Leaving on a Jet Plane

"Leaving on a Jet Plane" is a song written by John Denver in 1966 and most famously recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary. The original title of the song was "Oh Babe I Hate to Go" but Denver's then producer, Milt Okun, convinced him to change the title.

The song was initially recorded in 1967 by the Chad Mitchell Trio, and later that same year by Spanky and Our Gang. Peter, Paul and Mary's version first appeared on their 1967 Album 1700; however, it did not become a hit until they released it as a single in 1969. It turned out to be their biggest (and final) hit, becoming their only #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. It was the penultimate (second to last) #1 single of the 1960s. The song also spent three weeks atop the easy listening chart.^[1] The song was used in commercials for United Airlines in the late 1970s. The song was also sung by the crew of the space shuttle in the movie Armageddon.

Cover versions

John Denver recorded his own version of the song for his 1969 debut solo album, Rhymes & Reasons, and re-recorded it in 1973 for John Denver's Greatest Hits. Many other artists have covered this song, including:

• Country group The Kendalls recorded the song, which entered the U.S. country singles top-fifty in 1970.
• The song prompted litigation involving the British group New Order. The band's single "Run 2" (1989) was the subject of a lawsuit brought by John Denver, who argued that its wordless guitar break was based on his "Leaving on a Jet Plane". An out-of-court settlement ensured that the song would never be re-released in its original form.^[2]
• An interpolation of the song can be heard in the song "Tell Me That You'll Wait" by Eurodance group Culture Beat, during the chorus.
• Alternative rock band Eve 6 covered the song for their album Horrorscope. The song was a bonus track on the album.
• A cover by Chantal Kreviazuk was used in the 1998 film Armageddon and became an international hit. During the movie, A. J. Frost sings part of the song to Grace as the astronauts are leaving to board the shuttles.
• Reggae band Slightly Stoopid covered the song on their 2003 album Everything You Need.
• The fictional cover band Jeffster! covered the song in the Chuck season 3 episode "Chuck Versus the Honeymooners".
• In the extended version of the Glee pilot episode, the song was covered by Will Schuester, the Music teacher played by Matthew Morrison.
• Punk rock group and cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covered the song on their first album Have a Ball.
• British singer Sophie Barker's cover of the song was featured in a 2006 British Airways UK television campaign.
• Japanese pop-rock band MONKEY MAJIK sampled a small part of the song (namely the lines "You know I'm leaving on a jet plane, I don't know when I'll be back again") in the song "Angel" from their album westview.
• A shortened sing-along version of the song was covered by British adventurer Bear Grylls, at the conclusion of each of his three live shows in the Bear Grylls Live Australia Tour, in September 2011.

References

1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 192. 
2. ^ New Order:Singles:Run 2

External links

• Review of "Leaving on a Jet Plane" at Allmusic