Jim Croce

[jimmyjazz 45960]

Speaking of 70's folk/pop artists who died in plane crashes (John Denver), I heard Jim Croce's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" today and thought "there's a guy who seems to never get included in the 'greatest American songwriters' discussions, and man does he deserve to be in that conversation".  

Honestly, he's up there with Springsteen, Simon, you name it.  SO many incredible songs over such a short period of time.  What a shame.

 

[Post Oak 20217]

He popped up on my Pandora a few days ago. Operator and I've got a name.  Gone to soon.  

Definitely suffered from old man face

[Chad Fuck 17684]

10 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Speaking of 70's folk/pop artists who died in plane crashes (John Denver), I heard Jim Croce's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" today and thought "there's a guy who seems to never get included in the 'greatest American songwriters' discussions, and man does he deserve to be in that conversation".  

Honestly, he's up there with Springsteen, Simon, you name it.  SO many incredible songs over such a short period of time.  What a shame.

 

Bad Bad Leroy Brown was probably the first song I remember really liking.  We were on our way to Disney World staying at some shitty motel made from cinder blocks.  We are walking out the door, and Bad Bad Leroy Brown came on the TV/Radio (remember those?  I tv with a little radio in it?) and I made them and the Mouse wait while I listened to Jim Croce.  

[Chad Fuck 17684]

1 minute ago, Post Oak said:

He popped up on my Pandora a few days ago. Operator and I've got a name.  Gone to soon.  

Definitely suffered from old man face

So much this.  Dude was 30 when he died.  Looked 55 or 60.

[G650 14263]

Jim Croce was the most legit motherfucker out there.

[GhostOfTomJoad 9324]

I'll apply what Bob Dylan once said about Gordon Lightfoot (also a bad MFer): "when I hear (Jim Croce) sing a song I wish it would go on forever."

Such a smooth and honest delivery. He told his stories without pretension or overwrought lyrics. If there was an artist I'd love to sit down next to at a campfire when they had their guitar and just felt like playing man he'd be right up there.

[jimmyjazz 45960]

8 minutes ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

I'll apply what Bob Dylan once said about Gordon Lightfoot (also a bad MFer): "when I hear (Jim Croce) sing a song I wish it would go on forever."

Such a smooth and honest delivery. He told his stories without pretension or overwrought lyrics. If there was an artist I'd love to sit down next to at a campfire when they had their guitar and just felt like playing man he'd be right up there.

. . . and yet his lyrics, and his storytelling, were first rate.  It's really astonishing how compact his use of the language was, he could paint pictures in very few words that most songwriters couldn't paint in twice the time.

[G650 14263]

32 minutes ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

I'll apply what Bob Dylan once said about Gordon Lightfoot (also a bad MFer): "when I hear (Jim Croce) sing a song I wish it would go on forever."

Such a smooth and honest delivery. He told his stories without pretension or overwrought lyrics. If there was an artist I'd love to sit down next to at a campfire when they had their guitar and just felt like playing man he'd be right up there.

Lightfoot is another legit dude.

[Post Oak 20217]

"And I carry it with me like my daddy did". That line reaches me.

[YGIFS 19450]

Fun trivia---whenever you see Asian people singing karaoke in a movie, they're legally bound to be singing "Leroy Brown:  

[HornOnTheBayou 8930]

Gotta bump this because I was thinking about my grandfather today, the world's biggest Jim Croce fan. His favorite songs were Roller Derby Queen and Working at the Car Wash Blues. And, of course, we played Time in a Bottle at his funeral.

 

 

[jimmyjazz 45960]

Weird, I had forgotten I started this thread.  The irony is that I've had "Operator" going through my head in my sleep for a few nights now.  This is pretty common, I hear a song in my sleep over and over most nights, I've gotten used to it.  Usually my brain just dials in on a few lines.  In this case "she's living in LA, with my best old ex-friend Ray".

Now THAT's writing.  Tells a long sad story in very few words.

[hullabelew 3724]

I read an article the other day and this song has been in my head since then.    Neither of these were his 'hits' but two of my favorites.   I LOVE the rhyming structure of the verses.   I still play Roller Derby Queen and Dreaming Again.   (I LOVE the bridge of that song) 

Dreaming Again.  (In the lemon scented rain...   What a great line)

 

[Horn Draoi 255]

Also, outstanding guitar playing from his musical sidekick Maury Muhlheisen (sp?) who died in the crash with Croce.

[hullabelew 3724]

Maury was only 24 when he died.  Unbelievable.  

[G650 14263]

9 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Weird, I had forgotten I started this thread.  The irony is that I've had "Operator" going through my head in my sleep for a few nights now.  This is pretty common, I hear a song in my sleep over and over most nights, I've gotten used to it.  Usually my brain just dials in on a few lines.  In this case "she's living in LA, with my best old ex-friend Ray".

Now THAT's writing.  Tells a long sad story in very few words.

Well now it's in my head.

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

So many great songs. These two are too often overlooked:

 

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

Another great one:

 

[hullabelew 3724]

Check out the first post on Rick's thread.

 

[nbmishoid 949]

Thanks JJ.  For all that personality, he also played the hell out of that thing.

[DougO 5250]

I don't think he's all that underrated. He gets some pretty serious props for being a major dude. He just didn't have time to release that many songs in the short time he was in the limelight. It's a lot of the others that get overrated because they've been around so long, pumping their old hits over the decades.

[HornOnTheBayou 8930]

On 5/15/2023 at 9:23 AM, Seasick Sailor said:

Another great one:

 

Fantastic choice

I thought I'd make the big time
I learned a lot of lessons awfully quick
And now I'm tellin' you that they were not the nice kind
It has been so long since I have felt fine

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

https://youtu.be/VhQ74N8b9Vg

[Kennythetiger 9387]

*fewer  

[hullabelew 3724]

I bought the Jim Croce song book to learn to play this.  I spent HOURS trying to learn the second guitar part.  Pickup up the needle on the album, ||: over and over and over and over :||

Wish I had this back then.