Song is available via The Valory Music Co
Eli Young Band and Jimmy Buffett combine their signature sounds on “Saltwater Gospel (Fins Up Version),” available digitally via The Valory Music Co. In the chaos of our current climate, the refreshed anthem is a fitting sonic mantra to wash away the troubles of everyday life. A fan video is below.
“We’d always known from the early days of playing ‘Saltwater Gospel’ live that it was special. Crowds would sing along as if it was already a huge hit. Our team noticed a massive swell of streaming recently and some radio stations began playing it again. With signs there was more life to this song, the idea of re-releasing a fresh version was really exciting for us to explore,” shares frontman Mike Eli. “We aimed high thinking how cool it would be to have Jimmy Buffett, but finding out he was interested, we were pumped! He’s an icon who’s made a huge impact on the world with fans completely devoted to his persona and laidback party environment. Plus, he likes a drink now and then, and so do we.”
Bassist Jon Jones continues, “Before we even recorded the original version of the song, we thought of Jimmy the first time we heard ‘Saltwater Gospel.’ It sounded and felt like the lifestyle he embodies – calming yet rejuvenated. Now to come full circle on a collaboration with him, it’s really cool and beyond what we ever could have expected.”
“It was Mac McAnally who turned me on to Eli Young Band a while back. I started listening to them and heard that song when it came out. I thought that’s a very cool song, because it immediately got my attention since I am a child of the Gulf Coast, having grown up around Mobile Bay and every stretch of water between Key West and Corpus Christi. I also love the Texas side to them, as someone who spent a lot of time in my early solo career running around playing colleges, bars and honky tonks in Texas. So of course I said, ‘yeah, I’d love to do this’ and thought it was a great idea. I can’t wait to go out and play it with EYB on the road when it’s safe and we can have fun and go down to the Saltwater Gospel!” says Jimmy Buffett.
Originally launched in 2016 with 40+ million on-demand streams to date, esteemed songwriters Nicolle Galyon and Ashley Gorley penned “Saltwater Gospel” alongside Ross Copperman, who co-produced the track with Jeremy Stover. The latest version also credits Mac McAnally, who recorded vocals for Buffett. Juxtaposing the mystical healing of the ocean’s vastness to feeling rooted in something greater than ourselves, the lyrics invite listeners to connect:
“I’m out here by myself, but I know I’m not alone/Yeah I got all the proof I need/and it sure makes me believe/When I go down and sink my feet in the water and I soak up that sun and I watch it set/Yeah, I can feel the power of the saltwater gospel/I’m as close to God as I can get.”
The four-time, chart-topping, Texas-based act surprised fans during a special Facebook Live last night (Thurs, Aug 20th), chatting with the singer/songwriter/author and pop culture legend, who has composed such classic songs as “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday” and “Cheeseburger In Paradise.”
