Album of the Day

Producers Terry Cashman and Tommy West knew a good thing when they heard it; they shopped Jim Croce's YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM to dozens of labels before ABC picked it up. The 1972 collection, Croce's third following a couple of small label releases, proved the charm for the amiable singer-songwriter, spinning off a Top Ten single in the comic title track and another hit in the heartfelt ballad “Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels).” Also among the dozen originals here is the classic “Time In A Bottle,” which was issued after Croce's untimely death and topped the singles chart on this day in 1973 - helping push YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM to No.1 on the U.S. album chart.