Legendary songwriter’s vinyl releasing less than a year after his death
If you’re a Jimmy Buffett fan and you love hearing music on vinyl, good news: This summer, you’re going to be able to drop the needle on tunes such as “Come Monday,” “Stars on the Water,” “He Went to Paris” and many more.
Universal Music Enterprises (Ume) announced Monday that it plans to re-release a slew of Buffett albums this summer, including early classics that haven’t been available as LPs for 40 years and some ‘90s albums that were never released in the format.
In all, 10 albums will be available on fresh vinyl (standard black vinyl and limited-edition colors) this summer. The release plan:
June 7
“Living and Dying in ¾ Time” (1974) – Buffett’s fourth album yielded his first Top 40 hit, “Come Monday.” Other favorite tracks include “Pencil This Mustache.”
“One Particular Harbour” (1983) – In addition to the title track, this album included the concert staple “Stars on the Water” and the playful “We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About.”
“Fruitcakes” (1994) – Ume says this was the first Buffett album ever to break into the Top 5 of Billboard’s Top 200. It’s a double LP; in addition to the title song, notable tracks include covers of “Uncle John’s Band” by the Grateful Dead, “Sunny Afternoon” by The Kinks and the Hank Cochran song “She’s Got You,” made famous by Patsy Cline.
July 12
“A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean” (1973) – Released before “Living and Dying in ¾ Time,” this album laid out the boundaries of Buffett’s escapist world with tunes such as “He Went to Paris,” “The Great Filling Station Holdup,” “Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit” and, of course, the anthemic “Why Don’t We Get Drunk.”
“Havana Daydreamin’” (1976) – Buffett nearly broke into Billboard’s Top 20 country album chart with this one, which includes the hangover lament “My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don’t Love Jesus.”
“Banana Wind” (1996) – This mid-’90s set debuted at No. 4 and added “Jamaica Mistaica” to the Buffett canon.
August 16
“Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” (1977) – Behold “Margaritaville,” the tune that turned a shifting refrain into one of the biggest hooks in all pop music and gave birth to a business empire.
“Son of a Son of a Sailor” (1978) – This is the one where Buffett revolutionized the concept of paradise by introducing cheeseburgers to its menu.
“Volcano” (1979) – The title track obviously became a major addition to the Buffett setlist. So did “Fins.”
“Barometer Soup” (1995) – Buffett’s cover of James Taylor’s “Mexico” made it onto the charts and the album went to No. 6.
Buffett, who was born in Pascagoula and who grew up in Mobile, died Sept. 1, 2023. His last studio album, “Equal Strain of All Parts,” was released posthumously.
The three albums being released in June are available for pre-order now through shop.udiscovermusic.com and thesoundofvinyl.us.