Facets (album)
| Facets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released |
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| Recorded | July 1966 | |||
| Studios | Ken-Del Studios, Wilmington, DE | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length |
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| Labels |
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| Producer | Joe Salviuolo | |||
| Jim Croce chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 2004 cover artwork by Shout! Factory | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Facets is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released and self-published in 1966. Croce had 500 copies of the album pressed,[2] financed with a $500 wedding gift he and his wife, Ingrid Croce, received from his parents. Croce's parents were certain that Jim would fail at selling the record; they believed that once he realized he could not support a family as a singer, he would abandon music and finish his college education.
The album was recorded in a three-hour session at Ken-Del Studios in Wilmington, Delaware. Unexpectedly, the album proved a success; Croce sold every copy and turned a profit of $2,500. The majority of the records were sold to fans at local bars where Croce performed.[3][4] Original vinyl copies of Facets are extremely rare.
Shout! Factory released an expanded CD version in 2004.[5] The seven bonus tracks included on the CD were recorded in 1969, following the recording of the Jim & Ingrid Croce album in 1968. The couple had recorded 21 songs as a demonstration tape to audition for a children's television show in Boston, though they did not get the job. These demo recordings remained unreleased until seven tracks were selected for the 2004 reissue.[6]
Track listing
Original release (1966)
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Steel Rail Blues" | Gordon Lightfoot | 2:17 |
| 2. | "Coal Tattoo" | Billy Edd Wheeler | 2:17 |
| 3. | "Texas Rodeo" | Jim Croce | 1:44 |
| 4. | "Charley Green, Play That Slide Trombone" |
| 2:27 |
| 5. | "The Ballad of Gunga Din" |
| 4:05 |
| 6. | "Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah)" |
| 1:58 |
| 7. | "Sun Come Up" |
| 2:06 |
| 8. | "The Blizzard" | Harlan Howard | 2:54 |
| 9. | "Running Maggie" |
| 1:52 |
| 10. | "Until It's Time for Me to Go" | Buffy Sainte-Marie | 3:05 |
| 11. | "Big Fat Woman" |
| 2:00 |
2004 reissue bonus tracks
All tracks are written by Jim Croce and Ingrid Croce, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Child of Midnight" | 2:51 | |
| 13. | "It's All Over, Mary Ann" | 2:35 | |
| 14. | "Railroads and Riverboats" | 3:13 | |
| 15. | "Hard Times Be Over" | 1:52 | |
| 16. | "Railroad Song" | Jim Croce | 2:55 |
| 17. | "Maybe Tomorrow" | Jim Croce | 2:30 |
| 18. | "Pa (Song for a Grandfather)" | 1:51 |
Personnel
- Jim Croce – guitar, vocals
- Richard Croce – percussion
- Mike DiBenedetto – keyboards
- Karl Fehrenbach – guitar, banjo
- Ken Cavender – bass
Production
- Producer: Joe Salviuolo
- Arrangements: Jim Croce, Eric Von Schmidt
References
- ↑ Facets at AllMusic
- ↑ Billboard Staff (August 22, 2003). "Rare Croce Cuts Collected On CD, DVD". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ↑ "'Facets' offers a glimpse of the real Jim Croce". TODAY.com. April 8, 2004. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ↑ "Early Croce heard again in 'Facets'". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (May 27, 2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ↑ Elliot, Rona (2004). Jim Croce Facets (CD liner notes). Los Angeles, CA, USA: Shout! Factory. p. 9. UPC 5099751625827.