You Had to Be There


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.
The album's material was taken from several concerts in August 1978 at Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and Maurice Gusman Cultural Center in Miami, Florida, and was mixed by Elliot Scheiner at AIR Studios in London. "Come Monday" is the only song on the album that features a vocal overdub recorded in a studio.
Buffett has mentioned in past interviews that the album was recorded during a very 'painful' time. This was because he had broken his leg at one point during the tour, and was performing in a cast. He would usually be immobile, and would take painkillers to continue on during the frenzied performances.

Chart performance

You Had to Be There reached #72 on the Billboard 200 album chart and #29 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album was also certified "Gold" by the RIAA.

Songs

The album included many of Buffett's concert favorites as well as three new songs that had not appeared on any previous Buffett album: "Perrier Blues", "Morris' Nightmare", and the instrumental "Dixie Diner".
The album was heavily edited between shows and the playlist is not in the same order as the actual shows. Songs known to have been played but deleted from the final cut are:
The omission of "Cheeseburger in Paradise" is noteworthy because the song was at its peak in popularity at the time, and was even used to name the tour. The reason the song was scrapped from the album is unknown, although one theory is that since it was a current charting single, producer Norbert Putnam did not want to have two competing versions of the same song in circulation at the same time.

Track listings

Original phonograph record release

Side One:
  1. "Son of a Son of a Sailor" 4:00
  2. :Dialogue :30
  3. "Pencil Thin Mustache" 3:19
  4. :Dialogue 1:03
  5. "Wonder Why We Ever Go Home" 4:13
  6. "Landfall" 3:08
  7. :Dialogue :45
  8. "Miss You So Badly" 3:57
Side Two:
  1. "Havaña Daydreamin'" 4:26
  2. :Dialogue 1:28
  3. "Margaritaville" 4:53
  4. :Dialogue :20
  5. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" 3:09
  6. :Dialogue :17
  7. "Come Monday" 3:28
  8. :Dialogue :36
  9. "Perrier Blues" 3:26
Side Three:
  1. "Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit" 3:00
  2. :Dialogue 2:04
  3. "God's Own Drunk" 10:45
  4. :Dialogue 2:09
  5. "He Went To Paris" 4:13
  6. :Dialogue :30
  7. "The Captain and the Kid" 3:44
Side Four:
  1. "Why Don't We Get Drunk " 2:38
  2. :Dialogue 1:20
  3. "A Pirate Looks at Forty" 4:31
  4. :Dialogue :24
  5. "Tampico Trauma" 4:50
  6. :Dialogue 1:17
  7. "Morris' Nightmare" 2:58
  8. "Dixie Diner" 5:30
  9. :Applause :49
  10. :Applause :02

    Compact disc release

Disc One:
  1. "Son of a Son of a Sailor" 4:21
  2. "Pencil Thin Mustache" 4:37
  3. "Wonder Why We Ever Go Home" 4:13
  4. "Landfall" 3:32
  5. "Miss You So Badly" 4:19
  6. "Havaña Daydreamin'" 6:34
  7. "Margaritaville" 5:30
  8. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" 3:28
  9. "Come Monday" 3:41
  10. "Perrier Blues" 3:52
Disc Two:
  1. "Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit" 8:06
  2. "God's Own Drunk" 12:40
  3. "He Went to Paris" 6:13
  4. "The Captain and The Kid" 4:15
  5. "Why Don't We Get Drunk " 6:23
  6. "A Pirate Looks at Forty" 5:47
  7. "Tampico Trauma" 5:47
  8. "Morris' Nightmare" 3:27
  9. "Dixie Diner" 6:22

    Personnel

The Coral Reefer Band:
Despite the recording being captured during 1978's Cheeseburger in Paradise Tour, Buffett set out on a You Had to Be There Tour from February through April 1979. The remainder of the year was dedicated to promoting his 1979 album Volcano.

1979 Coral Reefer Band

The only set list from the tour that has been confirmed is that of the opening night at Florida Gym in Gainesville, Florida. While the structure of Buffett's set lists generally remains the same in a given tour, the song selection varies from night to night, so it is more than likely that there were many changes to the set list as the tour progressed.
Florida Gym
Saturday, February 17, 1979
Set:
  1. "Son of a Son of a Sailor"
  2. "Pencil Thin Mustache"
  3. "Wonder Why We Ever Go Home"
  4. "Landfall"
  5. "Miss You So Badly"
  6. "Boat Drinks"
  7. "Margaritaville"
  8. "He Went to Paris"
  9. "Dreamsicle"
  10. "God's Own Drunk"
  11. "Why Don't We Get Drunk"
  12. "Coast of Marseilles"
  13. "Cheeseburger in Paradise"
  14. "Stranded on a Sandbar"
  15. "Shiver Me Timbers"
  16. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"
  17. "A Pirate Looks at Forty"
  18. "Come Monday"
  19. "Tampico Trauma"
    Encore:
  20. "Let the Good Times Roll"
  21. "Dixie Diner"
    Encore 2:
  22. "Tin Cup Chalice"