Buffett to Put Out Unreleased Original Songs from Early Days

Dubbed the “Buried Treasure” project, Jimmy Buffett says that he’s come across a collection of unreleased songs from the late 60’s and early 70’s that he plans to release soon:

The “Buried Treasure” project includes at least 20 original songs and perhaps some cover material Buffett recorded in Nashville between 1969 and 1973 with original producer Travis Turk.

“Two years ago they were going to sell the studio we were working at and owners said go through this and see if there’s anything you can use. He found 74 original songs I forgot I had written,” Buffett says. “It’s really, right back to the beginning stuff. … I’m going back and listening to myself during these times and it’s sparking stories. I don’t remember writing a lot of these songs but once I hear them stuff starts coming back. So I’m doing a narration through this material that we found. I’m going to do that as a project. They were tape recordings they were about to throw out. Some is cover stuff, but the original stuff there’s probably about 20 songs that I had forgotten I had written. … It’s something people might want to add to their collection.”

Although he’s uncertain when Buried Treasure might be released, Buffett says his work on the project should be done in the next couple months. “I’m working on that on the road.”

Meanwhile, he’s written some new songs, but says, “I’m at that point now where, do I really want to go into the studio and put out another album? I’ve got four or five songs new songs. Why don’t I just go in and record them and put them up on line? I’m not sure people really want to go get a whole album collection because of how iTunes has kind of taken the album away.”

Stay tuned, he says. “I’m kind of toying with how you go forward with new material. In the meantime I certainly know how to deal with this old material. They will want that as a collection.”