2.	"Roller Derby Queen"	3:28
3.	"Dreamin' Again"	2:38
4.	"Careful Man"	2:22
5.	"Alabama Rain"	2:14
6.	"A Good Time Man Like Me Ain't Got No Business (Singin' the Blues)"	2:05
7.	"Next Time, This Time"	2:55
8.	"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"	3:02
9.	"These Dreams"	3:12
10.	"Speedball Tucker"	2:26
11.	"It Doesn't Have to Be That Way"	2:31

All tracks are written by Jim Croce

Personnel

According to liner notes of the album

• Jim Croce – lead vocals (all tracks); acoustic rhythm guitar (all tracks); backing vocals ("Alabama Rain")

Additional Personnel:

• Maury Muehleisen – acoustic lead guitar (all tracks except "One Less Set of Footsteps" and "Dreamin' Again"); electric lead guitar ("One Less Set of Footsteps" and "Dreamin' Again"); harmonica ("Alabama Rain"); backing vocals ("Careful Man" and "Alabama Rain")
• David Spinozza – electric lead guitar ("Roller Derby Queen" and "Alabama Rain")
• Alan Rolnick – electric rhythm guitar ("One Less Set of Footsteps")
• Tommy West – piano (all tracks except “Dreamin’ Again”, “These Dreams”, “Speedball Tucker” and “It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way”); electric piano ("Dreamin' Again"); percussion ("Alabama Rain"); backing vocals (“One Less Set of Footsteps”, “Roller Derby Queen”, “Dreamin’ Again”, “A Good Time Man Like Me Ain’t Got no Business (Singing the Blues)” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”)
• Kenny Ascher – organ ("A Good Time Man Like Me Ain't Got no Business (Singing the Blues)")
• Joe Macho – bass guitar (all tracks)
• Gary Chester – drums (all tracks except "Dreamin' Again", "Alabama Rain" and "These Dreams")
• Eric Weissberg – fiddle ("Careful Man")
• Michael Kamen – oboe ("Next Time, This Time")
• Terry Cashman – backing vocals (“One Less Set of Footsteps”, “Dreamin’ Again” and “Careful Man”)
• Ellie Greenwich – backing vocals (“Roller Derby Queen”, “A Good Time Man Like Me Ain’t Got no Business (Singing the Blues)” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”)
• Tasha Thomas – backing vocals (“Roller Derby Queen”, “A Good Time Man Like Me Ain’t Got no Business (Singing the Blues)” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”)
• Willie "Slim" McCoy – backing vocals (“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”)
• Pete Dino – string arrangements ("These Dreams")

Production

• Producers: Terry Cashman, Tommy West
• Engineer: Bruce Tergesen

Chart positions

Weekly charts Year Chart Position 1973 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[9] 1 1973 US Billboard 200[10] 7 Singles Year Single Chart Position 1973 "One Less Set of Footsteps" Billboard Hot 100 37 1973 "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" Billboard Hot 100 1 1973 "It Doesn't Have to Be That Way" Billboard Hot 100 64

Year-end charts Chart (1973) Position US Billboard 200[11] 34 Chart (1974) Position US Billboard 200[12] 24

Certifications

Country	Certifications
United States	Gold

References

1. Strong, Martin Charles & John Peel Great Rock Discography
2. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 626.
3. AllMusic review
4. The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Random House. 1983. p. 123.
5. "Jim Croce | Biography & History". AllMusic.
6. Edmondson, Jacqueline (October 3, 2013). Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories that Shaped our Culture [4 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories That Shaped Our Culture. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313393488 – via Google Books.
7. "Jim Croce, Five Others Die in Plane Crash". Rolling Stone. October 25, 1973.
8. "Awards". Los Angeles Times.
9. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4931". RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
10. "Jim Croce". Billboard.
11. "Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1973". BestSellingAlbums.org. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
12. "Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1974". BestSellingAlbums.org. Retrieved December 11, 2024.