Back in the 1970's, Simon and Garfunkel were very popular and the melodious and melancholic but haunting harmony of their voices could make my hair stand on ends. As a teenager, I would painstakingly learn how to play their songs on the guitar and ensured my plucking patterns were as similar as possible to theirs, especially for Homeward Bound, The Boxer, Sound of Silence and El Condor Pasa.
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Both of them were childhood friends in Forest Hills, Queens, New York where they lived close to each other. They met in elementary school in 1953, when they both appeared in the school play Alice in Wonderland (Simon as the White Rabbit, Garfunkel as the Cheshire Cat). They were classmates at Parsons Junior High School and Forest Hills High School, and began performing together in their junior year as Tom and Jerry, with Simon as Jerry Landis (whose last name he borrowed from a girl he had been dating) and Garfunkel as Tom Graph (so called because he was fond of tracking ("graphing") hits on the pop charts).
In 1955, they began writing their own songs , and made their first professional recording, "Hey, Schoolgirl", for Sid Prosen of Big Records in 1957. Both Simon and Garfunkel have acknowledged the tremendous impact of The Everly Brothers on their style, and many of their early songs (including "Hey, Schoolgirl") bear the mark of this influence.
They are well known for their close vocal harmonies and sometimes unstable relationship. Their last album, Bridge over Troubled Water, was delayed several times due to artistic disagreements. They were among the most popular recording artists of the 1960s; among their biggest hits, in addition to "The Sounds of Silence", were "I Am a Rock", "Homeward Bound", "A Hazy Shade of Winter", "Mrs. Robinson", "Bridge over Troubled Water", "The Boxer", "Cecilia", and "Scarborough Fair/Canticle". They have received several Grammy awards and are inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame (2007). They have reunited on several occasions since their 1970 breakup, most famously for 1981's The Concert in Central Park, which attracted about 500,000 people.
On February 13, 2009, Simon and his band re-opened New York's legendary Beacon Theatre, which had been closed for seven months for a renovation. As an encore, Simon brought out "[his] old friend" Art Garfunkel. They sang 3 songs: "Sound of Silence", "The Boxer", and "Old Friends".
On April 2, 2009, the duo announced a tour of Australia, New Zealand and Japan for June/July 2009. On October 29-30, they participated together in the 25th anniversary of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden. Other artists on the bill included Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, U2, Metallica, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Eric Clapton.
So those of you who are baby boomers, do share a comment or two to share your memories of any of Simon and Garfunkel's songs. Here are some of my favorite hits by the duo. Click to listen...
Bridge over Troubled Waters
Sound of Silence
Mrs Robinson
Homeward Bound
Scaborough Fair
The Boxer
El Condor Pasa
I am a Rock
Sound of Silence
Mrs Robinson
Homeward Bound
Scaborough Fair
The Boxer
El Condor Pasa
I am a Rock
Happy listening and have a lovely evening! Next post should be up much later. Take care!
Anonymous did i tell u i liked the BEST their 'sound of silence' !? (iwc)