Jimmy Buffett on the Songwriting Advice He Got From Paul McCartney
If Paul McCartney gives you songwriting advice, you listen. Just ask Jimmy Buffett.
In a new interview with Billboard in support of his new album, Life on the Flip Side, Buffett said, “I had the good fortune of some people to talk to about this [new album], like Paul McCartney…We’ve become friends from knowing each other in St. Barts and our wives are friends.”
Buffett continued, “We’d played a show together and hung out and I played him some stuff and he gave me some feedback. He said, ‘Let it breathe a little more, just kind of let it go along and make it light.’ It was good feedback — and then you got outside and go, ‘F*ck! That’s Paul McCartney!’ You can’t get over that.”
Life on the Flip Side is out now and available on CD and vinyl through MailBoatRecords.com.
GALLERY: Classic Beatles-Era Photos of Paul McCartney
circa 1960: Liverpudlian skiffle beat band The Beatles standing outside Paul's Liverpool home (left to right) George Harrison (1943 - 2001), John Lennon (1940 - 1980), Paul McCartney. Ringo Starr was not to join the band for another two years. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
28th August 1967: British rock star Paul McCartney and his girlfriend Jane Asher leaving a transcendental meditation course in Bangor, North Wales, after hearing of the death of the Beatles manager Brian Epstein. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
12th March 1969: Paul McCartney, the last bachelor in the Beatles, outside Marylebone register office with American photographer Linda Eastman (1941 - 1998) shortly after their wedding ceremony. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Beatles singer and bass player Paul McCartney holds four year old Julian, son of his colleague John Lennon (visible in the background) during a holiday near Athens in Greece. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
The Beatles on stage at the London Palladium during a performance in front of 2, 000 screaming fans. (Photo by Michael Webb/Getty Images)
The Beatles rehearsing at the Prince of Wales Theatre for their Royal Variety Performance.
The Beatles throw a Magical Mystery Party to celebrate the launch of their new film 'The Magical Mystery Tour'. They turned up in fancy dress. From left to right: Maureen Starr, Ringo, John Lennon (1940 - 1980), Paul McCartney and Jane Asher. (Photo by Ian Tyas/Getty Images)
The Beatles sporting multi-lingual 'Love Is All You Need' sandwich boards at the EMI studios in Abbey Road, as they prepare for 'Our World', a world-wide live television show broadcasting to 24 countries with a potential audience of 400 million. Original Publication: People Disc - HU0054 (Photo by Jim Gray/Getty Images)
British rock group The Beatles perform in a club prior to signing their first recording contract, Liverpool, England, 1962. L-R: George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and original drummer Pete Best. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Paul McCartney (left) and George Harrison (1943 - 2001) sit next to each other on their tour bus during a Beatles American tour, c. 1966. Behind them sit Ringo Starr (left) and John Lennon (1940 - 1980). (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)
circa 1960: Paul McCartney on stage at the Cavern nightclub in Liverpool during the early days of British beat group The Beatles. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
February 1964: American heavyweight boxer Cassius Clay poses in the ring in mock victory over British pop group The Beatles, meeting the press in New York during an American tour. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
22nd May 1967: The Beatles (clockwise from top left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison (1943 - 2001), John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and Paul McCartney) pose for a photocall to promote their new album 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. (Photo by John Pratt/Keystone/Getty Images)
12th March 1969: Beatle Paul McCartney weds American photographer Linda Eastman (1941 - 1998). With them is their daugther Heather. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
19th May 1967: The Beatles celebrate the completion of their new album, 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', at a press conference held at the west London home of their manager Brian Epstein. The LP is released on June 1st. (Photo by John Pratt/Keystone/Getty Images)
26th October 1965: Liverpudlian pop group The Beatles proudly display their MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) awards at a press reception held at the Saville Theatre after their Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
1968: Three Beatles; from left to right John Lennon (1940 - 1980), George Harrison (1943 - 2001) and Paul McCartney, record voices in a studio for their new cartoon film 'Yellow Submarine'. (Photo by Keystone Features/Getty Images)
1st November 1963: Two members of Liverpudlian pop group The Beatles, John Lennon (1940 - 1980), singer and guitarist, left, and Paul McCartney, singer and bass guitarist. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
Portrait of British pop group The Beatles (L-R) Paul McCartney, George Harrison (1943 - 2001), Ringo Starr and John Lennon (1940 - 1980) at the BBC Television Studios in London before the start of their world tour, June 17, 1966. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
13th March 1964: The Beatles, from left to right: George Harrison (1943 - 2001), Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and John Lennon (1940 - 1980), have their famous hair-dos tidied up before going on to the set at Twickenham Studios to begin filming. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
16th January 1964: Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney of British pop group The Beatles relax in a Paris hotel room. (Photo by Harry Benson/Express/Getty Images)
23rd October 1963: The four Beatles waiting at London Airport. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
5th October 1963: The Beatles meet for the first time after their holidays by candlelight at the Star Steak House in Shaftsbury Avenue, London. This evening they appear on 'Ready, Steady, Go', the British music television programme. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
31st July 1967: Paul McCartney of the Beatles and his girlfriend, actress Jane Asher, arrive at London Airport after a trip to Greece. McCartney holds up an issue of the Evening Standard leading with a story about the drugs case involving Keith Richards and Mick Jagger and bearing the headline 'Stones Won't Go To Jail'. (Photo by George Stroud/Express/Getty Images)
6th February 1964: The Beatles arriving at London Airport after a trip to Paris. From left to right - Paul McCartney, George Harrison (1943 - 2001), Ringo Starr and John Lennon. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
25th November 1963: A group shot of the Beatles, Ringo Starr (in the background), George Harrison (1943 - 2001), Paul McCartney and John Lennon (1940 - 1980), pictured during a performance on Granada TV's Late Scene Extra television show filmed in Manchester, England on November 25, 1963. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
26th October 1965: British pop group The Beatles, from left to right; Ringo Starr, John Lennon (1940 - 1980), Paul McCartney and George Harrison (1943 - 2001), outside Buckingham Palace, London, after receiving their MBE's (Member of the Order of the British Empire) from the Queen. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
2nd July 1964: The Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison (1943 - 2001), Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, pictured on their arrival in London following a tour of Australia. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
June 1967: The Beatles at the EMI studios in Abbey Road, as they prepare for 'Our World', a world-wide live television show broadcasting to 24 countries with a potential audience of 400 million. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
American television host Ed Sullivan smiles while standing with British rock group the Beatles on the set of his television variety series, New York, February 9, 1964. Left to right: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Sullivan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)
1969: Beatles star Paul McCartney weds American photographer Linda Eastman (1941 - 1998). With them is daughter Heather. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
British rock group the Beatles at the Dorchester Hotel in London, 1964. From left to right, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison and Paul McCartney. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
English rock band the Beatles prepare to perform their new single 'Hello, Goodbye' on stage at the Saville Theatre, London, 1967. Clockwise from top left, they are Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. (Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
English musician, singer, and songwriter, Paul McCartney, and his wife American musician and photographer, Linda McCartney (1941 - 1998), arrive at the film premiere of 'Alfred the Great', 1969. (Photo by John Downing/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Pop group The Beatles relax on a beach in Miami, Florida. From left to right John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, circa February 1964. (Photo by Daily Express/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
English pop group The Beatles receiving awards from the Variety Club of Great Britain, 1963. Back row George Harrison, Paul McCartney, front row, Ringo Starr and John Lennon. (Photo by Daily Express/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Left to right: Paul McCartney, George Harrison (1943 - 2001) and John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of the Beatles, backstage with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi after he gave a lecture on transcendental meditation at the Hilton hotel, London, 25th August 1967. (Photo by C. Maher/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
The Beatles collectively mime going for a drive, 1963. From left to right, Ringo, George, Paul and John. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
British pop group The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon, attend a press conference at Kennedy International Airport in New York having arrived from London for a 10 day US tour, 7th February 1964. (Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Beatle John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his Japanese girlfriend Yoko Ono with Beatle Paul McCartney (right), at the premiere of the new Beatles film 'Yellow Submarine' at the London Pavilion, 18th July 1968. John and Paul hold apples, the symbol of their newly formed company, Apple Corps. Thousands of Beatle fans brought traffic to a standstill in Piccadilly Circus as they waited to see the group arrive at the premiere. (Photo by Larry Ellis/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney at London Airport after a trip to America to promote their new company Apple Corps, 16th May 1968. They are both dressed all in white and carrying apples. (Photo by Stroud/Express/Getty Images)
British pop group the Beatles, (from left to right), John, George, Ringo and Paul, circa 1967. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
13th September 1964: Beatles Paul McCartney (left) and John Lennon (1940 - 1980) at the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards held at the Dorchester, London. (Photo by William Vanderson/Fox Photos/Getty Images)
8th April 1963: British pop group The Beatles holding their silver disc. Left to right are, Paul McCartney, George Harrison (1943 - 2001), Ringo Starr, George Martin of EMI and John Lennon (1940 - 1980). (Photo by Chris Ware/Keystone/Getty Images)
18th June 1964: Paul McCartney, singer, bassist, and songwriter with The Beatles, celebrates his 22nd birthday on tour with the band in Sydney, Australia. Giving Paul a birthday kiss are some of the seventeen Australian beauties invited to the party. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)