@@lorenzosarli2310 Actually he didn't. Paul pretty much did it all with occasional input from Art. Have you read much about them? Why do you think Art's solo career was, "eh?" Six top 40 hits (one top ten ) in almost 50 years. Whereas, Paul Simon... Do I need to clarify? Suffice to say Graceland sold over 14 million copies worldwide and that was just one album
@@Waterloosunset2 That's incorrect sir. Simon may have come up with the songs, but he and Garfunkel worked out their vocal parts together. It was Paul's gift for songwriting AND Art's ear for haunting harmonies that made the duo such a hit. Paul said that without Art, the songs didn't sound the way he heard them in his head. Plus Art wasn't napping while Paul and Roy Halee worked on production. The three of them created those wonderful records through teamwork. As for solo careers... Simon is the clear winner, no argument there. But still, I'd pick Sounds or Bookends over Graceland any day.
@@lorenzosarli2310 I agree with everything you stated. I have a low tolerance for so-called "World Music," thus "Graceland" is a snoozefest to me compared with anything Simon and Garfunkel recorded as well versus Paul Simon's earlier solo work. Also, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (who became acquainted when they were 11 years old and first sang together in a school production of "Alice in Wonderland") both graduated from Forest Hills High School, the same school attended by John Colvin (Johnny), Doug Cummings (Dee Dee), Jeffrey Hyman (Joey) and Tom Erdelyi (Tommy) , the four original members of the punk rock band The Ramones. S&G started out as the team of Tom & Jerry, recording as an homage to their idols, The Everly Brothers, not a bad duo by which to be influenced. In fact, S&G covered The Everlys' "Bye Bye Love" on their 1970 swansong album, "Bridge Over Trouble Water." And Simon (under the pseudonym of "Jerry Landis") had also been a songwriter for small Brill Building-based labels, composing for Ritchie Cordell (born Richard Joel Rosenblatt), who himself composed and produced so many of those great hits ("I Think We're Alone Now" among them) by Tommy James and The Shondells, as well producing "I Love Rock and Roll" years later for Joan Jett. And Simon had also composed that great pop tune "Red Rubber Ball" for The Cyrkle. But without Garfunkel's beautiful harmonies and ear for music, those S&G recordings would never have existed, at least not as we know them. Garfunkel, whose pseudonym had been "Tom Graf" because he supposedly liked to track or graph the chart positions of pop hits, had also completed work toward a doctorate at a teacher's college while he was in the beginning stages of S&G. And Garfunkel helped his college roommate (who had gone blind from glaucoma) by reading to him to help him complete his degree. The roommate rewarded Garfunkel's kindness by paying the $500 used to record the demo of "Sounds of Silence." I think that's a nice anecdote about how an act of kindness led to unpredictable greatness. Credit must also go to producer/engineer Tom Wilson, whose work on "Sounds of Silence" (including the dubbing of electronic backing onto the recording, which had initially infuriated S&G) is what helped make the tune a hit, and brought them back together (Simon was already in England working on new material with one of the members of the Australian folk-pop group The Seekers), making S&G worldwide-famous when their music was included in the soundtrack of Mike Nichols' 1967's Academy Award-nominated film "The Graduate." Imagine what "The Graduate" would have been like without the music of S&G; probably stil a fine film, but missing an important ambience. The S&G music was almost another character in that film.
This is such a great song you could literally flip it into any style and it comes out as a banger. You could do it Metal, Rock, Punk, R&B, folk and every one would be scintillating. That's some quality writing and music. And obviously the Bangles hit this one out of the park with their version.
@@Sceneyour True. I saw Paul Simon interviewed in the 1990's on tv and he was so sad, neurotic. His neurosis stems from his childhood. He was throwing a rubber ball inside his house while saying "This is _my_ house, I'll throw the ball when I want." He looked like a sad, pathetic, little boy.
I don't drink alcohol so, I'll go for sparkling grape juice 😅. Regardless they are amazing composers and singers. Their songs are serious works of art and very inspirational.
San Francisco's summers are actually pretty much like this song describes lol. ("The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." -- Mark Twain)
es I was so hard to please But look around Leaves are brown And the sky is a hazy shade of winter Hear the Salvation Army band Down by the riverside's Bound to be a better ride Than what you've got planned Carry your cup in your hand And look around you Leaves are brown, now And the sky is a hazy shade of winter Hang on to your hopes, my friend That's an easy thing to say But if your hopes should pass away Simply pretend That you can build them again Look around The grass is high The fields are ripe It's the springtime of my life Seasons change with the scenery Weaving time in a tapestry Won't you stop and remember me At any convenient time? Funny how my memory skips Looking over manuscripts Of unpublished rhyme Drinking my vodka and lime I look around Leaves are brown And the sky is a hazy shade of winter Look around Leaves are brown There's a patch of snow on the ground Look around Leaves are brown There's a patch of snow on the ground
I have loved this song for as long as I can remember. But just recently, at the autumn of my own life, do I really understand and comprehend the lyrics. Simon, you genious!
"Funny how my memory skips while looking over manuscripts of unpublished rhyme"--once again reflecting Simon's recurring literary theme ever-present throughout his music with Art Garfunkel and as a solo artist.
Why is that ending arc so amazing to me...that little build up of the organ chords and that sudden stop! 1966..what a year...lost my virginity and a bit of my sanity.
I don’t recall ever knowing this existed until I saw a video of Susanna Hoffs telling a story before playing this in 2022. I would have gone to my grave just assuming the Bangles wrote this song.
@@bryanwhitton1784 It put words to my loneliness and isolation better than I ever could. I haven’t listened to it since getting my autism diagnosis (becoming much happier and more confident in myself as a result) so I can’t say how well I identify with it anymore, but it was a healing song for me when I was a teenager during those lonely days.
I know these comments are filled with people saying they had no idea this was a Simon & Garfunkel song, yes, I am another one. I even like Simon & Garfunkel's music and thought I was pretty familiar with their music. I grew up with the Bangles version and love that one more, but still, very interesting to hear this version finally.
I had no idea this was originally a Paul Simon song. While it's a great song, it really doesn't showcase the S&G voices like in most of their other iconic songs
