There are several times during this live performance of Operator in 1972 where vocal accompaniest Maury Muehleisen looks at Jim poignanty, it looks like he is checking on him, to see if he really has “learned to take it well.” The song was not about a personal experience that Jim had but of ones he witnessed while in the Army. I have not seen these contemplative looks by one singer at another during a performance before.

Maury died with Jim in the plane crash on takeoff at Natchitoches Regional Airport in Louisiana.