You Don't Mess Around with Jim
You Don't Mess Around with Jim is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released in April of 1972.
History and release
The album was recorded over a three to four-week period for approximately $18,000, with most funding coming from the PolyGram Group in Baarn, the Netherlands on the basis of hearing an 8-song demo tape assembled by production team Cashman & West. The deal with PolyGram was made after team attorney Phil Kurnit approached a contact within the record company who then had PolyGram executives listen to the demo tape.After having the finished album rejected by up to 40 record labels, Croce was signed to ABC Records after Cashman & West had a chance meeting with ABC promotion man Marty Kupps. Kupps urged label head Jay Lasker to sign Croce after hearing cuts from a cassette tape of the finished album.
The record spent 93 weeks on the charts, longer than any other Jim Croce album. Due to the strong performance of the posthumous single release "Time in a Bottle", You Don't Mess Around with Jim was the best selling album in the U.S. for five weeks in early 1974. It was listed at No. 6 on the 1974 Cash Box yearend album charts. Two singles were originally released from the album in 1972: the title track and "Operator ".
The album was issued on CD by the Rhino Flashbacks record label on September 30, 2008.
Tracks
The lyrics of the title track concern the fate of a 'pool-shooting son-of-a-gun' by the name of 'Big' Jim Walker when his 'mark,' Willie 'Slim' McCoy, from South Alabama shows up to get a refund from being hustled or get revenge. The song is notable for the line "You don't tug on Superman's cape/You don't spit into the wind/You don't pull the mask off that ol' Lone Ranger/And you don't mess around with Jim." However, after the song ends with Jim being thoroughly thrashed by his victim, the chorus now sings about how "You don't mess around with Slim."Covers
The song "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" has been covered by Ty Herndon on What Mattered Most, Josh Turner on Long Black Train, Donna Fargo on My Second Album and Charlie Major on . It was also covered, along with other Croce compositions, by Jerry Reed on his 1980 album Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce.Kid Rock covered "Box #10" in 1995 as part of The Bootleg Series. Jesse Malin covered "Operator" on his 2008 album On Your Sleeve. On an episode of the ABC drama Eli Stone, Victor Garber performed this song in one of Eli's visions.
Tori Amos covered "Operator" live in 2005 while on her Original Sinsuality Tour. An official live recording can be found in The Original Bootlegs box set.
Track listing
Notes- A Tracks 1–12 correspond to the original 1972 album
Personnel
- Jim Croce – guitar, rhythm guitar, lead vocals, background vocals
- Maury Muehleisen – guitar, background vocals
- The Briggs – background vocals
- Terry Cashman – background vocals
- Tommy West – bass, percussion, piano, rhythm guitar, keyboards, electric piano, background vocals
- Joe Macho – bass
- Jimmy Ryan – bass
- Gary Chester – drums
Production
- Producers: Terry Cashman, Tommy West
- Recording Engineer: Bruce Tergesen
- Photography: Paul Wilson
Chart history
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
| 1972 | "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" | Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
| 1972 | "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" | Easy Listening | 9 |
| 1972 | "Operator " | Billboard Hot 100 | 17 |
| 1973 | "Time in a Bottle" | Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| 1973 | "Time in a Bottle" | Easy Listening | 1 |