Parrotheads, take note! On the heels of the star-studded Jimmy Buffett tribute concert on April 11 at the famed Hollywood Bowl, Universal Music has unveiled plans to reissue 10 of the late singer/songwriter’s studio albums on vinyl in the coming months.
The remastered albums will span from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s, and multiple LPs will be release on three separate days in June, July, and August. Each reissue will be available on standard black vinyl and limited-addition colored.
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Three of the albums, Fruitcakes (1994), Barometer Soup (1995), and Banana Wind (1996), will be making their vinyl debut as part of the initiative.
About the First Three Reissues
The campaign will kick off on June 7 with the rerelease of three LPs: Living and Dying in 3/4 Time (1973), One Particular Harbour (1983), and Fruitcakes.
Living and Dying in 3/4 Time included Buffett’s first Top-40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “Come Monday,” which peaked at No. 30.
One Particular Harbour features the fan favorite “Stars on the Water,” the popular title track, and Buffett’s rendition of the Van Morrison classic “Brown Eyed Girl.”
Fruitcakes peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1 million copies in the U.S. The title track reached No. 29 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
About the Next Three Reissues
The initiative will continue on July 12 with the reissue of A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean (1973), Havana Daydreamin’ (1976), and Banana Wind.
A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean featured Buffett’s first charting hit, “Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit,” which peaked at No. 23 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary tally.
Havana Daydreamin’ made a big dent on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, rising to No. 21.
Banana Wind peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA. It featured the song “Jamaica Mistaica,” which was inspired by a scary incident where Buffett’s seaplane was shot at by Jamaican authorities while U2’s Bono and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell were on board.
About the Campaign’s Last Four Reissues
The campaign will wrap up on August 16 with the reissue of four albums—Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Altitudes (1977), Son of a Son of a Sailor (1978), Volcano (1979), and Barometer Soup.
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Altitudes features two of Buffett’s most enduring tunes—his signature song “Margaritaville” and the title track, which reached No. 8 and No. 37, respectively, on the Hot 100. The platinum-certified album is Buffett’s best-selling record to date.
Son of a Son of a Sailor peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, and also was certified platinum. It features his classic tune “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” which peaked at No. 32 on the Hot 100.
Volcano reached No. 14 on the Billboard 200, and was certified gold for sales of 500,000 in the U.S. It includes the Top-40 hit “Fins” and the popular title track.
Barometer Soup peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, and also was certified gold. It features Buffett’s cover of the James Taylor song “Mexico,” which reached No. 25 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
The campaign’s three June releases can be pre-ordered now.
About Buffet’s Death and All-Star Tribute Concert
Buffett died September 1, 2023, of skin cancer. He was 76.
On April 11, 2024, a variety of stars paid homage to the singer/songwriter at a Los Angeles tribute concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Performers at the show included Paul McCartney, the Eagles, Jackson Browne, Jon Bon Jovi, Dave Grohl, Sheryl Crow, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, Jack Johnson, J.D. Souther, Snoop Dogg, Brandi Carlile, and Pitbull.