Tales from Margaritaville

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First edition
(publ. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) TalesFromMargaritaville.jpg
First edition
(publ. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich)

Tales from Margaritaville is a collection of short stories by singer Jimmy Buffett, published in 1989.

The book is broken up into an introduction and three sections, each containing several short stories.

An Introduction: Changes in Latitude contains "Walkabout" and "Where is Margaritaville?", the later designed to answer a question Buffett says that he is frequently asked.

The Heat Wave Chronicles contains six short stories, all based in the mythical town of Heat Wave, Alabama, on the also mythical island of Snake Bite Key. "Take Another Road", "Off to See the Lizard", "Boomerang Love", "The Swamp Creature Let One In", "The Pascagoula Run", and "I Wish Lunch Could Last Forever" comprise the Heat Wave Chronicles. Five of these short stories are also song titles on Buffett's Off to See the Lizard album.

Margaritian Madness contains "You Can't Take It With You" and "Are You Ready for Freddy?"

Son of a Son of a Sailor contains the stories "Hooked in the Heart", "Life in the Food Chain", "A Gift for the Buccaneer", and "Sometimes I Feel like a Rudderless Child".

Reception

Tales from Margaritaville sold over 120,000 copies and made its way onto the New York Times Best Seller list, where it stayed for seven months. [1] [2] Kirkus Reviews described the collection as "mainly good-natured paeans to sailing, hedonism, and memorable acquaintances." [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Buffett</span> American singer-songwriter (1946–2023)

James William Buffett was an American singer-songwriter. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapism" and promoted enjoying life and following passions. Buffett recorded many hit songs known as "The Big 8": "Margaritaville" (1977), which is ranked 234th on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of "Songs of the Century"; "Come Monday" (1974); "Fins" (1979); "Volcano" (1979); "A Pirate Looks at Forty" (1974); "Cheeseburger in Paradise" (1978); "Why Don't We Get Drunk" (1973); and "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" (1977). His other popular songs include "Son of a Son of a Sailor" (1978), "One Particular Harbour" (1983), and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" with Alan Jackson (2003). Buffett formed the Coral Reefer Band in 1975.

<i>Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes</i> 1977 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes is the seventh studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. This is his breakthrough album, which remains the best-selling studio album of Buffett's career, and contains his biggest single, "Margaritaville". It was initially released in January 1977 as ABC AB-990 and rereleased on its successor label, MCA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaritaville</span> 1977 single by Jimmy Buffett

"Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett from the album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. In the United States, "Margaritaville" reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and went to number one on the Easy Listening chart, also peaking at No. 13 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Billboard ranked it number 14 on its 1977 Pop Singles year-end chart. It was Buffett's highest charting solo single. After Buffett’s death on September 1, 2023, the song re-entered the Top 40 for the week ending September 16, 2023.

<i>Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads</i> 1992 box set by Jimmy Buffett

Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads is a four disc compilation box set of Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band's greatest hits, rarities, and previously unreleased songs. Released in 1992, the collection received Recording Industry Association of America quadruple platinum certification in 2001.

<i>Havana Daydreamin</i> 1976 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Havana Daydreamin' is the sixth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and his fourth regular major label album. It was produced by Don Gant and released on January 20, 1976, on ABC ABCD-914 and January 28, 1987, on ABC Dunhill's successor label MCA.

<i>A Salty Piece of Land</i> Book by Jimmy Buffett

A Salty Piece of Land is a 2004 novel by bestselling author and songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It is about a fictional American westerner, Tully Mars, who goes to work repairing an island lighthouse. Buffett first introduced the character Tully Mars in his earlier work, Tales from Margaritaville. The book includes a CD single with a song of the same title as the book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheeseburger in Paradise</span> 1978 single by Jimmy Buffett

"Cheeseburger in Paradise" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer Jimmy Buffett. It appeared on his 1978 album Son of a Son of a Sailor and was released as a single, reaching No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" became one of Buffett's signature songs, and was selected as the first track on his greatest hits album Songs You Know by Heart.

<i>The Devils Mode</i>

The Devil's Mode (1989) is the only collection of short stories by the English author Anthony Burgess.

<i>You Had to Be There</i> 1978 live album by Jimmy Buffett

You Had to Be There is a live double album by the American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was originally released in October 1978 as ABC AK-1008/2 and later re-released on ABC's successor label MCA. It is the first of Buffett's many live albums and his tenth album overall. The original vinyl print album included a fold-out poster showing many photos taken during the 1978 tour.

Jimmy Buffett sound board live albums are a series of live albums by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett recorded directly from the sound board without further editing thus resembling bootleg recordings. The albums were recorded at various concerts throughout the United States and represent typical Buffett live shows of their era with most of the albums recorded during Buffett's 2003 Tiki Time Tour. They have been released on compact disc on Buffett's own Mailboat Records distributed by RCA.

<i>Live by the Bay</i> 1986 film

Live by the Bay is a 1986 direct-to-video concert film of American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band. It was released in 1986 by MCA Entertainment. The 87-minute film was recorded from back to back concerts in Miami, Florida on August 16 and 17, 1985, at Miami Marine Stadium and is the first concert video released by Buffett. Miami Vice star Don Johnson introduced Buffett to the crowd. A brief rain shower during the middle of the Friday night show prompted Buffett to retreat to his sailboat and caused a majority of the final video release to feature the Saturday night show. After the rain cleared on Friday, the band played Little Feat's "Dixie Chicken" to demonstrate the equipment still functioned before Buffett returned to the stage.

<i>Hot Water</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

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. 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. 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.

<i>Off to See the Lizard</i> 1989 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Off to See the Lizard is the seventeenth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Initially to be called Stranger than Fishing, it was released in June 1989 as MCA 6314 and was produced by Elliot Scheiner and Buffett. The album is the first to feature much of the Coral Reefer Band. Following the release of this album, Buffett paused his normal output of one album every year or two and did not release another album until 1994's Fruitcakes.

<i>Feeding Frenzy: Jimmy Buffett Live!</i> 1990 live album by Jimmy Buffett

Feeding Frenzy: Jimmy Buffett Live! is a live album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was initially released in October 1990 as MCA 10022. It is the second of Buffett's many live albums.

<i>Fruitcakes</i> (album) Album by Jimmy Buffett

Fruitcakes is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Initially to be called Quietly Making Noise, the album was released in May 1994. It was Buffett's first studio recording since Off to See the Lizard (1989), with its five-year gap being the longest between two albums in his career. Buffett had used the hiatus to focus on writing books such as Tales from Margaritaville (1989) and Where Is Joe Merchant? (1992).

"Son of a Son of a Sailor" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It is the opening track of the 1978 album of the same name. The song is a fan favorite, although it was not a concert staple until the 2005 Salty Piece of Land tour.

<i>Buffet Hotel</i> 2009 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Buffet Hotel is the twenty-seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, released on December 8, 2009. On October 27, 2009, it was officially posted on the Margaritaville homepage as well on the Mailboat Records homepage. It is the follow-up to Take the Weather with You (2006).

<i>Buffett Live: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays</i> 1999 live album by Jimmy Buffett

Buffett Live – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays is a live album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released on November 9, 1999. The album's material was culled from several concerts during the Don't Stop That Carnival Tour (1998) and Beach House on the Moon Tour (1999). It was the first live album by Buffett since Feeding Frenzy was released in October 1990 and Mailboat Records' debut release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">God's Own Drunk</span> 2011 single by Jimmy Buffett

"God's Own Drunk" is a monologue by Lord Buckley that musicians have since adapted into different types of songs; most notably, Jimmy Buffett, who first recorded his rendition for Living and Dying in ¾ Time and has since released a digital download single of a live performance in 2011. Buffett's version was a concert staple and even regarded as his theme before "Margaritaville"'s popularity, until he was forced to stop playing it after being sued by Buckley's son, Dick Buckley Jr., for copyright infringement.

<i>Escape to Margaritaville</i> 2018 musical featuring the music of Jimmy Buffett

Escape to Margaritaville is a 2017 American jukebox musical by Greg Garcia and Mike O'Malley, based on the songs of Jimmy Buffett. The plot revolves around a part-time bartender and singer who falls for a career-minded tourist. The show's music consists of songs previously recorded by Buffett, and written by him and various other songwriters, with one exception, the original song "Three Chords".

References

  1. Harrington, Richard (17 December 1989). "JIMMY BUFFET: OH, THE STORIES HE CAN TELL". Washington Post. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  2. Clavin, Thomas (4 October 1992). "Beyond 'Margaritaville,' A Jimmy Buffett Novel". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  3. "ALES FROM MARGARITAVILLE: Fictional Facts and Factional Fiction". Kirkus Reviews. 15 August 1989. Retrieved 4 February 2024.