Simon & Garfunkel

Simon & Garfunkel was a highly influential American folk rock duo composed of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. They are known for their harmonious vocals and catchy, introspective songs, which often featured Bob Dylan-esque lyrics and The Beatles-inspired melodies, as well as the production skills of Roy Halee and Tom Wilson (record producer). With their unique sound, they became one of the most popular and successful duos of the 1960s and 1970s, performing at iconic venues like Madison Square Garden and Central Park. Their music was also heavily influenced by Jazz and Classical music, with George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein being notable inspirations.

History

The duo's history began in the late 1950s when Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel met while attending Forest Hills High School in Queens, New York. They began performing together as Tom & Jerry, releasing their first single, "Hey Schoolgirl", in 1957, which was produced by Sid Prosen and released on Big Records (1950s label). After attending Queens College and Columbia University, they reformed as Simon & Garfunkel in the early 1960s, releasing their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, in 1964, which was recorded at Columbia Records and produced by Tom Wilson (record producer). The album was not an initial success, but after the release of their second album, Sounds of Silence, in 1966, which included the hit single "The Sound of Silence", they gained widespread recognition, performing on The Ed Sullivan Show and at the Newport Folk Festival. They went on to release several successful albums, including Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme and Bookends, which featured the production skills of John Simon (musician) and the engineering of Fred Plaut.

Music Style and Influences

Simon & Garfunkel's music style was a unique blend of folk rock, pop music, and classical music, with intricate vocal harmonies and poetic lyrics, often inspired by William Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot. Their songs often featured acoustic guitar and piano, with Paul Simon's fingerpicking style being particularly distinctive, as well as the use of strings and woodwinds arranged by Paul Griffin and Ernie Freeman. They were influenced by a wide range of artists, including The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan, as well as Jazz musicians like Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and Classical music composers like Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Their music also reflected their interests in social justice and politics, with songs like "The Only Living Boy in New York" and "A Simple Desultory Philippic (or How I Was Robert McNamara'd into Submission)" addressing issues like war and inequality, and referencing figures like Robert McNamara and Hubert Humphrey.

Discography

Simon & Garfunkel released five studio albums during their career: Wednesday Morning, 3 AM (1964), Sounds of Silence (1966), Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966), Bookends (1968), and Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), which was recorded at CBS Studios and produced by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel with the assistance of Roy Halee and Fred Carter Jr.. They also released several live albums, including The Concert in Central Park (1982) and Old Friends: Live on Stage (2004), which featured performances at Central Park and Madison Square Garden. Their music was released on Columbia Records and has been certified gold and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with sales exceeding 10 million copies in the United States alone, and 20 million copies worldwide, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

Awards and Legacy

Simon & Garfunkel won numerous awards during their career, including six Grammy Awards and an American Music Award, as well as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003. They were also named one of the greatest duos of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, alongside The Everly Brothers and Hall & Oates, and have been cited as an influence by many other artists, including The Indigo Girls, Counting Crows, and Death Cab for Cutie, as well as Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen. Their music has been featured in various films and television shows, including The Graduate (1967), Easy Rider (1969), and The Simpsons, and has been covered by many other artists, including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John, as well as Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra.

Tours and Live Performances

Simon & Garfunkel were known for their energetic and harmonious live performances, which often featured intricate vocal arrangements and acoustic instrumentation, as well as the use of strings and woodwinds arranged by Paul Griffin and Ernie Freeman. They toured extensively throughout their career, performing at iconic venues like Madison Square Garden and Central Park, as well as at festivals like Woodstock and Newport Folk Festival. Their 1981 concert in Central Park was attended by over 500,000 people, making it one of the largest concerts in history, and was recorded and released as The Concert in Central Park (1982). They have also performed at various benefit concerts, including Live Aid (1985) and Bridge School Benefit (1986), and have been joined on stage by other notable artists, including Bob Dylan, The Everly Brothers, and James Taylor, as well as Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell.