Sunday Folk Fest at the 2024 Birthday of Paul Simon
by Robert Wilkinson
Along with Saint Lenny, October 13 is also the birthday of the magnificent Paul Simon. I have extraordinary video performances from his career!
In case you were on Alpha Centauri during the 60s, 70s, and 80s, Paul Simon (October 13, 1941) has composed some of the most memorable tunes in our lifetime. In the 60s, Simon and Garfunkel began as folk singers, but moved into some major productions. They provided us profound and timeless offerings such as "Sounds of Silence," "I Am A Rock," "Scarborough Fair," "59th Street Bridge Song," "The Boxer," "Mrs. Robinson," and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," to name a few of their dozens of great songs that gave us unique and introspective looks at life.
In the 70s and 80s, Paul Simon's solo career took off like a rocket with such tunes as "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard," "Kodachrome," "American Tune," "Graceland," and "Rhythm of the Saints." Enjoy what you're about to see, since I found some classic footage of Paul and Art, from early television appearances to Zimbabwe!
For your listening pleasure, the amazing talent of Paul Simon! The first part is his incredible work with Art Garfunkel. All his greatest from his solo period is after the intermission.
Live in 1966 on Let’s Sing Out the Canadian television show, Simon and Garfunkel in a perfectly harmonized duet performing the song that blew the doors down! “Sounds of Silence”
From the same television show, Simon and Garfunkel again perfectly harmonized performing another great early song, “Richard Cory”
I found the entire 17 minute segment! Simon and Garfunkel Let's Sing Out 1966 (“Richard Cory,” “The Sound(s) Of Silence,” “Homeward Bound ,” “A Most Peculiar Man,” “He Was My Brother,” “I Am A Rock”)
Also from 1966 here’s a perfectly executed 24 minute set of Simon and Garfunkel very live on Dutch television. This is literally incredible as it's one guitar and two voices creating something amazing. This is certainly as beautiful as the Everly Brothers at their best! Simon and Garfunkel Live in Holland 1966 (“Richard Cory,” “Homeward Bound,” “Leaves That Are Green,” “I Am A Rock,” “A Most Peculiar Man,” “A Poem On The Underground Wall,” “He Was My Brother,” “The Sound Of Silence”)
From that show, an individual clip of them performing their beautiful if cynical acoustic masterpiece with picture perfect harmonies, “I Am A Rock,” which we'll follow with the obscure but powerful "A Poem On The Underground Wall”
Here's the song that blew it all wide open. It was originally written as a folk tune and released on their somewhat obscure first album long before this version became popular. Paul was in England when Tom Wilson went into the studio and using what sounds to be the same studio band as he used in "Like A Rolling Stone," took the original acoustic tracks and put Columbia's studio electric best into the backbeat, making history! This one went to the top in 1965 on a rocket ship! Here's the electrified version of "The Sounds of Silence."
From early on, the studio versions of "We've Got a Groovy Thing Goin'," which we'll follow with "Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream" and "Wednesday Morning 3 am." From the second album, a song written by Davy Graham, one of England's finest Jazz/Blues guitarists, "Anji." We'll close with three from their third album. First, the song most know as "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme," the extraordinarily beautiful "Scarborough Fair/Canticle." We'll follow that with the equally beautiful "The Dangling Conversation," and his scathing comment on advertising, "The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine."
For some fun, we have Paul Simon performing with the Muppets! For an interesting duet of Paul with Miss Piggy destroying the song, here's "Scarborough Fair/Canticle." In another rare clip, here's a very early audio only solo performance by Paul in 1964 at Queens College of "Scarborough Fair/Canticle."
Here’s an audio-only clip from Simon and Garfunkel's performance at the legendary Monterey Pop in the 1967 Summer of Love. For your enjoyment, Simon and Garfunkel live performing “At the Zoo”
However! If you want a live video clip of another of their most loved tunes, here they are at Monterey, doing the iconic "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"
Here’s another b/w clip from that iconic pop festival of Simon and Garfunkel performing “Homeward Bound,” “Sounds of Silence” and "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"
Live in France in 1967, a beautiful version of "The Sounds of Silence."
They showed up on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and gave us "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," “Homeward Bound,” and “Overs”
From The Andy Williams Show in 1968, here are the three of them harmonizing the exquisitely beautiful “Scarborough Fair/Canticle”
An awesome 20 minute live performance on the Kraft Music Hall television show, where they're truly at their best! Simon and Garfunkel Live - 1968
From 1968, and hour and 20 audio-only live performance! Simon and Garfunkel Live at the Hollywood Bowl 1968
From 1970 in France, Simon and Garfunkel live singing what has been called "the happiest song alive." "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"
Live in Amsterdam in 1970, I found audio-only clips by Simon and Garfunkel of some of their greatest!
Live at Madison Square Garden in 2003 on the Old Friends tour, Paul and Art are in fine form performing "Kathy's Song." While the video’s gone, here’s the audio of Paul giving us the beautiful "The Only Living Boy in New York," and we'll close this MSG segment with a special treat! They were joined on stage by the Everly Brothers, and the four of them sang “Bye Bye Love”
While the video of this from the MSG 2003 show is gone, I found this video from the same year in Wilkes-Barre, PA of "American Tune" (Art's voice is truly amazing!)
We'll close this part of his career with a great hour and 57 concert from 2009! “Simon and Garfunkel at Budokan - 2009
Our encore closing this part of his career is an amazing album that many never heard back when. Last year I had a clip with the whole album, but this year the link takes you to the first clip on the album, and the rest follow. For your listening enjoyment, the very (at times) psychedelic 1968 studio album in its entirety, "Bookends"
Intermission
And now, the solo years!
Paul’s a good sport with kids! This is worth 2 minutes of your time! Paul does Sesame Street with a version of “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard,” complete with different lyrics sung by a very cute kid! From 2011, “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard”
The very cute official video for “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard”
Also from his second solo album Paul Simon, here’s an audio-only 1974 live performance of the very beautiful “Mother and Child Reunion”
We have three big ones from his third album There Goes Rhymin’ Simon! First, “Mama don’t take this away!” A great promotional video! “Kodachrome”
Also from that album, live on The Dick Cavett Show in 1974, here’s Paul in a great live solo performance of the moving “American Tune”
We close that album with Paul being a good sport with the Muppets performing “Loves Me Like A Rock”
Here’s a treat! It’s Paul Simon and George Harrison live in 1976 on Saturday Night Live performing Paul’s “Homeward Bound”
Reunions!
In 1981 Paul and Art reunited in what was originally a one-off concert in Central Park. This was an incredibly good show, with both still at their peak! Last year I found various videos, but this year I found a link to the entire show! It all begins here! Simon and Garfunkel – Central Park 1982
I found it again! Here are 21 clips of the 1 hour 33 minute audio-only show from May 1982 in Osaka! Simon and Garfunkel Live in Osaka
A Jupiter cycle later, in November 1993 we have a 35 minute set at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA! Simon and Garfunkel Live at Shoreline (“The Boxer,” “America/Homeward Bound,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Scarborough Fair,” “59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Sounds of Silence”)
Jumping back a Nodal cycle to his solo career!
From 1975 live at the BBC, "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover."
From 1976 at the Grammys, "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover."
A great solo acoustic performance of one of his truly beautiful tunes, "Slip Slidin’ Away”
From 1986, on Letterman, Paul speaks about Graceland and beginning at 11:30, performs “The Boxer”
From 1991 in Japan, Paul nails "Kodachrome."
From a 1992 performance, here's one of my all-time faves, "Me and Julio down by the Schoolyard."
From unplugged in 1992, "Still Crazy After All These Years."
A Jupiter cycle later, on Letterman in 2003, Paul and Art are live and in fine form giving us “America” (“The Boxer” is nowhere to be found this year.)
Also from 2003 on GMA, here’s Art and Paul giving us a great performance of Simon and Garfunkel GMA Interview and Performance of “Old Friends,” “Homeward Bound,” and “Scarborough Fair”
From 2003, Willie Nelson and Paul Simon performing "Homeward Bound."
In 2006, Live at the BBC! "Slip Slidin' Away."
Last year I had the entire 50 minute show Paul Simon Live on BBC 1 - 2006 but it’s disappeared.
Here's Paul and Stevie Wonder in a live 2007 televised performance of "Me and Julio down by the Schoolyard."
From their 2009 Australian tour, Paul and Art cranking out "Cecilia," and from the same tour, "Kathy's Song."
Not live, but great anyway! Here's the music video of “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”
Here’s the official music video of the infinitely danceable “You Can Call Me Al”
At the beginning…..
Here's are a few tunes Paul recorded around 1960-1962 when he recorded under the name of Jerry Landis. Welcome to something that sounds nothing like the Paul Simon the world knows. For your amazement and amusement, one of his hits that I actually remember being played on the transistor radio as a kid in 1960, "Lone Teen Ranger," with the flip side hit with a guitar riff taken straight from "Hushabye," "Lisa." We'll follow with two more period pieces from 1961, "Play Me A Sad Song," and one which could be a clone of "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." From another era, "Beach Blanket Baby."
Early Simon and Garfunkel! The influence of the Everly Brothers is front and center! Check out this gem from 1957 called "Hey School Girl," then we have the B side, "Dancin‘ Wild"
When they reunited for the live show in 2003, they spoke of meeting before they were teens, the early days, and then did a minute and 30 version of this hit 46 years later! "Hey School Girl,"
2 more from those days! He cut the first one as Jerry Landis. "I'm Lonely" and as Tom and Jerry, "Don’t Say Goodbye"
And now we fast forward to one of the most famous and daring concerts in history! It helped end apartheid on South Africa and showcased African music for the rest of the world. Every year clips appear and disappear. This year I found a great link to a bunch of clips, and while it’s not the whole thing, it’s still an easy way to get a bunch of the show!
Paul Simon - the Concert in Zimbabwe,
Here are a few clips from the Concert in Zimbabwe. We begin with Paul Simon and the legendary Hugh Masekela doing 5 minutes together of some very African music, beginning with "Township Jive."
From there, we move into "Diamonds on the soles of her shoes."
Ladysmith Black Mambazo – pt 1 (4m 49s)
The video’s disappeared, but the audio’s just fine on "Crazy Love Volume II" and
”Call Me Al,” “Ladysmith Black Mambazo – pt 2” and “Graceland” have disappeared.
Last year I had the live performance of “Homeless,” but this year it’s disappeared. So instead I found this great “live in the studio” clip of Paul and his choir singing and discussing how they made “Homeless”
For the closer of the Zimbabwe concert with Mama Africa, Ms. Miriam Makeba, Under African Skies."
From Hard Rock Calling in London, a great live performance of “Graceland” and “You Can Call Me Al” – London 2012
Live at the 2012 Concert in Hyde Park, “Slip Slidin’ Away” and from the same gig, “The Boxer”
Last year’s first encore was a 5 hour 17 minute video performance of Paul with Sting in Antwerp in 2015, but it’s disappeared. So instead, for our encore, here’s a 2 hour and 52 minute video from somewhere on that tour. Paul Simon and Sting – Live in 2015
For the second encore, Paul and Stephen Colbert harmonizing to "Feelin' Groovy" (with completely new lyrics!) and from 2015, Paul with "Troubled Waters" doing a gag and then a performance with Stephen of "Me and Julio Down In the Schoolyard."
For the third encore, the masterpiece! Art's voice is as good as it gets in this awesome 2009 Madison Square Garden performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters"
"These are the days of miracles and wonder...." Thanks for all the tunes, and may you have many, many more years and songs to go. You're one of the all time best!!
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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