Monday October 5, 2020 “Sound of Silence” Simon & Garfunkel

In a discussion of harmonies it would be shameful to not include Simon &

Garfunkel who have listed yesterday’s Everly Brothers as one of their early influences,

“Sound of Silence” was recorded as an acoustic version on the first Simon & Garfunkel album, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, which was billed as "exciting new sounds in the folk tradition," and sold about 2,000 copies. When the album tanked, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel split up, the first time. 

What they didn't know was that their record company had a plan. Trying to take advantage of the emerging folk-rock movement, Columbia Records had producer Tom Wilson add electric instruments to the acoustic track and the new version went quickly to number one. Simon & Garfunkel got back together.

Even though they were friends since they met in grade school, like many rock & roll ‘brothers’, Simon & Garfunkel no longer speak to each other. 

When Simon and Garfunkel were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, Art Garfunkel thanked Paul Simon for enriching his life. Simon responded by saying, "Arthur and I agree about almost nothing. But it's true, I have enriched his life quite a bit." After three songs, the duo left without speaking.

A New York radio DJ once said that Paul Simon’s intelligent lyrics raised the rock & roll IQ by thirty points and in an odd piece of S&G history, Art Garfunkel worked as a math teacher in a private school in Connecticut in the early '70s after splitting from Paul Simon.

Stay safe and well...and hopefully some of this week's harmonies will slip into the world’s mainstream.

Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

'Neath the halo of a street lamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share

And no one dared

Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools" said I, "You do not know

Silence like a cancer grows

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you"

But my words like silent raindrops fell

And echoed in the wells of silence

Within the sound of silence