I Got a Name is the fifth and final studio album and first posthumous release by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released in December 1973. It features the ballad "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song", which reached number 9 on the US singles chart, and the ballad "Salon and Saloon", the last song Croce recorded in his lifetime. The song, which is noted for its sparse piano-only vocal backing, was written by his guitarist and friend Maury Muehleisen and was included on the album as a gift to the writer.
This would be Croce's final album, as he died in a plane crash on September 20, 1973.
"I Got a Name" was used as the theme for the films The Last American Hero and Invincible. It was a posthumous hit for Croce, reaching number 10 on the US singles chart.
The album reached number 2 on the US charts behind his earlier album You Don't Mess Around with Jim in first place.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Jim Croce, unless stated otherwise:
Personnel
Credits taken from album's liner notes
- Jim Croce – rhythm guitar on tracks 2 to 6 and 8 to 11, lead vocals, backing vocals on tracks 1, 4, and 8
Additional musicians
- Leroy Brown – backing vocals on "Five Short Minutes"
- Gary Chester – drums on "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song"
- George Devens – percussion on tracks 1, 4, 6, and 9
- Steve Gadd – drums on tracks 3, 5, and 11
- Ellie Greenwich – backing vocals on "Top Hat Bar and Grille"
- Michael Kamen – ARP synthesizer and oboe on "The Hard Way Every Time"; ARP tuba synthesizer on "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues"
- Joe Macho – bass on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 to 10
- Rick Marotta – drums on tracks 1, 2, 8, 9, percussion on track 10
- Bobby Matos – percussion on tracks 3, 5, and 10
- Terence P. Minogue – strings, backing vocals on "The Hard Way Every Time"
- Maury Muehleisen – lead acoustic guitar on tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8 to 11, lead electric guitar on 4 and 9, backing vocals on 1, 5, and 8
- Henry Gross – lead and rhythm electric guitar on "Five Short Minutes", slide guitar on "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues"
- Marty Nelson – backing vocals on tracks 3, 6, and 10
- Alan Rolnick – backing vocals on "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song"
- Tasha Thomas – backing vocals on "Five Short Minutes" and "Top Hat Bar And Grille"
- Tommy West – piano on tracks 1, 3, 7, 9, and 11, electric piano on track 6, keyboards on tracks 4, 8, and 10, rhythm guitar on tracks 1 and 4, and backing vocals on tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11
- Stu Woods – bass on tracks 3, 5, and 11
Chart positions
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Chart
!Peak<br>position
|-
|1974
|-
|1974
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Chart (1974)
! Position
|-
|Canada RPM Top 100 Albums
|align="center"|27
|-
| US Billboard 200
|align="center"|16
|-
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Single
! Chart
! Position
|-
|rowspan="2"|1973
|rowspan="2"|"I Got a Name"
|Adult Contemporary
|align="center"|4
|-
|Pop Singles
|align="center"|10
|-
|rowspan="5"|1974
|rowspan="3"|"I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song"
|Adult Contemporary
|align="center"|1
|-
|Pop Singles
|align="center"|9
|-
|Country
|align="center"|68
|-
|rowspan="2"|"Workin' at the Car Wash Blues"
|Adult Contemporary
|align="center"|9
|-
|Pop Singles
|align="center"|32
|-
|}
Certifications
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Country
!Certifications
|-
|United States
|Gold
|-
|}