Folk-rock icons Simon and Garfunkel provided the voice of the sixties as one of the decade’s leading act. The duo, equipped with harmonious acoustics and eloquently and intellectually crafted lyrics, produced memorable hit albums and singles speaking to all generations without compromising ... More
Simon and Garfunkel Information
Folk-rock icons Simon and Garfunkel provided the voice of the sixties as one of the decade’s leading act. The duo, equipped with harmonious acoustics and eloquently and intellectually crafted lyrics, produced memorable hit albums and singles speaking to all generations without compromising their knack for innocent pop.
As childhood friends that grew up in Forest Hills, NY, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel had a go at making it as a musical duo several times before they finally struck success, with the help of Bob Dylan’s producer Tom Wilson dressing up “Sounds of Silence” to become a hit. From there, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966) became their first really consistent album, followed up by Bookends (1968), which blended previously released singles with some new material, reflected their growing maturity. One of its songs, "Mrs. Robinson," became one of the biggest singles of the late '60s after it was prominently featured in one of the best films of the period, The Graduate.
Their final studio album, recorded while their companionship was on its way down, Bridge Over Troubled Waters was an enormous hit, topping the charts for ten weeks, and containing four hit singles, including "The Boxer," "Cecilia," and "El Condor Pasa". It was certainly their most musically ambitious, with "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" and "The Boxer" employing thundering drums and tasteful orchestration, and "Cecilia" marking one of Simon's first forays into South American rhythms. It also caught the confused, reflective tenor of the times better than almost any other popular release of 1970. Although they didn't necessarily intend to break up at the time, the break from recording eventually became permanent, as Simon began a solo career that brought him as much success as the duo outings, and Garfunkel pursued simultaneous acting and recording careers.
They did reunite in 1975 for a Top Ten single, "My Little Town," and have periodically performed together since without any hint at producing new material. A 1981 concert in New York's Central Park attracted half a million fans, and was commemorated with a live album. After revealing that they would be playing the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Simon and Garfunkel also announced that this show would be the kick-off for more tour dates to come, having played ten dates in May and scheduled 18 more dates in July. The legendary duo will play at Tanglewood in Lenox, Western MA on July 27th, one of the last performances of the tour.
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