Somewhere over China
Studio album by
Jimmy Buffett
ReleasedJanuary 1982
RecordedSeptember–October 1981
StudioBennett House, (Franklin, Tennessee)
Genre
Length35:18
LabelMCA
MCA-5285 (US, 12")
ProducerNorbert Putnam
Jimmy Buffett chronology
Coconut Telegraph
(1981) 		Somewhere over China
(1982) 		One Particular Harbour
(1983)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Somewhere over China (Chinese: 在中國的某一地方; pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó de Mǒu yí Dìfāng) is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released in January 1982 as MCA 5285 and is the last Buffett album produced by Norbert Putnam.

Songs

In addition to songs written or co-written by Buffett (two with Steve Goodman and two with Michael Utley), the album includes the John Scott Sherrill-penned "Steamer" and Frank Loesser's 1940s standard "On a Slow Boat to China." Recorded for the album but not included was "Elvis Imitators", also written by Goodman, with Buffett singing an Elvis Presley imitation with the Jordanaires on background vocals. The song was to be credited to "Freddie and the Fishsticks"[2] and it was later released on Buffett's box set, Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads. "I Heard I Was in Town" was also included on the box set in the Ballads section, but in a slightly different mix than what appears on Somewhere over China; it also makes its only official live recording on Buffett's 2009 live EP Live from Key West.

Record World called the single "It's Midnight and I'm Not Famous Yet" a "sharp rocker."[3]

Chart performance

Somewhere over China reached No. 31 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The song "It's Midnight and I'm Not Famous Yet" hit No. 32 on the new (at the time) Billboard Rock Tracks chart.

Track listing

Side 1:

  1. "Where's the Party" (Jimmy Buffett, Steve Goodman, Bill LaBounty) – 3:37
  2. "It's Midnight and I'm Not Famous Yet" (Jimmy Buffett, Steve Goodman) – 3:49
  3. "I Heard I Was in Town" (Jimmy Buffett, Michael Utley) – 3:36
  4. "Somewhere over China" (Jimmy Buffett) – 5:20

Side 2:

  1. "When Salome Plays the Drum" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:25
  2. "Lip Service" (Jimmy Buffett, Michael Utley) – 3:57
  3. "If I Could Just Get It on Paper" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:32
  4. "Steamer" (John Scott Sherrill) – 4:06
  5. "On a Slow Boat to China" (Frank Loesser) – 3:56

Personnel

The Coral Reefer Band:

Additional Reefers:

Singles

Notes

  1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r2930
  2. ^ Elvis Music. Accessed October 1, 2007. "Freddie Fishstick" is also credited as a "Reeferette" on this album.
  3. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. February 27, 1982. p. 1. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
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