In this article we're going to review one of the most famous
reunion concerts in pop history, the reunion of Simon and
Garfunkel in Central Park.
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were one of the biggest singing
duos in the late 60s and early 70s. To understand why this
concert was so important one first needs to know about the
events that led up to it.
Right after their recording of their landmark album "Bridge Over
Troubled Water" Simon and Garfunkel had a huge falling out. In a
nutshell, Paul Simon felt he didn't get the credit he deserved
for their Grammy winning title song from that album. Because
Paul Simon actually wrote the tune he felt that he should be the
one identified with it. But because of Art Garfunkel's
incredible vocals Paul Simon was always overshadowed even though
he was the creative force behind the duo's success. This became
quite evident after their breakup when Garfunkel's music career
fizzled and Simon's took off.
There was a period of time when people felt these two would
never speak to each other again. It was more than ten years
after their breakup that Paul Simon finally approached Art
Garfunkel and asked him if he would consider getting together to
do a concert in Central Park in New York City. Quite honestly,
Simon never expected Garfunkel to agree but he did. The rest is
history. So on September 19, 1981, Simon and Garfunkel played
together for the first time in over 10 years in front of more
than 500,000 people in Central Park. This is more people than
attended Woodstock, just so you understand the significance of
this event.
The duo had a pretty decent backing band as well. They had Steve
Gadd and Grady Tate on drums, David Brown and Pete Carr on
guitars, Anthony Jackson on bass, Richard Tee on keyboards, Rob
Mounsey on synthesizers, John Gatchell and John Eckert on
trumpets and Dave Tofani and Gerry Niewood on saxophones. This
tight bunch of musicians put on a performance that for those in
attendance will never be forgotten.
The truth is, anything these two would have sang together would
have been a treat but the highlights were nothing short of the
best these two had to offer. The concert started with one of
their greatest songs and Grammy winner, "Mrs. Robinson." Two
songs later they came through with "America" which got an
ovation that had to be heard in New Jersey. Other highlights
included "Homeward Bound", "The Sounds Of Silence", "American
Tune", a solo Simon effort from 1973, "The Boxer" and of course
the great "Bridge Over Troubled Water" which swept the Grammy
awards show broadcast in 1971. Simon also did a few more of his
solo efforts including "Still Crazy After All These Years",
"Late In The Evening", "Kodachrome", "Fifty Ways To Leave Your
Lover," and "Slip Slidin Away."
For 500,000 people it was a once in a lifetime experience. Simon
and Garfunkel were back together again...at least for one
glorious day.
|
