1972 - 50 Years Ago

1972 Jim Croce released his third album You Don't Mess Around With Jim. The title track became a #8 Hot 100 song and #9 Easy Listening. "Operator" made #17 and "Time in a Bottle" made #1 on both charts. Jim Released his next album but in 1973 "Time in a Bottle" was featured on an ABC made-for-television movie She Lives! ABC originally did not intend to release the song as a single; but when Croce was killed in a plane crash in September 1973, its lyrics, dealing with mortality and the wish to have more time, had additional resonance. The song subsequently received a large amount of airplay as an album track and demand for a single release built. When it was eventually issued as a 7", it became his second and final No. 1 hit.