Sometime in late 1978 or early 1979, Pluto Jones was playing at Rum Pointe in Key Largo in the Florida Keys. We were staying in an apartment over the bar, which was located right on Florida Bay. So one morning I went out on the pier to play my guitar and maybe write a song. The sun was shining across the water, and the glistening bay looked like it had a thousand sparkling eyes. The lyrics came out pretty quickly, and there it was...Eyes Of The Ocean. As I was finishing the song, these four kids pulled up in a speedboat. I sang the song for them, and they offered to take me for a ride and a bit of waterskiing. I had grown up skiing, but hadn't had the opportunity to ski for five years or more. They must've pulled me around for an hour or so, and I relished every second as I cruised among the ocean's sparkling eyes with the hot Florida sun beating down on my back. This version was recorded live by Pluto Jones one afternoon in June 1980 at the Brass Monkey Lounge in Marathon in the Florida Keys. I hung two Shure SM-57 microphones from the ceiling and pressed 'record' on an $80 Sanyo cassette deck. Somehow, I kept track of that old cassette, and I still have it today. There's also a newer version, recorded in 2008 during the session celebrating Michael's 50th birthday and Pluto Jones' 30th anniversary. Eyes Of The Ocean © 2024 - Joey Arata