“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 then 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 was first performed at The Cellar Door in Washington, D.C. in 1966 by the Chad Mitchell Trio, with John Denver substituting for Chad Mitchell. It turned out to be Peter, Paul & Mary’s 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. The song was used in commercials for United Airlines in the late 1970s. Continue reading →