This post is about a medley of Paul Simon songs including “The Boxer” ….. “The Sound of Silence”…..and “American Tune”…..which was seen on a PBS special in 1982. Since I have previously posted a story about the life and legend of a true American music icon Paul Simon before…..I decided to include two additional music videos of my very favorite Paul Simon music …..when he was performing with South Africa’s phenomenal vocal and dance group Ladysmith Black Mambazo…..while covering two of Simon’s greatest songs “Homeless” and “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes”. The truth be known, I have seen “Ladysmith Black Mambazo in concert on two separate occasions at the One World Theatre in Austin, Texas…..which affords concert goes an auditorium with around 250 seats with an “up close and personal” point of view…..so watching Ladysmith Black Mambazo…..who filled the One World stage with 12 – 15 singers and dancers performing at the same time was extremely impressive…..for this group of musicians conveys a very “impactful aura” of story and dance in a most spiritual way…..as on both occasions, I left their show feeling “cleansed in my soul”…..so when Paul Simon teamed up with them, it was truly a match made in Heaven that I had to include in this post.
Paul Simon & Ladysmith Black Mambazo: “Homeless” – Performed Live at Concert In Hyde Park in 1982
Paul Simon: “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” – Featuring The Beautiful Sounds and Dance of ‘Ladysmith Black Mambazo’ – Live in Concert
“The Boxer“ is a song recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel….from their fifth studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water in 1970….which was produced by the duo and Roy Halee….and was released as the lead single from the album in March of 1969. The song, written by Paul Simon, is a folk rock ballad that variously takes the form of the first-person lamenting….as well as a third-person sketch of a boxer. The lyrics are largely autobiographical and partially inspired by the Bible….and were written during a time when Simon felt he was being unfairly criticized….as the song’s lyrics discuss poverty and loneliness…..and is particularly known for its plaintive refrain, in which they sing ‘lie-la-lie’, accompanied by a heavily reverbed snare drum.
Paul Simon: “The Boxer” – Performed Live in Concert In Paris In 2014
“The Sound of Silence“ is a song by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel…..which was originally written by Simon over several months in 1963 and 1964….as a studio audition led to the duo signing a record deal with Columbia Records….while the song was recorded in March 1964 at Columbia Studios in New York City for inclusion on their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. The song hit # 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending January 1, 1966….which led to the duo to reunite after breaking up….and hastily record their second album….which Columbia titled Sounds of Silence in an attempt to capitalize on the song’s success….as the song was a top-ten hit in multiple countries worldwide including Australia, Austria, West Germany, Japan and the Netherlands. Generally considered a classic folk rock song, the song was added to the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important” in 2012….along with the rest of the Sounds of Silence album.
Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel: “The Sound of Silence” – Performed Live At Concert In Central Park, NYC In 1982
“American Tune“ is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon…. which was the third single from his third studio album, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon in 1973….and released on Columbia Records. The song, a meditation on the American experience, is based on the melody of the hymn “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”….as the song reached # 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. As seen in this video herewith….Paul Simon performs three of his all-time classics…. “American Tune”…..“The Boxer”….and “The Sound of Silence”….while live in concert in 1982…..and being shown on television on PBS during the network’s annual pledge drive.
Paul Simon: “The Boxer” + “The Sound Of Silence” + “American Tune” – Performed Live in Concert in 1982 PBS Special
