Paul Frederic Simon was born on October 13, 1941 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He first entered the music industry with his partner Art Garfunkel in the form of a duo "Tom And Jerry". In 1957, they hit the U.S. hit charts with their influential rock song "Hey, Schoolgirl." After releasing an album, they separated, mainly so that they could return to school. Although later, Simon mainly worked for Carole King Records, he still failed to make another record until the early 1960s. Simon had used various pseudonyms to release some second-rate songs in the United States between 1962 and 1963, such as "Motorcycle" under the name Tico And The Triumphs and "The LoneTeen-Ranger" under the name Jerry Landis. 》.
After moving to Europe in 1964, he began performing in various folk clubs in Paris and London, England. After returning to New York, he signed with CBS Records, produced by Tom Wilson, and reunited with his old partner Garfunkel. Their 1964 album Wednesday Morning, which included the song "The Sound Of Silence", did not sell well, prompting Simon to return to London. At the same time, he produced The Paul Simon Songbook, a solo effort in which he recorded songs on a budget of almost zero. Representative works include "I Am A Rock", "A Most Peculiar Man" and "Kathy's Song". After he returned to the United States, his career with Garfunkel was supported by his producer, who re-electronically processed their work "Sound Of Silence" and renamed it "The Sounds Of Silence", producing a folk rock hit. , and sales volume surged to the highest point in the US market. Between 1965 and 1970, Simon and Garfunkel became the most successful recording duo in American pop music history. Their partnership eventually fell apart due to differences in their understanding of music. After the cooperation ceased, Simon began to write songs in New York, preparing to develop a different form of solo album - Paul Simon album. His work incorporates Latin, reggae and jazz styles, including "Mother And Child Reunion" and "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard".
A year later, Simon finally made a comeback. His album was very successful in sales, and his two hit songs "Kodachrome" and "Take Me To The Mardi Gras" won him high awards. business income. His concert tour "Live Rhymin Concerts" was a great success, and some of the songs at the concert had a clear collaboration style between Simon and Garfunkel. In 1975, his artistic career reached its peak, and his work "Still Crazy After All These Years" won two Grammy Awards (for Best Recording and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance of the Year). One of the songs from this album, "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover," propelled Simon to the top of the US singles charts. At the same time, "My Little Town", a collaboration with Garfunkel, also performed well.
Later, Simon appeared in the production of Woody Allen's film "Annie Hall", he completed the production of the outstanding single "(What A) Wonderful World" with Garfunkel and James Taylor, and then released an album was a hit and also included the lead single "Slip Slidin' Away". He also transferred the record label from CBS Records to Warner Bros. Records. In 1980, he released the album "One-TrickPony", which was based on his movie of the same name. The film included two segments starring Lovin' Spoonfu and Tiny Tim, but the album did not have the desired effect, and was even inferior to some "rock-related" musical forms.
After understanding this, Simon put a lot of effort and time into writing songs, and he also postponed the release of his next album at that time. Meanwhile, the album recorded in Central Park by Simon and Garfunkel sold particularly well. This clearly shows that the alliance between producers can still produce results, but this situation is not immediately applied. Instead, Simon concentrated on developing his next album, which was eventually released in 1983 and was titled Hearts And Bones. But it didn't sell as well as expected, even though it included the single "The Late Great Johnny Ace" (a reference to the bleak 1950s and the murdered Beatles frontman John Lennon). Faced with the album's poor sales and facing a lot of criticism, Simon panicked and felt that he was on the verge of creative failure. This changed in 1984, when Simon was introduced to the vibrant black music of South Africa.
After the band USA For Africa recorded "We Are The World", Simon was completely immersed in this black African music. After that, Simon released an album called "Graceland", which became the most charming and commercially profitable album in the 1980s. During the production process, many people contributed to it, including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Los Lobos, Linda Ronstadt and Rockin' Dopsie and TheTwisters. This musical form and subsequent tour led to accusations (misunderstood by the American Anti-Apartheid Committee) that Simon undermined the boycott of South African culture. The success of this album, which combines cultures and traditions, is a classic example of actors integrating their performances into folk music. Simon also incorporated R&B, calypso and blues into his early shows. The album includes the famous tunes "The Boy In The Bubble" (with technical pictures) and "You Can Call Me Al" (inspired by a funny case of mistaken identity). Although "Graceland" seemed impossible to continue at the time, Simon continued his cultural research work in conjunction with Rhythm Of The Saints, a company that mainly studies African and Brazilian music and cultural factors.
In 1994, Simon married Edie Brickell. He then began composing his Broadway musical album "The Capeman," which was based on a true story that happened in El Salvador, where a wealthy Puerto Rican gang member was raped in 1959. Jailed for murdering two white teenagers in New York. During the production of this album, I also collaborated with poet Derek Walcott and veteran Broadway artists Jerry Zaks and Joey McKneely. However, after 59 previews and 68 official performances, the album songs had to be released on March 28, 1998. Suspended on Sunday. The reason was continued protests by relatives of those involved in the case.
Simon and his investors allegedly lost $11 million in revenue. The singer had to go back into the studio to work on You're The One, his first album in ten years. In this album, Simon's song structure is a bit like the Western-Eastern songs he is most familiar with (unlike "Graceland", which is mainly African in form). The change in feel is quite striking, with traditional Western instruments being used in the production of this album, influenced by musicians from different continents.
Simon and Garfunkel's duet, which has been popular for many years since the late 1960s, can be said to be the best duet in the history of pop music. Simon's voice is relaxed and natural, and Garfunkel's tone is soft and noble. The harmonies are as colorful as poetry and dreams, and are haunting. So much so that today, more than ten years after their breakup, people still talk about them as one person. Their duet achievements are obvious: in 1966, their second album "The Sound of Silence", the single of the same name won the number one spot on the US charts; in 1969, it was the soundtrack for the film "The Graduate" "Scarborough Fair" won the Academy Award for Best Film Interlude; "Mrs. Robinson" also won the Grammy Award for Best Recording; "The Golden Bridge over the River of Sorrow", released in 1970, was a great success and topped the charts in the United Kingdom and the United States. Ranked No. 1 on record and sold more than 9 million copies, it won several Grammy Awards that year including "Best Album" and "Best Single". There are many other popular songs such as "Homecoming", "Kathy's Song", "The Boxer", "American Dream", etc., all from the collaboration of these two golden partners. Their singing coordinated seamlessly and their expression techniques varied. Paul Simon's beautiful poetic lyrics and dramatic guitar playing were perfectly combined with Garfunkel's delicate handling of the sound, establishing their uniqueness. The duet has an unshakable position in the history of music.
In the early 1970s, Paul Simon and Garfunkel each started their own careers and made great achievements in their respective artistic paths. Paul Simon's music style changed. He became obsessed with third world music. He integrated South American music, Jamaican music and jazz into his own music. His first solo album "Paul Simon" was well received. good. He began to break away from the original folk rock style and became one of the most eye-catching performers in Margin music. His 1975 album "Still Crazy After All These Years" brought him to the first peak of personal achievement, winning two Grammy Awards for Best Album and Best Margin Vocalist that year. In 1986, in order to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the death of "Elvis Presley", Simon spent a year in South Africa and carefully produced the album "The Gift of the Land" using local music materials. Music critics called it a pop music trend. A breeze blew in. In terms of the global fusion of pop rock, the wounds in the past have not been as profound as "The Gift of the Land". It combines various forms of southern African black folk rock and American rock, combined with wonderful sound effects, to form a completely different, form. The quirky songs, the remarkable artistic elegance and control of the entire record are exciting. The album won a Grammy Award two years ago.
In 1990, Simon set a record for the largest audience at a live performance. In a performance in the United States, more than 700,000 viewers attended, which shows its popularity. In the same year, he released another album with a breakthrough style. ’s new album "Holy Melody". In 1991, Simon embarked on a world tour entitled "Born at a Good Time". One of the stops in Guangzhou was Simon's first performance in China, which left a deep impression on the Chinese audience.
Simon is often referred to as a composer, singer and guitarist, and indeed a poet as well. Most of his duets with Garfunkel in his early years and his later solo performances were written by him, and the lyrics are all beautiful poems. His songs have beautiful and charming melodies, and most of his works have been adapted into light music. His music creation styles are diverse, he has keen feelings and profound thoughts. What is even more amazing is that the lyrics and music of each of his songs are so harmonious, and the effect is surprisingly perfect.
Paul Simon is a rare evergreen in the American music scene today. It has been more than 50 years since his debut in 1957. During this period, many singers have risen and fallen, but with his outstanding talent and strength, he is still a leader in the music scene. dazzling star.