A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean

A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean
Studio album by Jimmy Buffett
Released	June 1973
Recorded	Glaser Sound in Nashville, Tennessee
Genre	Country/Gulf and western
Length	36:06
Label	Dunhill 50150
Producer	Don Gant
Jimmy Buffett chronology
High Cumberland Jubilee 1971 A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean 1973 Living & Dying in 3/4 Time 1974

A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean is the third album by American popular music singer–songwriter Jimmy Buffett and the first major-label album in Buffett's Don Gant-produced "Key West phase". It was initially released in June 1973 as Dunhill DS-50150 and later rereleased on Dunhill's successor labels ABC and MCA.

The title of the album is a play on the country song "A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation" by Marty Robbins and it contains several of what would later become Buffett's most popular songs. The album was recorded at outlaw country singer Tompall Glaser's studio in Nashville, Tennessee. It marks the first reference to Buffett's backup band as "The Coral Reefer Band" and is the first album that long-time Reefers Michael Utley and Greg "Fingers" Taylor play on.

Chart performance

The album reached #43 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart but did not make the Billboard 200 album chart, his last major release not to make that chart. The single of "The Great Filling Station Holdup" reached #58 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and "Grapefruit Juicy Fruit" was #23 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart.

Songs

All of the songs on A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean were written or co-written by Buffett.

The most well-known song of the album, the novelty "Why Don't We Get Drunk (and Screw)," was originally released as a B-side (b/w "The Great Filling Station Holdup") and inspired some controversy at the time due to its lyrics. Buffett wrote "Why Don't We Get Drunk" and is credited with playing maracas and beer cans on the album under the pseudonym Marvin Gardens, derived from a property on the original Atlantic City version of the Monopoly game board.

"He Went to Paris" is perennial fan favorite ballad, appearing on most of Buffett's greatest hits collections. It was remade by Waylon Jennings in 1980 and by Buffett himself for his 2003 Meet Me In Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection.

Both Buffett and Jerry Jeff Walker wrote "Railroad Lady." Walker recorded the song a year earlier than Buffett and it was later further popularized by Lefty Frizzell, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	B [2]

Although it was not extremely commercially successful at the time of its release, A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean is generally considered one of Buffett's better albums and the beginning of his success. Johnny Loftus of Allmusic argues that "while it still lies much closer to Nashville than Key West," the album "does begin to delineate the blowsy, good-timin' Key West persona that would lead him to summer tour stardom" and is "highly recommended for Buffett completists and those interested in his more introspective side."^[3]

Track listing

Side A:

1. "The Great Filling Station Holdup" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:02
2. "Railroad Lady" (Jimmy Buffett, Jerry Jeff Walker) – 2:46
3. "He Went to Paris" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:29
4. "Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit" (Jimmy Buffett) – 2:57
5. "Cuban Crime of Passion" (Jimmy Buffett, Tom Corcoran) – 3:42

Side B:

1. "Why Don't We Get Drunk (and Screw)" (Marvin Gardens) – 2:43
2. "Peanut Butter Conspiracy" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:43
3. "They Don't Dance Like Carmen No More" (Jimmy Buffett) – 2:57
4. "I Have Found Me A Home" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:58
5. "My Lovely Lady" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:10
6. "Death of an Unpopular Poet" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:39

Personnel

The Coral Reefer Band:

• Jimmy Buffett: Acoustic rhythm guitar
• Steve Goodman: Acoustic lead guitar
• Reggie Young: Electric lead guitar
• Doyle Gresham: Pedal Steel guitar
• Ed "Lump" Williams: Bass guitar
• Mike Utley: Piano
• Greg "Fingers" Taylor: Harmonica
• Sammy Creason: Drums
• Phil Royster: Congas
• Johnny Gimble: Fiddle
• Shane Keister: Moog synthesizer
• Vassar Clements: Fiddle
• Ferrell Morris: Percussion
• Marvin Gardens: Maracas and beer cans
• Sand Key Chorale (Jimmy Buffett, Don Gant, Buzz Cason): Background voices
• The Buffets; Carol Montgomery and Diane Harris: Background voices

Singles

• "The Great Filling Station Holdup" b/w "Why Don't We Get Drunk" (Released on Dunhill D-4348 in April 1973)
• "They Don't Dance Like Carmen No More" b/w "The Great Filling Station Holdup" (Released on Dunhill D-4353 in 1973)
• "Grapefruit Juicy Fruit" b/w "I Have Found Me a Home" (Released on Dunhill D-4359 in July 1973)
• "He Went to Paris" b/w "Peanut Butter Conspiracy" (Released on Dunhill D-4372 in October 1973)

Notes