Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

SIMON and GARFUNKEL

Vocal duo: Paul Simon (b 13 Oct. '41) and Art Garfunkel (b 5 Nov. '41) came together as childhood friends (both from Newark NJ), singing at parties etc, strongly infl. by the Everly Bros; as Tom and Jerry they scored minor US hit '57 with 'Hey Schoolgirl' (Tom and Jerry material reissued as Simon and Garfunkel '67 with later fame and to their displeasure). Wednesday Morning 3 a.m. '64 on Columbia was their first proper LP, incl. 'The Sound Of Silence', promising 'Bleecker Street', with 'Sparrow' and 'Benedictus' emphasizing the precision and clarity of their harmony singing. Such was the vogue for Bob Dylan's pioneering folk-rock fusion that producer Tom Wilson added electric backing to 'Sound Of Silence' without their knowledge for a no. 1 hit early '65: Simon was touring UK folk clubs as a solo as the single raced up the chart and they found themselves on the rock merry-go-round. Sounds Of Silence '65 was rushed, largely rocked-up versions of songs from The Paul Simon Songbook (see his entry, above), but his articulate lyrics and their beguiling harmonies made them a generation's heroes, 'I Am A Rock' and 'Homeward Bound' top five hits, both still heard in pubs all over the world. They were perfectionists in recording (and Simon as a writer) so subsequent releases were few; Parsely, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme '66 was the first they had control over and probably their best: 'The Dangling Conversation' about isolation; 'A Poem On The Underground Wall', 'Patterns' about urban alienation; '59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)' on the light side. They released singles 'Fakin' It', 'A Hazy Shade Of Winter', 'At The Zoo'; immaculately crafted and too good for the top 40, their appeal was largely collegiate. Another breakthrough occurred with film The Graduate '68 (dir. by Mike Nichols), one of the first major films to use rock in the soundtrack, using Simon songs and giving them huge world-wide hit with 'Mrs Robinson'. Bookends '68 incl. singles mentioned above plus caustic 'Save The Life Of My Child', poignant 'America', 'Old Friends'; steamrolling success continued with Bridge Over Troubled Water '70: fragmented, it incl. anthemic (if syrupy) title song, now a standard; 'The Boxer' (some say their best ever); breezy pop of 'Cecilia', 'Keep The Customer Satisfied'; it won a record six Grammys, sold over 11m copies, was first simultaneously to top US and UK album and singles charts; then they split up, still friends but no longer able to work together: Simon's 'The Only Living Boy In New York' on Bridge was allegedly a comment on Garfunkel's acting debut in Catch 22 '70, itself allegedly part of the reason for the split. Greatest Hits '72 collected four otherwise unavailable live tracks; they re-formed for a benefit for Senator George McGovern '72; Simon wrote 'My Little Town' for Garfunkel '75 (it appeared on both their solo albums of the period); they re-formed for NYC concert and two-disc album The Concert In Central Park '82, incl. new performances of hits, solo work, revisited roots in songs by the Everlys and Chuck Berry. But a subsequent studio reunion didn't work, and the work became Simon's solo Hearts And Bones. Three-CD Collected Works '90 incl. 58 songs.