Hot Water is the sixteenth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released in June 1988 by MCA 42093 and was produced by Coral Reefer Band members Michael Utley, Russell Kunkel, and Ralph MacDonald.[1] The album was engineered and mixed by Jay Rifkin. The album was Jimmy's first album recorded at his new studio in Key West, Florida called Shrimpboat Sound.[3] The LP continues Buffett's use of a wide variety of musical instruments than was typical for Buffett's earlier works, notably horns and percussion. Buffett shaved off his trademark mustache for the album.

Hot Water
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 20, 1988
Studio
Genre
Length46:51
LabelMCA
MCA-42093 (US, CD)
Producer
Jimmy Buffett chronology
Floridays
(1986)
Hot Water
(1988)
Off to See the Lizard
(1989)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

Songs

edit

All but two of the album's songs were written or co-written by Buffett. The other two songs are cover songs: "Great Heart" originally by South African Johnny Clegg and Savuka and "L'Air de la Louisiane" by Jesse Winchester, one of several Buffett covers of Winchester songs recorded throughout his career. "L'Air de la Louisiane" An admitted francophile, Buffett has sung several songs in French. The album's Final Song, "That's What Living is to Me" references Mark Twain's Travelogue "Following the Equator" and Jimmy often included praise and recommendation of the book when introducing live performances of the song.

Chart performance

edit

Hot Water reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The song "Bring Back the Magic" hit No. 24 Adult Contemporary.

Track listing

edit
  1. "Homemade Music" (Jimmy Buffett, Michael Utley, Russell Kunkel) – 3:32
  2. "Baby's Gone Shoppin'" (Jimmy Buffett) – 4:05
  3. "Bring Back the Magic" (Jimmy Buffett, Will Jennings) – 4:16
  4. "My Barracuda" (Jimmy Buffett, Michael Utley, Russell Kunkel, Steve Cropper) – 3:37
  5. "L'Air de la Louisiane" (Jesse Winchester) – 2:59
  6. "Prince of Tides" (Jimmy Buffett, Michael Utley) – 5:30
  7. "Pre-You" (Jimmy Buffett, Ralph MacDonald, William Salter) – 5:19
  8. "King of Somewhere Hot" (Jimmy Buffett, Ralph MacDonald, William Salter, Robert Greenidge) – 5:05
  9. "Great Heart" (Johnny Clegg) – 5:06
  10. "Smart Woman (In a Real Short Skirt)" (Jimmy Buffett, Marshall Chapman) – 2:49
  11. "That's What Living Is to Me" (Jimmy Buffett) – 4:33

Personnel

edit

The Coral Reefer Band:

Singles

edit
  • "Homemade Music" b/w "L'Air de la Louisiane" (Released on MCA 53360 in May 1988)
  • "Bring Back The Magic" b/w "That's What Living Is To Me" (Released on MCA 53396 in August 1988)

Tour

edit

1988 brought yet another summer tour, this time to promote the Hot Water album, with all the usual stops.[4]

1988 Coral Reefer Band

edit
  • Jimmy Buffett: Vocals and guitar
  • Tim Krekel: Guitar
  • Tim Drummond: Bass
  • Matt Betton: Drums
  • Michael Utley: Keyboards
  • Vince Melamed: Organ
  • Greg “Fingers” Taylor: Harmonica and background Vocals
  • Sam Clayton: Congas
  • Robert Greenidge: Steel Drums
  • Wayne Jackson: Horns
  • Andrew Love: Horns
  • Marshall Chapman: Vocals

Set list

edit

Towards the beginning of the tour, the set list was a bit different than the majority of the tour with "Son of a Son of a Sailor" as the opener and "Margaritaville" as the set closer. For most of the tour, however, the Mac McAnally cover "It's My Job" opened the show and "Where's the Party" closed the set. "Fins" was the show closer pretty much every night, with the exception of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" closing the Kings Dominion show on the fourth of July, its only known appearance of the tour.

Average set list:[5]

  1. "It's My Job" (Mac McAnally cover)
  2. "Tequila" (The Champs cover)
  3. "Stars on the Water" (Rodney Crowell cover)
  4. "Come Monday"
  5. "Knees of My Heart"
  6. "Jolly Mon Sing"
  7. Medley:
    1. "Son of a Son of a Sailor"
    2. "Boat Drinks"
    3. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"
  8. "Cheeseburger in Paradise"
  9. "Some White People Can Dance" (with Greg "Fingers" Taylor on vocals)
  10. "Homemade Music"
  11. "Coconut Telegraph"
  12. "My Barracuda"
  13. "Bring Back the Magic"
  14. "Coast of Marseilles" (Keith Sykes cover)
  15. "God's Own Drunk" (Richard Buckley cover)
  16. "Last Mango in Paris"
  17. "Pencil Thin Mustache
  18. "Why Don't We Get Drunk"
  19. "Volcano"
  20. "Where's the Party"
    Encore:
  21. "A Pirate Looks at Forty"
  22. "Margaritaville"
  23. "Fins"

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b MacDonald produced the songs "Pre-You", "King of Somewhere Hot", and "That's What Living Is to Me." Utley and Kunkel produced the remainder together.
  2. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r2936/review
  3. ^ "Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville | Official Site".
  4. ^ BuffettWorld Hot Water Tour
  5. ^ Average set list for the Hot Water Tour