Jimmy Buffett Joins Eli Young Band For New Version Of 'Saltwater Gospel'

Eli Young Band has released a new rendition of their song, "Saltwater Gospel" featuring the one and only, Jimmy Buffett. The new version, dubbed the "fins up version," offers a fresh take on the Ross Copperman, Nicolle Galyon and Ashley Gorley- penned song.

The band's "Saltwater Gospel," originally released in 2016, was never a bit hit on the country charts, however, the band knew how much their fans loved it.

"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," lead singer Mike Eli said. "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."

"We aimed high thinking how cool it would be to have Jimmy Buffett, but finding out he was interested, we were pumped!," he continued. "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."

Jon Jones, the band's bassist added, "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."

Buffett has been listening to Eli Young Band for a several years now. When he first heard "Saltwater Gospel" back in 2016, it immediately captured his attention. "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," Buffett said. "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."

When the band asked him to be on the reimagined version of the song, Buffett says, "Of course I said, ‘yeah, I’d love to do this’ and thought it was a great idea."

Take a listen to the "fins up version" of "Saltwater Gospel" below.

Photo: Getty Images