Coconut Telegraph

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1981 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Coconut Telegraph

Studio album by

Jimmy Buffett

Released| February 1981
Recorded| September 1980
Studio|

* Muscle Shoals (Sheffield)
* Quadrafonic Sound (Nashville)
* Bennett House, (Franklin, Tennessee)
* A&R (New York City)

Genre|

* Country rock[1]
* Gulf and Western

Length| 32:46
Label| MCA
MCA-5169 (US, 12")
Producer| Norbert Putnam
Jimmy Buffett chronology
| Volcano
(1979)  | Coconut Telegraph
(1981)  | Somewhere over China
(1982)

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Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
Allmusic| [2]

Coconut Telegraph[3] is the tenth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released in February 1981 as MCA 5169 and was produced by Norbert Putnam.

## Songs

[edit]

In addition to songs written or co-written by Buffett (including one with JD Souther), the album includes the 1934 jazz standard "Stars Fell on Alabama" penned by Mitchell Parish and Frank Perkins and "It's My Job" written by Mac McAnally, the beginning of a long-term collaboration that would lead to McAnally becoming a member of Buffett's Coral Reefer Band.

## Chart performance

[edit]

Coconut Telegraph reached No. 30 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The song "It's My Job" hit No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles and would be Buffett's last appearance on that chart for over 20 years until his 2003 duet with Alan Jackson, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."

## Track listing

[edit]

Side 1:

1. "Coconut Telegraph" (Jimmy Buffett) – 2:57
2. "Incommunicado" (Jimmy Buffett, Deborah McColl, M.L. Benoit) – 3:39
3. "It's My Job" (Mac McAnally) – 3:10
4. "Growing Older But Not Up" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:23
5. "The Good Fight" (Jimmy Buffett, JD Souther) – 3:25

Side 2:

1. "The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful" (Jimmy Buffett) – 4:06
2. "Stars Fell on Alabama" (Mitchell Parish, Frank Perkins) – 4:12
3. "Island" (Jimmy Buffett, David Loggins) – 3:54
4. "Little Miss Magic" (Jimmy Buffett) – 4:00

## Personnel

[edit]

The Coral Reefer Band:

* Jimmy Buffett – vocals, acoustic guitar
* Barry Chance – electric guitar
* Josh Leo – electric guitar
* Andy McMahon – organ, Fender Rhodes
* Harry Dailey – bass, background vocals
* Matt Betton – drums
* M.L. Benoit – congas and percussion, background vocals
* Greg "Fingers" Taylor – harmonica
* Michael Utley – organ
* David Briggs – piano
* Mac McAnally – background vocals on "It's My Job"
* JD Souther – co-lead vocals on "The Good Fight", background vocals on "It's My Job"
* Dr. Kino Bachellier – Shakers and French
* Freddie Buffett[4] – background vocals
* Norbert Putnam – upright bass
* Dominic Cortese – accordion
* Deborah McColl – background vocals

## Singles

[edit]

* "It's My Job" b/w "Little Miss Magic" (Released on MCA 51061 in January 1981; his only Hot 100 single of the 80s, peaking at #57)
* "Stars Fell on Alabama" b/w "Growing Older But Not Up" (Released on MCA 51105 in April 1981)

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Sylvan Barnet; Marcia Stubbs (1995). Barnet & Stubbs's Practical Guide to Writing With Readings. Harper Collins College. p. 431\. ISBN 978-0-673-52329-7.
2. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r2928
3. ^ In Live by the Bay, Buffett describes "coconut telegraph" as the Caribbean version of the grapevine.
4. ^ A pseudonym of Jimmy Buffett.[citation needed]

* v
* t
* e

Jimmy Buffett

Coral Reefer Band|

* Michael Utley
* Greg "Fingers" Taylor
* Mac McAnally
* Robert Greenidge
* Deborah McColl
* Jim Mayer
* Peter Mayer
* Roger Guth
* Ralph MacDonald

Studio albums|

* Down to Earth
* High Cumberland Jubilee
* A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean
* Living and Dying in 3/4 Time
* A1A
* Havana Daydreamin'
* Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
* Son of a Son of a Sailor
* Volcano
* Coconut Telegraph
* Somewhere over China
* One Particular Harbour
* Riddles in the Sand
* Last Mango in Paris
* Floridays
* Hot Water
* Off to See the Lizard
* Fruitcakes
* Barometer Soup
* Banana Wind
* Beach House on the Moon
* Far Side of the World
* License to Chill
* Take the Weather with You
* Buffet Hotel
* Songs from St. Somewhere
* Life on the Flip Side
* Songs You Don't Know by Heart
* Equal Strain on All Parts

Live albums|

* You Had to Be There
* Feeding Frenzy
* Buffett Live: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays
* Live at Texas Stadium
* encores

Sound board live albums|

* Live in Auburn, WA
* Live in Las Vegas, NV
* Live in Mansfield, MA
* Live in Cincinnati, OH
* Live in Hawaii
* Live at Fenway Park
* Live in Anguilla

Compilation albums|

* Down to Earth/High Cumberland Jubilee compilations
* Greatest hits compilations: Songs You Know by Heart
* Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads (box set)
* A Pirate's Treasure
* All the Great Hits
* The Great Jimmy Buffett
* Biloxi
* Great American Summer Fun with Jimmy Buffett (EP)
* Calaloo (EP)
* Meet Me in Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection

Soundtrack, Christmas,
and musical albums|

* Rancho Deluxe soundtrack
* Christmas Island
* Don't Stop the Carnival (musical)
* 'Tis the SeaSon

Songs|

* "Margaritaville"
* "Come Monday"
* "A Pirate Looks at Forty"
* "Volcano"
* "Fins"
* "Cheeseburger in Paradise"
* "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere"
* "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"
* "One Particular Harbour"
* "Why Don't We Get Drunk"
* "Southern Cross"
* "Brown Eyed Girl"
* "Son of a Son of a Sailor"
* "God's Own Drunk"
* "Pencil Thin Mustache"
* "Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit"
* "Boat Drinks"
* "Gypsies in the Palace"
* "Jamaica Mistaica"
* "He Went to Paris"
* "Knee Deep"
* "The Great Filling Station Holdup"
* "Hey, Good Lookin'"
* "Surfing in a Hurricane"
* "Trip Around the Sun"
* "Math Suks"
* "Same Boat"

Videos|

* Live by the Bay
* Music for Montserrat
* Live at Wrigley Field
* Live at Fenway Park
* Live in Anguilla

Books|

* The Jolly Mon
* Tales from Margaritaville
* Where Is Joe Merchant? A Novel Tale
* A Pirate Looks at Fifty
* A Salty Piece of Land

Commercial endeavors|

* Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville
* Margaritaville merchandising
* Mailboat Records
* Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant
* Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant
* Land Shark Lager

Related articles|

* Jimmy Buffett discography
* Radio Margaritaville
* Hemisphere Dancer
* Savannah Buffett
* Save the Manatee Club
* Tonsil Trouble
* "Margaritaville" (South Park)
* Escape to Margaritaville

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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