I took my mom to the Graceland show. We had floor seats, and Mom was dancing in the aisle ( she would have been 53 at the time). Security came along and made her sit down. Miss you, Mom
Graceland, and more specifically “Call me Al” is the happiest memory of my life. This is not hyperbole. It came out in my early 20s, when I was raising two girls age 4 and 5 - completely alone, impoverished but working and going to community college - frightened, grieving, and obviously exhausted…always exhausted. But on Sundays we would put this album on (a gift - and the only “real” album we owned) and dance around the house picking up toys, washing dishes, and generally conga line frolicking all over our small apartment. It was - and still is - our song. I will be forever grateful to Paul Simon for bringing joy to a time that might otherwise have broken me.
oh wow, beautiful glimpse into your life with your kids - sounds like they were lucky, rich kids to have you as their parent ☺️ I swear I can picture that happy conga line.
I hear you, brother. Paul's music was the soundtrack of my life, starting when a friend introduced me to him in 1966 with "Sounds of Silence". I love Graceland, but The Rhythm of the Saints is my favorite album of all time. I still listen to his music every day.
The first time I heard that line, in a bar after a final exam, I realized I was listening to the greatest song I'd ever heard. Still feel that way several decades later.
Paul Simon always had a "old man's soul", lyrically speaking. Things he wrote when he was in this 20's only made sense to me when reached my 40's. The amount of knowledge the had about life and about growing old when he was still (almost) a teenager is haunting.
I went to Simon's Graceland concert in 86-87. It wasn't just a Paul Simon concert, but a festival of South African music. Simon would leave the stage at various parts, and allow the artists to shine with their own songs. It remains the best concert I've ever been to. How many people can claim their best concert experience was with their mom?
Maybe one of those mythical babies born at Woodstock? I don't know if that ever happened but Woodstock was overrated anyway. Most of the music was middling with bands playing tired and limited to short sets, and the conditions were third world. Not to knock its historical significance, but musically I say overrated, with a few exceptions.
@D-Fens_1632 I tend to agree that Woodstock was over-rated. It is a generational thing. For significance, I care more about Live Aid. Musically, you can say the same as Woodstock, there was a mix of great and weak sets. Yet, it revolutionized broadcasting, and the music industry. Moreover, there were so many major artists at Live Aid, compared to Woodstock. The sad part is there were many others, Paul Simon included, who were turned off participating by the US-side promoter, Bill Graham.
I have to claim the best concert experience I ever had was John Denver l attended with my Dad. But, when you live in Toledo Ohio the encore is always special.
i was a HUGE Ladysmith Black Mombazo fan, and African music in general... i ADORED Paul Simon's collab with them and also went to the Graceland show... an outdoor afternoon stadium show in Philly, it was AWE.SOME. full of joy and beautiful rhythms....
What a great story. I saw Paul in Austin on his Graceland tour. Dear Lord, we ROCKED the balcony during Call Me Al. I have to think he was impressed because he played it again...back to back!! Had the balcony collapsed I think I would have died happy.
There are whole swaths of people who never venture out of their currently popular genres. Sad. For many people now, this is the only Paul Simon song they know! I grew up on crossover popular AM radio in the ‘60s-early ‘70s and knew about Sound of Silence, Mrs. Robinson, Bridge…..etc. Also much of his great solo work: 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Me and Julio, Love Me like a Rock, Slip Slidin’ Away, and more! When I was 15, one of my original records I got was Best of Simon and Garfunkel! Not a bad song on it! And many that I had heard before, but didn’t know they did it!
Speaking of cultural Crossovers Paul Simon's backing Vocalists on "Slip Slidin Away" were The Oak Ridge Boys. They were at the time and still a Country & Western Group with origins traced as a Gospel Quartet in The 1930s.🤔🎤🎼🎶🎸🎹🥁📻B.W.
Hey Prof! This is Dave from The Bass Channel - absolutely love your channel, and of course this song. Couple years ago I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Bakhiti Kumalo; we and a couple other musos hung out a bit and had dinner, and Bakhiti told us the story of Paul in South Africa recruiting him to be his bassist. What a guy; I'm basically a total nobody and yet Bakhiti made me feel like he was as honored to meet me as I was to meet him.
Paul Simon played this song twice in a row when i saw him live in the late 80's or early 90's. Only performer I've ever seen do that. The crowd loved it!
At 6 years old, that video resonated with me and I loved it then. At 44 I still listen to it regularly, got home the other day to my 17 year old son in the bathroom, taking a shower, with Call me Al full blast. He was singing at the top of his lungs. Proud dad moment.
My Daughter is 17 and was listening to Joni Mitchell’s “Both sides now” I was proud. I didn’t discover that song until I was 30 and the first time I hear it it made me cry and I listened to it a lot around that time so she remembered it from when she was little and she loved it.
This album is a gem. Every song is brilliant and I’ve never gotten sick of it. It also introduced me to Southern African music, starting with Ladysmith Black Mambazo who appeared on Homeless and who I’ve seen live twice. Cultural boycotts don’t work for bridging gaps between cultures and people.
I totally agree with this. I think Paul Simon did more to bring attention to what was going on in South Africa with this album then any boycott ever did. We actually got to hear and fall in love with a sound of another culture. The human side of South Africa. Not just war torn images that we could turn off if too disturbing. It’s a great album.
A very Bob Marely approach to the political aspect. We don't want to politic, we want to play music together. Everything else comes after that. Love and Truth.
Prof - I met Paul Simon twice in 72, once in 75 and then again in 86, 87, 88 and 89. He was the same as his public persona, a very kind, upfront guy, who was just fun to hang with. During the 80s meetings, I was a photographer, and he was the talent I was assigned to shoot, each stint being for about 3-4 hours, enough time to get to know him a little bit. What you see, is what you get. I often wondered about the backstory of You Can Call Me Al. The story you told was very representative of the dry witted, playful soul I (slightly) knew him to be. I met Art Garfunkel once, around 76, for about one minute. He was so full of himself unpleasant, that the one minute was too long to be around him. Go figure. No wonder they split up.
This was one of the first CD's I ever bought as a teenager. "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes", "Graceland", "Under African Skies", "Crazy Love, Vol. II"... So many great tracks!!
Great vocal by Linda ronstadt on under African skies, I believe only non- South African besides Paul on album.. he knew only she could do it right- 2 giants/ talents.. Paul recorded all of the music with the musicians and only then did he mix it and come up with the incredible lyrics
@@daveburns3886I agree that Linda Ronstadt’s performance on “Under African Skies” was perfect. But some years ago, I bought a 3-disc set called “Paul Simon: The Collection.” One of the CD’s included selections from one of the concerts he did in South Africa. Performing with him on “Under African Skies” was the legendary Miriam Makeba. She really made the song her own, even changing the line “take this child from Tucson, Arizona” (Linda’s hometown) to “take this child from the township of Mofolo” (Miriam’s hometown.) She also does some incredible vocal percussion near the end of the song. Amazing performance!
True story: I got to play this song with Bakithi Kumalo and do a random improv jam too at my father-in-law's studio. He lives locally and was repping a video shoot for Phil Jones bass amps who my FIL reps. He's such a humble dude and was not at all bothered by my request to jam this song. My friends and I have been talking about his bass playing for years and to actually play with someone of his stratum with that truly original and creative nature was an honor. I have a video of the whole thing that I never posted - I just didn't want to hock it and felt it was way cooler to keep it to myself as a really beautiful memory. Thanks Bakithi!
I think initially I liked the video more than the song being such a huge fan of Chevy Chase. However, this song is timeless and every time it comes on i turn it up and sing along. A true masterpiece.
I knew every word to every song on Bridge I played it so much. I probably still remember all the lyrics. I’ve been a huge fan from the beginning. Paul is an incredible songwriter.
Simon was doubly blessed by the gods. He combines the talents of being a great writer of music, with being a great lyricist, to produce some of the finest, most memorable, deep, moving, and poetic songs in popular music. And to top it off, he's also a wonderful interpreter of that musical poetry, on songs like The Boxer, Mrs. Robinson, America etc. And in Art Garfunkel he had the perfect counterpoint voice, and a sublime voice to interpret Simon's words and lyrics on songs like "Bridge Over Troubled Waters"~
@@SY-ok2dq Yeah, I'm not sure how he can be considered an "Underrated Lyricist" here, maybe in some circles but I don't think anyone from the Boomer or GenX generations would flinch if you put him in a top 10.
There is no other like Paul Simon - he is the absolute MASTER songwriter and composer... He never needed a "cause" like many of the 1960's musicians needed. He is the absolute best. So thankful I was part of his generation. None can match him - NONE.
There's no question that Paul Simon is an American treasure. A versatile and brilliant song writer and lyricist, his material gives latitude to the listener to identify with the music regardless of his point of view. For my money, he must be in the top 5 song writers in his genre.
I remember hearing this album for the first time in 1987. I was living in Taiwan as a 20 year old young man and I was absolutely mesmerized by the harmonies of Ladysmith Black Mambazo on the songs Homeless and Diamonds On the Souls of Her Shoes. I lived this album from the very first listen. Paul called Graceland the best song he's ever written, now that's saying something.
Homeless is a piece of art. Just human voices - not a single thing more. Ah, yes, the feeling. Homeless, homeless, moonlight sleeping in the midnight lake. Timeless.
I saw the Simon & Garfunkel reunion tour a few years back. Best concert I ever saw. The music, the laser show; the last song was Bridge Over Troubled Water, encore was Cecelia. They brought the lights down and did the psychedelic laser show for Scarborough Fair. Before this; the best concert I ever saw was every Pink Floyd concert I ever saw. Nothing could compete with the Simon & Garfunkel concert; just, nobody has those songs, those voices, that talent.
I read Simon's bio. He was one of the greatest songwriters ever because every waking hour he was looking for things to write songs about. During one dry spell, he happened to be eating at a Chinese restaurant, checked the menu, and focused on a particular dish of chicken and eggs, named (sensibly enough, if you think of it) Mother and Child Reunion. Of course, that became a great reggae hit and for me, one of his best.
Oh you've ruined it for me! Everytime I hear this song I think of my eventual reunion with my estranged daughter. Now I think of chicken Egg Foo Yung? Great.
I really love how so many of us were introduced to S&G/Paul Simon by our parents… and now we’re getting our kids hooked on them, too. ☺️ Timeless, beautiful music.
I remember the music video " You Can Call Me Al " from my childhood on MTV. It still makes me laugh today. I can even still do the little dance that they do lol The song itself is an instant mood lifter. Another song you should cover is " Don't Worry, Be Happy " by Bobby McFarin. Another good one from the 80's, a really great video and song.
Those two songs/videos are standouts to me too, specifically when I’d go walking around the mall with my grandma before the stores opened. I remember specifically sitting in the cafeteria, waiting for her and her friend Dot, to make another loop, and these two videos came on. I don’t think it was mtv, but it could have been. I was in elementary school but always way ahead of my years. I remember thinking that those were special songs/videos because they had such uplifting lyrics, special musical instruments and sounds, and simple life messages. Even by the the mid to late 80s, the music was changing from love to lust, now it’s straight up hardcore porn. I long for my childhood and the days of Whitney Houston and “ I wanna dance with somebody”.
Side note, Bobby's daughter, Madison McFarine is an incredible songwriter and singer who has her dad's phenomenal ability to use different types of vocalizations to make some really incredible, sultry, soulful music.
I play it for some of the higher-functioning students that I work with; they are delighted by the dance, and the-er, _height discrepancy_ between Paul and Chevy.
I fell head over heels for this record. It was one of the first CDs I bought when they were still pretty rare. I was trying to date this girl and when You Can Call Me Al came on her car radio she changed the station. I asked her why she did that and she said she hated Paul Simon. I could not believe anyone could hate that music. We didn’t see much of each other after that night. I think she was put off that I could be so amazed that someone would not like music I was crazy about and I really didn’t think I can trust someone with such atrocious tastes in music.
As unorthodox as it was for a Pop singer, "Graceland" is one of my all-time favorite albums. It got a TON of play and I wore it out (as I first had it on cassette tape). I had to buy a new copy, which I was more than happy to do since it was so good. Until this album came out, Paul Simon was always one of those artists that my parents liked. But, when I got my hands on "Graceland", that is when he became one of my favorites too. "You Can Call Me Al" was an instant classic. Love it still.
...The Album also helped usher in the "CD" generation, so it was important to HEAR the clean, rhythms & sounds....It got a SERIOUS 'push' to be owned on CD....Good Ol' Days, 'eh!???
@@RBS_ yep, I had the CD, it was the first one to be mastered as ADD while most were AAD, but the clarity of CD was amazing. My parents had an amazing HiFi Stereo in the house and I used to pop this disc into the CD player when I was home alone... My mom loved the song, asked me to record to cassette for her to listen to in her car. This is one of the first CD's I had ever purchased and continued to purchase CD's until 2002 when the last CD I had ever bought was Eminem's The Eminem Show, by that point I didn't feel the need to buy CD"s as I had amassed close to 10k, and I was retiring as a DJ after severe hearing damage at age 31. After a 5 yr hiatus on listening to any loud music or attending concerts I was able to revisit my collection and give it all a relisten and I digitized the whole collection to a 100gb Hard Drive in 320kbps MP3, which I still have the entire collection to this day as MP3's then I sold the collection to buy my first house using the proceeds as a downpayment. WHile I have listened to music produced after 2002, I felt no need to buy the physical discs... I would just download the MP3 to add to the collection... Thankfully so as the vehicles I own today do not have CD players in them... last car I owned with a factory installed CD player was a 2013 Mustang GT Boss 302... everything today I just play off a USB stick or SD card full of tunes. But this Album will always have a special place in my heart. Even today when 80's on 8 plays You Can Call Me All, hearing issues be damned I crank up the car stereo and blast it.
@@WooHoo-itsGaryGnu ....WHOA!! .....That, is my DREAM! .....sellin' off this collection O' mine, and getting a damn HOUSE! ....I got up to 5-6k CD's but, I've yet to digitize....it's comin' though....Thanks for this Info!
"You can call me Al" was such a massive part of my childhood! Many road trips were had, with my mom putting in the cassette version of Graceland. It makes me feel like a little kid every time I hear it, and now I have thrust it upon my children's childhood.
So interesting… I’m a mom and I got both my kids into Simon & Garfunkel during a road trip. I remember putting the CD on and quietly observing them fall in love with them. Timeless music, obviously, and just so damn good. ☺️
I'm old, 77, but music is a huge part of my life. I've always got music playing outloud or in my head. Beethoven's Violin Concerto is the greatest piece of music ever written--When I heard it on mica radio, I actually had to pull off the rod to hear it, and tears ran down my face. But I also love Coldplay, Maroon 5, AC/DC, Elvis, Leadbelly, Candy Dulfer, Billie Holiday, and ABBA. I love old hymns, Mozart's Requiem and contemporary Christian music. But nobody wants to talk about or share thoughts and feelings about music. So, when I find someone who embraces and wants to share so many aspects ABOUT music, in addition to the music itself, I am ecstatic. Thanks. SUBSCRIBED.
Absolutely enjoyed that episode as a born raised and still living in South Africa it's great to hear South African musicians being brought into the light. I remember being a teen when this came out. South African music always brings a smile to your face when it's on the charts. Who can forget the chants on art of noises yebo in 1989. And when your childhood south african guitar hero from a little band called rabbitt in the 70s goes off to play with Manfred Mann and eventually inducted into the hall of fame with Yes. Yup that Trevor Rabin. And the new and upcomings. Jessie Clegg Die antwoord and Jeremy Loops just to name a few.... Perhaps worthwhile doing a special on South African music.
My first date with my wife of 30 yrs was at a Paul Simon Concert in Nashville, Rhythm of the Saints tour. When he played You can call me Al the crowd all stood up and danced, so at the end of the song, Paul twirled his finger in the air and played the entire song again while we continued to dance. We fell in love that night.
Every time I listen to You can call me Al, I am in a good mood. It’s just an incredible, clever, funky 80s classic! I love Paul’s “The rhythm of the saints” album. An overlooked masterpiece!
The Obvious Child was such a great, catchy tune. The rest of the album was genius too, but quite a bit more understated and less accessible, which kept it from reaching the fame of Graceland. But it was every bit the masterpiece that Graceland was.
Thank you so much for the story behind this! I always loved You Can Call Me Al and the Chevy Chase video with it. My first exposure to Simon & Garfunkle was their Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme album of my Mom's - and I've enjoyed Paul Simon ever since!
If you liked their rendition of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, you should search RUclips for the version with Andy Williams. They performed on his show and it was out standing. I’m getting chills, just talking about it, it was that good. There was also an accident, one of the foreign voice series I don’t know if it was Australia, but it was an English-speaking version. A little redheaded girl, singing with a guitar blew everybody’s minds with this song and she even forgot the lyrics halfway through because she got four chairs turned, and they all said it doesn’t matter make the words up, they loved her so much.
Like a lot of great musicians and groups there's so much to say about about Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Paul Simon's songs have always been both beautiful and fun. You can always count on him to mix it up, and yet it was still always recognizably Paul Simon in execution. And You Can Call Me Al was one of our favorite videos!😆
My parents also played the hell out of this album. The video for this song is absolutely one of the greatest and funniest music videos of all time. It shows off both Simon's and Chase's unique talents (can people, today, relate to what made Chevy so amazing? I call it being the smoothest and most suave clutz - all at the same time - such a unique charisma!). Legendary video. And a geat song. I never looked into the story behind it, even though I wondered for all these years. Thanks for the video!
I was always a fan of Paul Simon since the days that he paired with Art Garfunkel to form one of the greatest duos of the rock era. As a solo artist, Paul kept on recording a lot of great music exploring different sounds and pushing the creative envelope. The Graceland Album is one of his crowning achievements winning the 1986 Album Of The Year at the Grammy's. I've always enjoyed the song "You Can Call Me Al". It is one of the most unique hit songs of the 80's with one of the most memorable videos. I never knew the story behind the inspiration of creating this song. Now I know and am glad this song was featured for an episode.
Simon and Garfunkel were an amazing duo…. One of the greatest of all time. Simon is one helluva songwriter. But I always thought Art Garfunkel got the short end of the stick. Gar had such a beautiful, pure vocal sound. But I guess you must expect the Si and Gar sort of ending when the writer starts believing his publicity, and gets to the point where he decides he doesn’t need anyone else. It was a sad day for music when this duo called it quits. The “Betty and Al” story is a great one! And the video for the song with Simon and Chevy Chase is just a KILLER! Few videos are as funny. But Artie, if you’re reading this, you may rest assured that the world has not forgotten you. If you find the right tune, through the magic of multitrack you can sing as many parts as you like. I’m sure whatever you come up with, it’s gonna be GREAT!
My Dad was always a fan of Paul Simon. We played this album practicalky non-stop when it came out. We loved to dance to all the intricate and colorful rythmns on all of Paul's albums. Thank you for this wonderful trip down memory lane!!❤
I love this album, and the song "You Can Call Me Al". I had this album on cassette tape in the 80's and then CD. I love Paul Simon's unique style. When I was a kid, I had the impression that he was for a older generation, because the adults in the 80's only knew him as one half of the duo. But once Graceland came out, he greatly endeared himself to our generation. The music video is hilarious. Graceland is a timeless classic, that still reminds me of my youth. I was introduced to Paul Simon in the 80's when I was at a Maine Christian summer camp, by a counciler. Thank you.
I could listen to this album over and over without getting tired of it. The lyrical cleverness is throughout the whole album, the harmonies with the African artists were beautiful and so fun to dance to and singalong to as well. The songs needing a mention ,Diamonds on the soles of her shoes, Under African skies, Homeless (so haunting) and the Myth of fingerprints. Love them Al (misspelling intended)
You are spot on with your praise of Paul Simon's lyricism! The title track on this album has one of my favorite opening lines to any song: "The Mississippi delta was shining like a National guitar..." Beautiful and evocative. All the musicianship on display on the Graceland album is just amazing. Every time I listen, Bakithi Kumalo's bass work blows me away.
I actually got the Graceland album to fill in space on one of those 12 tapes for one cent deals. I knew the song call me Al, so I figured why not? But wow, I fell in love with the album on the first hearing. It’s still one of my favorite albums to this day, and one that I play on car trips.
You can always count on Paul Simon making musical history with each of his songs, even if it stirred the pot in ways more than one. Easily one of the most important and unique songwriters to emerge.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Record Companies have NO IDEA WHAT THEY’RE DOING! When recorded music is obviously great, ANYONE who hears it knows it’s great! Everyone, that is, EXCEPT THE RECORD COMPANY! “Graceland” is one of literally thousands of cases in point. Sure, there are some rhythms and chord changes that aren’t quite what Western ears were used to. Some of them, at first, may have sounded a bit alien to Western ears, but if you give those “oddities” a chance, they grow on you, to the point where you wonder why they ever sounded a little strange in the first place. That album is filled with terrific songs, and they can broaden your musical horizons. They make one simple point which a lot of people don’t seem to realize: MUSIC IS MUSIC! PERIOD! It was brave of Simon to make that album, given the political climate on the African continent. But the music on that album is wonderful! Oh, and there’s one other thing. If you wear diamonds on the soles of your shoes, don’t get caught walking across a hardwood basketball court!
@@ProfessorofRockDiamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes. I had 4 poor hardworking big farm boy brothers. Any girl they managed to bring around seemed so fancy. They weren’t; anyone was fancy next to us. And of course Under African Skies. That Was Your Mother woke me up to Zydeco and Clifton Chenier; I’ll always be thankful for that.
I’ve shed a few tears while listening to Simon & Garfunkel in the past, but these days all their music has morphed into something incredibly joyful. Singing their songs - AND Paul’s solo stuff - brings me so much joy. Timeless, beautiful music we are so lucky to have.
I fell in love with the album Graceland the first time I heard it. I was always a Simon & Garfunkel fan, beginning during my 6th grade year of 1966-67. Our teacher, Mr. Bird, had a small stack of 45's that he allowed us to play in the classroom on rainy days when we couldn't go out for recess. My favorite was "I am a Rock" by Simon & Garfunkel. In early 1970, on the way to early morning seminary class, (yes, I'm a Mormon boy) Bridge Over Troubled Water came on the radio and I was blown away! I usually slept through seminary but that morning I was wide awake because the song was all I could think about and couldn't wait to hear it again. I bought the album the very next weekend! I'll always love the album Graceland and especially the video of "Call Me Al" with Paul Simon and Chevy Chase. Thanks Adam for bringing this amazing song back into our thoughts!
That is a heck of an album. I really like to mix huge quantities of my favorite songs for long listening, but this is one of the albums that I love to listen to beginning to end. No shuffles, no mix, no skips.
My first full time job out of college was as an engineer at Boeing in Wichita, KS. My name is Alan and I worked on a team with another guy named Allen. Our lead engineer was a lady named Dana but Allen always called her Betty, the joke being that she could call us Al if we could call her Betty. Thanks for stirring that memory.
BRILLIANT video. Never should have been any controversy. Graceland is a truly great album and I still remember being blown away the first time I heard it on the radio. Paul Simon is a musical chameleon in the best sense, rather like Billy Joel. Not for a minute did I understand the concept of boycotting working with South African’s great black musicians in the name of fighting apartheid.
Graceland is one of my all time great album choices, this and The Seeds of Love. I know all the words, having grown up with it. I was 9 years old when it came out, and my dad played it all the time. I always loved the fact that Crazy Love Vol. 2 referred to his second marriage (to Carrie) rather than the second volume of the song. I was at the 2012 concert in Hyde Park (available on Blu-Ray etc), London, where he performed the entire Graceland Album. The rest of the festival had been a wash out, but on that evening the sun came out and the warm summer sunset illuminated the 800,000 strong crowd. It was a special day, and the perfect evening for Graceland and the Artists that made it great. Thank you Paul!
You speak the full on truth with Paul. Love of his music from his beginnings, never grows old or wanes. He still, even yet, quickens the heart. And my first love,
My mother bought "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in either 1970 or 1971. I played that album over & over. Used to know the lyrics to every song on it. What a great album. I'm sure that my mother, a high school business teacher, learned about popular bands & music from her students. I remember I once had a dog I named Jethro. When I told her Jethro's name, she automatically said: "Jethro Tull"? I was so surprised she had heard of this progressive rock band & one of my favorites. I said: "No, Jethro Bodine", from "The Beverly Hillbillies" - LOL. I also used to have a dog named Miss Jane.🤣😂😂
More likely she was referring to English agriculturalist Jethro Tull, inventor of the horse drawn seed drill. No doubt Ian Anderson had that character in mind when naming his band.
I live in a little town in Florida where one of Paul Simon's really good friends used to live. He used to do some of the studio work for him and there was one day my mom told me to go down to Dickey's house and get a cup of sugar. She asked me to do this while standing right next to a full sugar jar. She said just go down there and get the damn sugar so I did knocked on Dicky's door and Paul Simon answered the door that was when I was 12. My mom helped bring a lot of art and music to this town It was a good stop off between Orlando and either Palm Beach or Miami and because she was pretty much the main person to bring the artist into town our house pretty much became the after party spot. We had an old 1926 house It was two stories and we used to all draw on the walls of the stairs including a foggy night after asking for a cup of sugar at Dickie's house. My mom and I were lucky enough to see Paul Simon and Sting when they played together in 2013 I think. By that time she had advanced pulmonary fibrosis so we used a wheelchair to get her to the concert and they put the wheelchair backstage right where they got off stage and throughout the concert they both spent time resting in my mom's wheelchair It was glorious. My mom used to play Graceland all the time and sound as silence thank you for this episode It reminds me of her and I miss her I never fully appreciated just how many amazing people my mom knew and how many amazing experiences I got to have growing up in an old Florida house in a little fishing town where all the artists who did not like Palm Beach decided to hang out. Now ask me about Baylor fleck and squeaky toy Gators lol
Love this song and the album. Picking his friend Chevy to help him make the video was genius... or luck. At that time Chevy Chase was at his peak. SOOO funny. Christmas Vacation is a yearly watch for our family.
Absolutely… The Vacation movie’s only get funnier with time… Even though I’ve seen them dozens of times. Chevy was also great in the first Caddyshack. His understated dead pan is perfect.🤣👍🥃
@@ProfessorofRock There was not a lot of music from the 90s that I really loved, but how about... Banditos by The Refreshments My kids and I love that song. In addition to that... anything by Van Halen or Rush that you have not touched on already.
1st time I heard this album I was in my dad's bosses car. He was a Brit and drove a British racing green Jag. I would occasionally do yard work for him and he was driving me home that day. The car and the music made such an impact on me I bought the Graceland album that same week. Almost 40 years later, Graceland is in the CD player of my 2 seat Jag...The song Boy in the Bubble is so brilliant and so contemporary in it's message it could have been written yesterday. And the way it jumps right to Graceland... genius!
So wonderful to take these guided tours to the past. I just returned my partner's ashes to our hometown for burial, the town from which we graduated high school in 1969, and it is heartwarming to hear the music from our school days, but even better to hear music from the days of our early careers. "Graceland" cd gets more play than any other in my house. I dance myself breathless to this album.
I’m glad your wife got you back into listening to this absolutely amazing album. The rhythms, the themes, the lyrics, all perfect on every song. As you point out, Paul has been a trendsetter in bringing world music to a North American audience. Graceland brought the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo to my attention leading me to buy one of their albums. And the same happened around the world for Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Their global sales rocketed up and they toured far outside of South Africa. So black South Africans did benefit from this album, which I like
The lyrics are so great. The best. "There is a girl in New York City Who calls herself the human trampoline And sometimes when I'm falling, flying Or tumbling in turmoil I say "Whoa, so this is what she means" She means we're bouncing into Graceland And I see losing love Is like a window in your heart Well, everybody sees you're blown apart Everybody feels the wind blow"
I was 16 in ‘86 and had been saving my money for one of Sony’s just released CD players. It cost me about $200 and my first CD - Graceland, was another $30-something. I had enough left over to buy a good set of headphones and I can’t tell you how perfect Graceland was for that experience. The deep drums, high whistles, complex vocals, all coming from both sides was phenomenal. It’s still one of my favorite albums.
One of the best bass lines ever! When I watched the video, or heard it on the radio, I couldn't wait for that part! This is a phenomenal song! I've always loved to hear Paul sing. Rock on Prof, and God Bless to you and your family!🙏❤️❤️🙏❤️🎸🤟😝🤟
Love this album. In '86 in high school I bought my first CD player along with this album and Wang Chung 'Mosaic' as my first foray into CD's. I still listen to both often in my listening room. Great video. Thanks
Yes, the music video and bouncy melody instantly make this song a timeless classic. I never even realised that it was about an existential crisis until I listened closely to the lyrics.
.....Oh YEAH it was the Video that nailed it....I remember it being out for MONTHS, then when the Video came out, it started inchin' again, in 1987....Chevy Chase, who KNEW!?? ...ha-HAAA!!
I was one of the lucky ones to attend the Central Park concert. Simon and Garfunkel are major players in soundtrack of my high school and college years.
I am so glad you included a nod to Juluka! What a band! The music, the meaning. We lost a wonderful human when Johnny Clegg passed. Some of my favorite music.
I met a guy who had played on Blood on the Tracks, Gregg Inhofer. At the time he played keyboards in a top-40 cover band called The Fab Three. I noticed, and he confirmed, that the only time he had to look at his hands was when he was covering the Johnny Clegg song that was all over Twin Cities radio at the time.
Another one of my "play the entire album" purchases. I couldn't count the number of times I enjoyed every track. I'm sure many caught me singing along in the car or doing staccato pointing at the stereo during Al.
Absolutely one of the best composers of our era. I love the harmonies of S & G and I really love the solo work of Paul Simon. Paul should do a tour with Paul!
Love this album, so many great songs. Was in the US Army, stationed in Louisiana and without fail we would sing and dance to Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, taking a small break from cleaning our rifles, while in camo BDUs. Ah 1986. Paul Simon is such a musical force that our older daughter, about 30 or so at the time, spent about an hour expounding to me about how great a song writer / singer / musician he is, while I smiled the internal smile of all moms in those instances.
I was in 9 th grade and my English teacher loved Simon and Garfunkel! The lyrics were used in our class for teaching poetry. I definitely came to love the songs with both Paul and Simon. But this song "Call me Al" has an amazing beat! It makes me groove and move 🎉like a party in song. It so exciting to know what the lyrics are all about. Making me love this song even more! Thank you for increasing my appreciation for Paul and this song!
Interesting, my grade 7 music teacher loved them! She had her work cut out trying to teach us Sound of Silence for a school concert… cuz all the boys’ voices were cracking and changing 😂 so she made us play it on the recorder instead. 🪈 🎶
I saw this concert in Toronto. To just call it a ‘concert’ doesn’t describe everything that went on. The crowd just sat there like they were watching golf. Paul got really mad, took the mic and berated them. He said he’d never play there again. He did, eventually, but it was a few years. I was blown away. No one even clapped. Everyone firmly in their seats. I’m American and wondered if every concert was going to happen like that
My mom has the album on tape, which means that I associate very early childhood memories with it, especially with the track I wouldn't find out until much later is called "Homeless" because that was for sure a kind of music I'd never heard before and I was absolutely fascinated by it...
With the death of mtv and music in general I’m so excited that I found your channel. You bring music that I have forgotten about back to life such as this song and I love the in-depth stories that you provide. Thank you so much.
I cannot think of anything that might feel better than being a musician on stage and having the audience sing along when you do your music. The live version of Tom Petty's "Breakdown" one of the times I imagine how it would feel to be up there and know that something you put your heart and mind into affected so many people in a positive way that they listened to it and took the time to learn it because they thought that something *you* did was worth the effort to learn.
I've always agreed Paul Simon is one of the great lyrisicts of all time. His songs are so layered and filled with gems that hit you even after you've already heard the song dozens of times. My favorite of his is still "America" but he has many that I really like , but "America" speaks in a way no other song does.
Perfect album of the 80s: several. I’d go with either Graceland, Bonnie Raitt’s Nick of Time (1989), or Steve Winwood’s Back in the High Life (1986). Honorable mention: Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual (1983).
I was a big fan of Simon and Garfunkel from the first time I ever heard them. When Graceland came out it had a huge impact on me 4 years after it was released. This song at the time helped me to get sober. The way it sounded to me was a man searching for his purpose, and that meant everything to me, even the line "you can call me Al" was perfect since the essence of getting sober required admitting to being an alcoholic, and "Al" to me represented alcoholic. In many ways this song saved my life, I will always be grateful for that. Thanks Paul.
For me Paul Simon is a songwriting genius, I loved "Call Me Al" as a kid in the 80s and have been a fan of Paul's music since then. I grew to love his back catalogue and adore Gracelands. I had the pleasure of winning tickets to see Paul Simon and Sting play together around 10 years ago. It was a truly magical experience with two legends who clearly got on well together. Some artists are not defined by one genre or style of music and Paul Simon is one of them(Sting is another). PS Somehow your Sting T-shirt felt perfect for this video. Keep up the great work Martin from London England.
Thanks for a great episode ! It brought back lots of great memories for me . At the time I was trying to find and listen to more music from South Africa and had lots of Johnny Clegg and Juluka . So when Paul Simon's Graceland came out it was added to my vinyl collection. Your episode today has given me inspiration to get the album back out and have a listen again. Thanks again.
I experienced the same thing. I had picked up the Scatterlings album by Juluka after nearly every music critic in the Tucson weekly newspaper listed it in their top ten lists for the year. I bought all their subsequent US releases. So, I was really excited when Paul went to SA and featured African music on his album. I went to Africa myself from 1987-90 as a US Peace Corps volunteer (Kenya). In the 90s, as a member of the Johnny Clegg fan club group, I arranged to buy all of Juluka's South African releases through a member there. To this day, Juluka is still one of my most favorite groups.
Thanks for the reply. Juluka music was a big influence for me on a trip I made to Africa 1993- London to Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania . I stayed for a few days in the American Peace Corps mission in Bangui C.A.R. - I had a friend from South Africa that gave me some tapes that were not available in Canada. Every time I hear Johnny Clegg singing it reminds me of my trip there .@@stevenvarner9806
There's albums that come along, every once in a while, when you know it's an instant classic - even in the first year of it's release. Graceland is one of them.
I remember being blown away when this album came out. Every song is a treasure. When the video with Chevy Chase came out that just sealed the deal on "You Can Call Me Al". I didn't even know there had been a prior video. Thanks for the info behind this song and for spotlighting this wonderful album!
Great segment. The indelible stamp however of the whole album, and particularly the track, is the bouncy and rhythmic fretless bass playing of Bakithi Kumalo. Amazing talent! Whenever I hear the album, that bass is in the forefront in my ears as well as all the other wonderful, beautiful harmonies.
I feel Paul Simon knew You cannot fight a war from your armchair, You have to go where the battles are, and in his own way he was fighting the War on apartheid, where it was happening. I respect the guy for taking the risk to go out to South Africa to record his Music in collaboration with Black musicians out there. He brought the problem into the lives of many more people than the Politicians and Governments ever could. If I was a religious person I would nominate him to become a Saint. God Bless the Guy!
Poll: What is your pick for the greatest album of the 80s, where every song is great?
Sonic Temple
Bella Donna
Back In Black
Misplaced Childhood
Clutching At Straws
Love Over Gold
I'll nominate 4 by Foreigner.
Graceland is my first choice
Peter Gabriel, So
John Mellencamp, Scarecrow
Sting, Dream of the Blue Turtles
I've got to go with Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA"
I took my mom to the Graceland show. We had floor seats, and Mom was dancing in the aisle ( she would have been 53 at the time). Security came along and made her sit down.
Miss you, Mom
Your mom sounds pretty cool.
It's priceless to have such a wonderful memory of your Mom.
Listening to some of the clips brought back old memories.
Thank you
My parents names are Betty & Al.
My father passed a little over 2 years ago but they always considered this their song.
Mine were too, always loved that song
Graceland, and more specifically “Call me Al” is the happiest memory of my life.
This is not hyperbole. It came out in my early 20s, when I was raising two girls age 4 and 5 - completely alone, impoverished but working and going to community college - frightened, grieving, and obviously exhausted…always exhausted.
But on Sundays we would put this album on (a gift - and the only “real” album we owned) and dance around the house picking up toys, washing dishes, and generally conga line frolicking all over our small apartment. It was - and still is - our song.
I will be forever grateful to Paul Simon for bringing joy to a time that might otherwise have broken me.
oh wow, beautiful glimpse into your life with your kids - sounds like they were lucky, rich kids to have you as their parent ☺️ I swear I can picture that happy conga line.
I hear you, brother. Paul's music was the soundtrack of my life, starting when a friend introduced me to him in 1966 with "Sounds of Silence". I love Graceland, but The Rhythm of the Saints is my favorite album of all time. I still listen to his music every day.
That is a fantastic story
A lesson to young people. My wife had our one and only son when I was 30 and my life was set to be able to provide for him.
I love this story. Brought tears to my eyes
Anyone who writes "a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest" knows people better than they know themselves and knows how to write.
Yep, it happens everyday, and will continue.....
The first time I heard that line, in a bar after a final exam, I realized I was listening to the greatest song I'd ever heard. Still feel that way several decades later.
Paul Simon always had a "old man's soul", lyrically speaking. Things he wrote when he was in this 20's only made sense to me when reached my 40's. The amount of knowledge the had about life and about growing old when he was still (almost) a teenager is haunting.
The Boxer is *such a good song, omg I love it* …
Don't forget "We don't see things the way they are. We see things the way we are."
I went to Simon's Graceland concert in 86-87. It wasn't just a Paul Simon concert, but a festival of South African music. Simon would leave the stage at various parts, and allow the artists to shine with their own songs. It remains the best concert I've ever been to. How many people can claim their best concert experience was with their mom?
Maybe one of those mythical babies born at Woodstock? I don't know if that ever happened but Woodstock was overrated anyway. Most of the music was middling with bands playing tired and limited to short sets, and the conditions were third world. Not to knock its historical significance, but musically I say overrated, with a few exceptions.
@D-Fens_1632 I tend to agree that Woodstock was over-rated. It is a generational thing. For significance, I care more about Live Aid. Musically, you can say the same as Woodstock, there was a mix of great and weak sets. Yet, it revolutionized broadcasting, and the music industry. Moreover, there were so many major artists at Live Aid, compared to Woodstock. The sad part is there were many others, Paul Simon included, who were turned off participating by the US-side promoter, Bill Graham.
Not me! Props to Mom!!!
I have to claim the best concert experience I ever had was John Denver l attended with my Dad.
But, when you live in Toledo Ohio the encore is always special.
I went there as well when he touched down in the Netherlands. Same awesome experience, except my mom wasn't there 😂
i was a HUGE Ladysmith Black Mombazo fan, and African music in general... i ADORED Paul Simon's collab with them and also went to the Graceland show... an outdoor afternoon stadium show in Philly, it was AWE.SOME. full of joy and beautiful rhythms....
Diamonds on the soles of their shoes is a BIG fave of mine.
@@jennybates me too!
They came to my college back in 1999 or so, put on a great show!
I had the privilege of attending 2 Simon and Garfunkel concerts in the 60s in Winnipeg, Canada. They were brilliant!
What a great story. I saw Paul in Austin on his Graceland tour. Dear Lord, we ROCKED the balcony during Call Me Al. I have to think he was impressed because he played it again...back to back!! Had the balcony collapsed I think I would have died happy.
I don’t know who underrates Paul Simon as a songwriter. He’s widely considered one of the best of the late 20th century. Love the channel!
There are whole swaths of people who never venture out of their currently popular genres. Sad. For many people now, this is the only Paul Simon song they know! I grew up on crossover popular AM radio in the ‘60s-early ‘70s and knew about Sound of Silence, Mrs. Robinson, Bridge…..etc. Also much of his great solo work: 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Me and Julio, Love Me like a Rock, Slip Slidin’ Away, and more! When I was 15, one of my original records I got was Best of Simon and Garfunkel! Not a bad song on it! And many that I had heard before, but didn’t know they did it!
Paul Simon weighs in amongst the top of the list of songwriters, IMHO. Certainly on the dean's list of '60s and early '70s song smiths.
Speaking of cultural Crossovers Paul Simon's backing Vocalists on "Slip Slidin Away" were The Oak Ridge Boys. They were at the time and still a Country & Western Group with origins traced as a Gospel Quartet in The 1930s.🤔🎤🎼🎶🎸🎹🥁📻B.W.
And Paul Simon himself was part of the Cast of Woody Allen's Masterpiece "Annie Hall."🤔😉🎤🎼🎵🎶🎸🎹🥁🎥B.W.
One of the very best
Dude, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes? No, this whole album is PURE genius!
Great song.
Awa awa
Graceland was the soundtrack of our family’s life in the 80s. We loved it and learned so much about South African music and musicians.
Hey Prof! This is Dave from The Bass Channel - absolutely love your channel, and of course this song. Couple years ago I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Bakhiti Kumalo; we and a couple other musos hung out a bit and had dinner, and Bakhiti told us the story of Paul in South Africa recruiting him to be his bassist. What a guy; I'm basically a total nobody and yet Bakhiti made me feel like he was as honored to meet me as I was to meet him.
Paul Simon played this song twice in a row when i saw him live in the late 80's or early 90's. Only performer I've ever seen do that. The crowd loved it!
Chevy came out during the concert I went to.
He did that when we saw him early 90’s. It was such a great show
wow, sounds like fun. did he lip sync?@@theplanetruth
Elvis Presley did it in the mid-70's with "Hurt".
me too - played it twice and Chevy came out - gig in LA@theubercaste
At 6 years old, that video resonated with me and I loved it then. At 44 I still listen to it regularly, got home the other day to my 17 year old son in the bathroom, taking a shower, with Call me Al full blast. He was singing at the top of his lungs. Proud dad moment.
My Daughter is 17 and was listening to Joni Mitchell’s “Both sides now” I was proud. I didn’t discover that song until I was 30 and the first time I hear it it made me cry and I listened to it a lot around that time so she remembered it from when she was little and she loved it.
This album is a gem. Every song is brilliant and I’ve never gotten sick of it. It also introduced me to Southern African music, starting with Ladysmith Black Mambazo who appeared on Homeless and who I’ve seen live twice. Cultural boycotts don’t work for bridging gaps between cultures and people.
I totally agree with this. I think Paul Simon did more to bring attention to what was going on in South Africa with this album then any boycott ever did. We actually got to hear and fall in love with a sound of another culture. The human side of South Africa. Not just war torn images that we could turn off if too disturbing. It’s a great album.
Same. Got into them in a big way, and saw them live when they played in Sydney. So vibrant!
I agree. Love every track, Graceland... Diamonds on the soles of her shoes... so many great songs. I still play the CD to this day.
A very Bob Marely approach to the political aspect. We don't want to politic, we want to play music together. Everything else comes after that. Love and Truth.
Well actually Mick Fleetwood did it first with the album “The Visitor”, but sadly that great album was not a big hit.
Prof - I met Paul Simon twice in 72, once in 75 and then again in 86, 87, 88 and 89. He was the same as his public persona, a very kind, upfront guy, who was just fun to hang with. During the 80s meetings, I was a photographer, and he was the talent I was assigned to shoot, each stint being for about 3-4 hours, enough time to get to know him a little bit. What you see, is what you get.
I often wondered about the backstory of You Can Call Me Al. The story you told was very representative of the dry witted, playful soul I (slightly) knew him to be.
I met Art Garfunkel once, around 76, for about one minute. He was so full of himself unpleasant, that the one minute was too long to be around him. Go figure. No wonder they split up.
This was one of the first CD's I ever bought as a teenager. "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes", "Graceland", "Under African Skies", "Crazy Love, Vol. II"... So many great tracks!!
Great vocal by Linda ronstadt on under African skies, I believe only non- South African besides Paul on album.. he knew only she could do it right- 2 giants/ talents.. Paul recorded all of the music with the musicians and only then did he mix it and come up with the incredible lyrics
@@daveburns3886I agree that Linda Ronstadt’s performance on “Under African Skies” was perfect. But some years ago, I bought a 3-disc set called “Paul Simon: The Collection.” One of the CD’s included selections from one of the concerts he did in South Africa. Performing with him on “Under African Skies” was the legendary Miriam Makeba. She really made the song her own, even changing the line “take this child from Tucson, Arizona” (Linda’s hometown) to “take this child from the township of Mofolo” (Miriam’s hometown.) She also does some incredible vocal percussion near the end of the song. Amazing performance!
True story: I got to play this song with Bakithi Kumalo and do a random improv jam too at my father-in-law's studio. He lives locally and was repping a video shoot for Phil Jones bass amps who my FIL reps. He's such a humble dude and was not at all bothered by my request to jam this song. My friends and I have been talking about his bass playing for years and to actually play with someone of his stratum with that truly original and creative nature was an honor. I have a video of the whole thing that I never posted - I just didn't want to hock it and felt it was way cooler to keep it to myself as a really beautiful memory. Thanks Bakithi!
He's amazing on this album. Boy in the Bubble has such a great bass part.
I think initially I liked the video more than the song being such a huge fan of Chevy Chase. However, this song is timeless and every time it comes on i turn it up and sing along. A true masterpiece.
Chevy Chase was a great comedian.
I knew every word to every song on Bridge I played it so much. I probably still remember all the lyrics. I’ve been a huge fan from the beginning. Paul is an incredible songwriter.
One of my dads favorite albums. It's so joyful and unique. Paul Simon is a genius.
Without a doubt, Paul Simon is one of the top songwriters of all time.
Simon was doubly blessed by the gods. He combines the talents of being a great writer of music, with being a great lyricist, to produce some of the finest, most memorable, deep, moving, and poetic songs in popular music. And to top it off, he's also a wonderful interpreter of that musical poetry, on songs like The Boxer, Mrs. Robinson, America etc. And in Art Garfunkel he had the perfect counterpoint voice, and a sublime voice to interpret Simon's words and lyrics on songs like "Bridge Over Troubled Waters"~
@@SY-ok2dq Yeah, I'm not sure how he can be considered an "Underrated Lyricist" here, maybe in some circles but I don't think anyone from the Boomer or GenX generations would flinch if you put him in a top 10.
Poet extraordinaire.
There is no other like Paul Simon - he is the absolute MASTER songwriter and composer... He never needed a "cause" like many of the 1960's musicians needed. He is the absolute best. So thankful I was part of his generation. None can match him - NONE.
There's no question that Paul Simon is an American treasure. A versatile and brilliant song writer and lyricist, his material gives latitude to the listener to identify with the music regardless of his point of view. For my money, he must be in the top 5 song writers in his genre.
I remember hearing this album for the first time in 1987. I was living in Taiwan as a 20 year old young man and I was absolutely mesmerized by the harmonies of Ladysmith Black Mambazo on the songs Homeless and Diamonds On the Souls of Her Shoes. I lived this album from the very first listen. Paul called Graceland the best song he's ever written, now that's saying something.
They’re such a great choir!
Homeless is a piece of art. Just human voices - not a single thing more. Ah, yes, the feeling. Homeless, homeless, moonlight sleeping in the midnight lake. Timeless.
I saw the Simon & Garfunkel reunion tour a few years back. Best concert I ever saw. The music, the laser show; the last song was Bridge Over Troubled Water, encore was Cecelia. They brought the lights down and did the psychedelic laser show for Scarborough Fair.
Before this; the best concert I ever saw was every Pink Floyd concert I ever saw. Nothing could compete with the Simon & Garfunkel concert; just, nobody has those songs, those voices, that talent.
I read Simon's bio. He was one of the greatest songwriters ever because every waking hour he was looking for things to write songs about. During one dry spell, he happened to be eating at a Chinese restaurant, checked the menu, and focused on a particular dish of chicken and eggs, named (sensibly enough, if you think of it) Mother and Child Reunion. Of course, that became a great reggae hit and for me, one of his best.
Mother and Child Reunion is a Chinese dish? I have to look it up right now!
So ,what did you find? Chicken (mother) and eggs (child).@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
LOL I never put that together.
That's Hilarious
Oh you've ruined it for me! Everytime I hear this song I think of my eventual reunion with my estranged daughter. Now I think of chicken Egg Foo Yung? Great.
53 years old and just found out that I have been liking Paul Simon music since the 80's.
Great song with a killer bass solo. Having Chevy Chase in the video was icing on the cake!! 👍👍🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
I really love how so many of us were introduced to S&G/Paul Simon by our parents… and now we’re getting our kids hooked on them, too. ☺️ Timeless, beautiful music.
I remember the music video " You Can Call Me Al " from my childhood on MTV. It still makes me laugh today. I can even still do the little dance that they do lol The song itself is an instant mood lifter. Another song you should cover is " Don't Worry, Be Happy " by Bobby McFarin. Another good one from the 80's, a really great video and song.
Those two songs/videos are standouts to me too, specifically when I’d go walking around the mall with my grandma before the stores opened. I remember specifically sitting in the cafeteria, waiting for her and her friend Dot, to make another loop, and these two videos came on. I don’t think it was mtv, but it could have been. I was in elementary school but always way ahead of my years. I remember thinking that those were special songs/videos because they had such uplifting lyrics, special musical instruments and sounds, and simple life messages. Even by the the mid to late 80s, the music was changing from love to lust, now it’s straight up hardcore porn. I long for my childhood and the days of Whitney Houston and “ I wanna dance with somebody”.
Same!
I was about 10 when it came out.
I still remember both of those songs.
Side note, Bobby's daughter, Madison McFarine is an incredible songwriter and singer who has her dad's phenomenal ability to use different types of vocalizations to make some really incredible, sultry, soulful music.
I play it for some of the higher-functioning students that I work with; they are delighted by the dance, and the-er, _height discrepancy_ between Paul and Chevy.
@@llamasugar5478 Now that is awesome!!!!
I fell head over heels for this record. It was one of the first CDs I bought when they were still pretty rare. I was trying to date this girl and when You Can Call Me Al came on her car radio she changed the station. I asked her why she did that and she said she hated Paul Simon. I could not believe anyone could hate that music. We didn’t see much of each other after that night. I think she was put off that I could be so amazed that someone would not like music I was crazy about and I really didn’t think I can trust someone with such atrocious tastes in music.
As unorthodox as it was for a Pop singer, "Graceland" is one of my all-time favorite albums. It got a TON of play and I wore it out (as I first had it on cassette tape). I had to buy a new copy, which I was more than happy to do since it was so good. Until this album came out, Paul Simon was always one of those artists that my parents liked. But, when I got my hands on "Graceland", that is when he became one of my favorites too. "You Can Call Me Al" was an instant classic. Love it still.
...The Album also helped usher in the "CD" generation, so it was important to HEAR the clean, rhythms & sounds....It got a SERIOUS 'push' to be owned on CD....Good Ol' Days, 'eh!???
It's such a classic. Thanks for watching!
@@RBS_ yep, I had the CD, it was the first one to be mastered as ADD while most were AAD, but the clarity of CD was amazing. My parents had an amazing HiFi Stereo in the house and I used to pop this disc into the CD player when I was home alone... My mom loved the song, asked me to record to cassette for her to listen to in her car.
This is one of the first CD's I had ever purchased and continued to purchase CD's until 2002 when the last CD I had ever bought was Eminem's The Eminem Show, by that point I didn't feel the need to buy CD"s as I had amassed close to 10k, and I was retiring as a DJ after severe hearing damage at age 31. After a 5 yr hiatus on listening to any loud music or attending concerts I was able to revisit my collection and give it all a relisten and I digitized the whole collection to a 100gb Hard Drive in 320kbps MP3, which I still have the entire collection to this day as MP3's then I sold the collection to buy my first house using the proceeds as a downpayment.
WHile I have listened to music produced after 2002, I felt no need to buy the physical discs... I would just download the MP3 to add to the collection... Thankfully so as the vehicles I own today do not have CD players in them... last car I owned with a factory installed CD player was a 2013 Mustang GT Boss 302... everything today I just play off a USB stick or SD card full of tunes.
But this Album will always have a special place in my heart. Even today when 80's on 8 plays You Can Call Me All, hearing issues be damned I crank up the car stereo and blast it.
@@WooHoo-itsGaryGnu ....WHOA!! .....That, is my DREAM! .....sellin' off this collection O' mine, and getting a damn HOUSE! ....I got up to 5-6k CD's but, I've yet to digitize....it's comin' though....Thanks for this Info!
It’s sooooo great, isn’t it?
"You can call me Al" was such a massive part of my childhood! Many road trips were had, with my mom putting in the cassette version of Graceland. It makes me feel like a little kid every time I hear it, and now I have thrust it upon my children's childhood.
So interesting… I’m a mom and I got both my kids into Simon & Garfunkel during a road trip. I remember putting the CD on and quietly observing them fall in love with them. Timeless music, obviously, and just so damn good. ☺️
I love Graceland! The African rhythms and vocals added a magical touch. I wore out my tape until the CD came out.
I'm old, 77, but music is a huge part of my life. I've always got music playing outloud or in my head. Beethoven's Violin Concerto is the greatest piece of music ever written--When I heard it on mica radio, I actually had to pull off the rod to hear it, and tears ran down my face. But I also love Coldplay, Maroon 5, AC/DC, Elvis, Leadbelly, Candy Dulfer, Billie Holiday, and ABBA. I love old hymns, Mozart's Requiem and contemporary Christian music. But nobody wants to talk about or share thoughts and feelings about music. So, when I find someone who embraces and wants to share so many aspects ABOUT music, in addition to the music itself, I am ecstatic. Thanks. SUBSCRIBED.
Absolutely enjoyed that episode as a born raised and still living in South Africa it's great to hear South African musicians being brought into the light. I remember being a teen when this came out. South African music always brings a smile to your face when it's on the charts. Who can forget the chants on art of noises yebo in 1989. And when your childhood south african guitar hero from a little band called rabbitt in the 70s goes off to play with Manfred Mann and eventually inducted into the hall of fame with Yes. Yup that Trevor Rabin. And the new and upcomings. Jessie Clegg Die antwoord and Jeremy Loops just to name a few.... Perhaps worthwhile doing a special on South African music.
Sound of Silence has become the South African anthem.
... “hello darkness my old friend”.
My first date with my wife of 30 yrs was at a Paul Simon Concert in Nashville, Rhythm of the Saints tour. When he played You can call me Al the crowd all stood up and danced, so at the end of the song, Paul twirled his finger in the air and played the entire song again while we continued to dance. We fell in love that night.
Every time I listen to You can call me Al, I am in a good mood. It’s just an incredible, clever, funky 80s classic! I love Paul’s “The rhythm of the saints” album. An overlooked masterpiece!
It’s one of those songs that cheers one up when one feels down.
Yep. Instant picker-upper.
The Obvious Child was such a great, catchy tune. The rest of the album was genius too, but quite a bit more understated and less accessible, which kept it from reaching the fame of Graceland. But it was every bit the masterpiece that Graceland was.
Oh yes. The better album imo. Still high on the play list.
Thank you so much for the story behind this! I always loved You Can Call Me Al and the Chevy Chase video with it. My first exposure to Simon & Garfunkle was their Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme album of my Mom's - and I've enjoyed Paul Simon ever since!
Fun fact: Chevy Chase played in a college band with Don Fagan and Walter Becker who would later form Steely Dan.
If you liked their rendition of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, you should search RUclips for the version with Andy Williams. They performed on his show and it was out standing. I’m getting chills, just talking about it, it was that good. There was also an accident, one of the foreign voice series I don’t know if it was Australia, but it was an English-speaking version. A little redheaded girl, singing with a guitar blew everybody’s minds with this song and she even forgot the lyrics halfway through because she got four chairs turned, and they all said it doesn’t matter make the words up, they loved her so much.
@@dianarockwell6256 Thank you, Diana, for the tip - I will have to look those up!
Like a lot of great musicians and groups there's so much to say about about Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
Paul Simon's songs have always been both beautiful and fun. You can always count on him to mix it up, and yet it was still always recognizably Paul Simon in execution.
And You Can Call Me Al was one of our favorite videos!😆
What is there to say about Garfunkel? He had a good voice. Simon provided everything else.
My parents also played the hell out of this album. The video for this song is absolutely one of the greatest and funniest music videos of all time. It shows off both Simon's and Chase's unique talents (can people, today, relate to what made Chevy so amazing? I call it being the smoothest and most suave clutz - all at the same time - such a unique charisma!). Legendary video. And a geat song. I never looked into the story behind it, even though I wondered for all these years. Thanks for the video!
I was always a fan of Paul Simon since the days that he paired with Art Garfunkel to form one of the greatest duos of the rock era. As a solo artist, Paul kept on recording a lot of great music exploring different sounds and pushing the creative envelope. The Graceland Album is one of his crowning achievements winning the 1986 Album Of The Year at the Grammy's. I've always enjoyed the song "You Can Call Me Al". It is one of the most unique hit songs of the 80's with one of the most memorable videos. I never knew the story behind the inspiration of creating this song. Now I know and am glad this song was featured for an episode.
It’s a bad mood killer and Chevy Chase in the video is one of the 80s’ finest moments.
Simon and Garfunkel were an amazing duo…. One of the greatest of all time. Simon is one helluva songwriter. But I always thought Art Garfunkel got the short end of the stick. Gar had such a beautiful, pure vocal sound. But I guess you must expect the Si and Gar sort of ending when the writer starts believing his publicity, and gets to the point where he decides he doesn’t need anyone else. It was a sad day for music when this duo called it quits.
The “Betty and Al” story is a great one! And the video for the song with Simon and Chevy Chase is just a KILLER! Few videos are as funny.
But Artie, if you’re reading this, you may rest assured that the world has not forgotten you. If you find the right tune, through the magic of multitrack you can sing as many parts as you like. I’m sure whatever you come up with, it’s gonna be GREAT!
My Dad was always a fan of Paul Simon. We played this album practicalky non-stop when it came out. We loved to dance to all the intricate and colorful rythmns on all of Paul's albums. Thank you for this wonderful trip down memory lane!!❤
I love this album, and the song "You Can Call Me Al". I had this album on cassette tape in the 80's and then CD. I love Paul Simon's unique style. When I was a kid, I had the impression that he was for a older generation, because the adults in the 80's only knew him as one half of the duo. But once Graceland came out, he greatly endeared himself to our generation. The music video is hilarious. Graceland is a timeless classic, that still reminds me of my youth. I was introduced to Paul Simon in the 80's when I was at a Maine Christian summer camp, by a counciler. Thank you.
Graceland was massive and was such a refreshingly different album from that great year in music 1986 and still sounds awesome today in 2023
I could listen to this album over and over without getting tired of it. The lyrical cleverness is throughout the whole album, the harmonies with the African artists were beautiful and so fun to dance to and singalong to as well. The songs needing a mention ,Diamonds on the soles of her shoes, Under African skies, Homeless (so haunting) and the Myth of fingerprints. Love them Al (misspelling intended)
You are spot on with your praise of Paul Simon's lyricism! The title track on this album has one of my favorite opening lines to any song: "The Mississippi delta was shining like a National guitar..." Beautiful and evocative.
All the musicianship on display on the Graceland album is just amazing. Every time I listen, Bakithi Kumalo's bass work blows me away.
That opening line puts a smile on my face.
I actually got the Graceland album to fill in space on one of those 12 tapes for one cent deals. I knew the song call me Al, so I figured why not?
But wow, I fell in love with the album on the first hearing. It’s still one of my favorite albums to this day, and one that I play on car trips.
You can always count on Paul Simon making musical history with each of his songs, even if it stirred the pot in ways more than one. Easily one of the most important and unique songwriters to emerge.
For sure. What were your favorite tracks from Graceland? Curious to get your take RC32.
Legendary songwriter for sure. I agree with that, RC32.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Record Companies have NO IDEA WHAT THEY’RE DOING! When recorded music is obviously great, ANYONE who hears it knows it’s great! Everyone, that is, EXCEPT THE RECORD COMPANY! “Graceland” is one of literally thousands of cases in point. Sure, there are some rhythms and chord changes that aren’t quite what Western ears were used to. Some of them, at first, may have sounded a bit alien to Western ears, but if you give those “oddities” a chance, they grow on you, to the point where you wonder why they ever sounded a little strange in the first place. That album is filled with terrific songs, and they can broaden your musical horizons. They make one simple point which a lot of people don’t seem to realize: MUSIC IS MUSIC! PERIOD! It was brave of Simon to make that album, given the political climate on the African continent. But the music on that album is wonderful! Oh, and there’s one other thing. If you wear diamonds on the soles of your shoes, don’t get caught walking across a hardwood basketball court!
@@ProfessorofRockDiamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes. I had 4 poor hardworking big farm boy brothers. Any girl they managed to bring around seemed so fancy. They weren’t; anyone was fancy next to us. And of course Under African Skies. That Was Your Mother woke me up to Zydeco and Clifton Chenier; I’ll always be thankful for that.
Graceland was one of my grandma’s favorite albums! I grew up listening to it and my mom and I love it as much as my grandma did.
Paul Simon's music always, always makes me smile. Who could ask for more?
I’ve shed a few tears while listening to Simon & Garfunkel in the past, but these days all their music has morphed into something incredibly joyful. Singing their songs - AND Paul’s solo stuff - brings me so much joy. Timeless, beautiful music we are so lucky to have.
Paul Simon has had so many great songs and albums. Graceland is timeless.😎🍺
I fell in love with the album Graceland the first time I heard it. I was always a Simon & Garfunkel fan, beginning during my 6th grade year of 1966-67. Our teacher, Mr. Bird, had a small stack of 45's that he allowed us to play in the classroom on rainy days when we couldn't go out for recess. My favorite was "I am a Rock" by Simon & Garfunkel. In early 1970, on the way to early morning seminary class, (yes, I'm a Mormon boy) Bridge Over Troubled Water came on the radio and I was blown away! I usually slept through seminary but that morning I was wide awake because the song was all I could think about and couldn't wait to hear it again. I bought the album the very next weekend! I'll always love the album Graceland and especially the video of "Call Me Al" with Paul Simon and Chevy Chase. Thanks Adam for bringing this amazing song back into our thoughts!
Nice! Mr. Bird sounds like an incredibly cool teacher. ☺️
That is a heck of an album. I really like to mix huge quantities of my favorite songs for long listening, but this is one of the albums that I love to listen to beginning to end. No shuffles, no mix, no skips.
My first full time job out of college was as an engineer at Boeing in Wichita, KS. My name is Alan and I worked on a team with another guy named Allen. Our lead engineer was a lady named Dana but Allen always called her Betty, the joke being that she could call us Al if we could call her Betty. Thanks for stirring that memory.
BRILLIANT video. Never should have been any controversy. Graceland is a truly great album and I still remember being blown away the first time I heard it on the radio. Paul Simon is a musical chameleon in the best sense, rather like Billy Joel. Not for a minute did I understand the concept of boycotting working with South African’s great black musicians in the name of fighting apartheid.
This has been my favorite album pretty much all my life. It's an absolute masterpiece.
Graceland is one of my all time great album choices, this and The Seeds of Love. I know all the words, having grown up with it. I was 9 years old when it came out, and my dad played it all the time. I always loved the fact that Crazy Love Vol. 2 referred to his second marriage (to Carrie) rather than the second volume of the song. I was at the 2012 concert in Hyde Park (available on Blu-Ray etc), London, where he performed the entire Graceland Album. The rest of the festival had been a wash out, but on that evening the sun came out and the warm summer sunset illuminated the 800,000 strong crowd. It was a special day, and the perfect evening for Graceland and the Artists that made it great. Thank you Paul!
You speak the full on truth with Paul. Love of his music from his beginnings, never grows old or wanes. He still, even yet, quickens the heart. And my first love,
you have fabulous taste ☺️
My mother bought "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in either 1970 or 1971. I played that album over & over. Used to know the lyrics to every song on it. What a great album. I'm sure that my mother, a high school business teacher, learned about popular bands & music from her students. I remember I once had a dog I named Jethro. When I told her Jethro's name, she automatically said: "Jethro Tull"? I was so surprised she had heard of this progressive rock band & one of my favorites. I said: "No, Jethro Bodine", from "The Beverly Hillbillies" - LOL. I also used to have a dog named Miss Jane.🤣😂😂
Sweet! Always loved the Hillbillies!!😂😂😂❤❤❤
More likely she was referring to English agriculturalist Jethro Tull, inventor of the horse drawn seed drill.
No doubt Ian Anderson had that character in mind when naming his band.
Wow, those are references to my life! Thank you!
I live in a little town in Florida where one of Paul Simon's really good friends used to live. He used to do some of the studio work for him and there was one day my mom told me to go down to Dickey's house and get a cup of sugar. She asked me to do this while standing right next to a full sugar jar. She said just go down there and get the damn sugar so I did knocked on Dicky's door and Paul Simon answered the door that was when I was 12. My mom helped bring a lot of art and music to this town It was a good stop off between Orlando and either Palm Beach or Miami and because she was pretty much the main person to bring the artist into town our house pretty much became the after party spot. We had an old 1926 house It was two stories and we used to all draw on the walls of the stairs including a foggy night after asking for a cup of sugar at Dickie's house. My mom and I were lucky enough to see Paul Simon and Sting when they played together in 2013 I think. By that time she had advanced pulmonary fibrosis so we used a wheelchair to get her to the concert and they put the wheelchair backstage right where they got off stage and throughout the concert they both spent time resting in my mom's wheelchair It was glorious. My mom used to play Graceland all the time and sound as silence thank you for this episode It reminds me of her and I miss her I never fully appreciated just how many amazing people my mom knew and how many amazing experiences I got to have growing up in an old Florida house in a little fishing town where all the artists who did not like Palm Beach decided to hang out. Now ask me about Baylor fleck and squeaky toy Gators lol
One of the greatest albums ever made and this is from a metal-head! I just love it to bits
I think Paul Simon is an American treasure! It's insulting that anyone ever doubted him! 😏😆💋💖🌹😅🌵👵🐺
Love this song and the album. Picking his friend Chevy to help him make the video was genius... or luck. At that time Chevy Chase was at his peak. SOOO funny. Christmas Vacation is a yearly watch for our family.
Same here! Brian, do you have any requests for the future.
Absolutely… The Vacation movie’s only get funnier with time…
Even though I’ve seen them dozens of times.
Chevy was also great in the first Caddyshack.
His understated dead pan is perfect.🤣👍🥃
@@ProfessorofRock
There was not a lot of music from the 90s that I really loved, but how about...
Banditos by The Refreshments
My kids and I love that song.
In addition to that... anything by Van Halen or Rush that you have not touched on already.
National Lampoon’s Vacation is a classic as well.
I was about 7 at the time having seen Vacation, Fletch, Spies like us.. Saw the film clip and thought who’s that little guy in Chevy’s song !
1st time I heard this album I was in my dad's bosses car. He was a Brit and drove a British racing green Jag. I would occasionally do yard work for him and he was driving me home that day. The car and the music made such an impact on me I bought the Graceland album that same week. Almost 40 years later, Graceland is in the CD player of my 2 seat Jag...The song Boy in the Bubble is so brilliant and so contemporary in it's message it could have been written yesterday. And the way it jumps right to Graceland... genius!
So wonderful to take these guided tours to the past. I just returned my partner's ashes to our hometown for burial, the town from which we graduated high school in 1969, and it is heartwarming to hear the music from our school days, but even better to hear music from the days of our early careers. "Graceland" cd gets more play than any other in my house. I dance myself breathless to this album.
So sorry for your loss. Be well Tom.
I’m glad your wife got you back into listening to this absolutely amazing album. The rhythms, the themes, the lyrics, all perfect on every song.
As you point out, Paul has been a trendsetter in bringing world music to a North American audience. Graceland brought the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo to my attention leading me to buy one of their albums. And the same happened around the world for Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Their global sales rocketed up and they toured far outside of South Africa. So black South Africans did benefit from this album, which I like
The lyrics are so great. The best.
"There is a girl in New York City
Who calls herself the human trampoline
And sometimes when I'm falling, flying
Or tumbling in turmoil I say
"Whoa, so this is what she means"
She means we're bouncing into Graceland
And I see losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Well, everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody feels the wind blow"
😍
I was 16 in ‘86 and had been saving my money for one of Sony’s just released CD players. It cost me about $200 and my first CD - Graceland, was another $30-something. I had enough left over to buy a good set of headphones and I can’t tell you how perfect Graceland was for that experience. The deep drums, high whistles, complex vocals, all coming from both sides was phenomenal. It’s still one of my favorite albums.
One of the best bass lines ever! When I watched the video, or heard it on the radio, I couldn't wait for that part! This is a phenomenal song! I've always loved to hear Paul sing. Rock on Prof, and God Bless to you and your family!🙏❤️❤️🙏❤️🎸🤟😝🤟
Always a fun song. Rock on 🤘
@Krullmatic It was, wasn't it. AMAZING!
Love this album. In '86 in high school I bought my first CD player along with this album and Wang Chung 'Mosaic' as my first foray into CD's. I still listen to both often in my listening room. Great video. Thanks
Yes, the music video and bouncy melody instantly make this song a timeless classic. I never even realised that it was about an existential crisis until I listened closely to the lyrics.
Ha ha. So good.
.....Oh YEAH it was the Video that nailed it....I remember it being out for MONTHS, then when the Video came out, it started inchin' again, in 1987....Chevy Chase, who KNEW!?? ...ha-HAAA!!
The video always makes me laugh.
One of my favorite Paul Simon songs. Have always loved the story of this song.
10 in 1970 I was huge rock fan, Zep, Floyd, Sabbath, stones, who, but the sounds of silence I still listen to everyday 53 yrs later.
Truly timeless and incredibly beautiful.
I was one of the lucky ones to attend the Central Park concert. Simon and Garfunkel are major players in soundtrack of my high school and college years.
Thank you for such a deep dive into this song, and for including the musicians and other people who contributed.
I am so glad you included a nod to Juluka! What a band! The music, the meaning. We lost a wonderful human when Johnny Clegg passed. Some of my favorite music.
I met a guy who had played on Blood on the Tracks, Gregg Inhofer. At the time he played keyboards in a top-40 cover band called The Fab Three. I noticed, and he confirmed, that the only time he had to look at his hands was when he was covering the Johnny Clegg song that was all over Twin Cities radio at the time.
Oh bless, I didn't know Johnny Clegg had passed away - a friend took me to a concert of his - The best time I had at a concert everrrr. 😢
Graceland was my first Paul Simon album and I loved the fact he had the Everly Brothers singing background vocals on the song Graceland.
Another one of my "play the entire album" purchases. I couldn't count the number of times I enjoyed every track. I'm sure many caught me singing along in the car or doing staccato pointing at the stereo during Al.
There’s so much pure joy in this song. Exuberance even!
Absolutely one of the best composers of our era. I love the harmonies of S & G and I really love the solo work of Paul Simon. Paul should do a tour with Paul!
I second your comment! Thanks!
I agree, Mark.
Love this album, so many great songs. Was in the US Army, stationed in Louisiana and without fail we would sing and dance to Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, taking a small break from cleaning our rifles, while in camo BDUs. Ah 1986. Paul Simon is such a musical force that our older daughter, about 30 or so at the time, spent about an hour expounding to me about how great a song writer / singer / musician he is, while I smiled the internal smile of all moms in those instances.
I was in 9 th grade and my English teacher loved Simon and Garfunkel! The lyrics were used in our class for teaching poetry. I definitely came to love the songs with both Paul and Simon. But this song "Call me Al" has an amazing beat! It makes me groove and move 🎉like a party in song. It so exciting to know what the lyrics are all about. Making me love this song even more! Thank you for increasing my appreciation for Paul and this song!
Interesting, my grade 7 music teacher loved them! She had her work cut out trying to teach us Sound of Silence for a school concert… cuz all the boys’ voices were cracking and changing 😂 so she made us play it on the recorder instead. 🪈 🎶
I saw this concert in Toronto. To just call it a ‘concert’ doesn’t describe everything that went on. The crowd just sat there like they were watching golf. Paul got really mad, took the mic and berated them. He said he’d never play there again. He did, eventually, but it was a few years. I was blown away. No one even clapped. Everyone firmly in their seats. I’m American and wondered if every concert was going to happen like that
My mom has the album on tape, which means that I associate very early childhood memories with it, especially with the track I wouldn't find out until much later is called "Homeless" because that was for sure a kind of music I'd never heard before and I was absolutely fascinated by it...
With the death of mtv and music in general I’m so excited that I found your channel. You bring music that I have forgotten about back to life such as this song and I love the in-depth stories that you provide. Thank you so much.
I cannot think of anything that might feel better than being a musician on stage and having the audience sing along when you do your music. The live version of Tom Petty's "Breakdown" one of the times I imagine how it would feel to be up there and know that something you put your heart and mind into affected so many people in a positive way that they listened to it and took the time to learn it because they thought that something *you* did was worth the effort to learn.
I think about this exact same thing - what an amazing feeling that would be!
I've always agreed Paul Simon is one of the great lyrisicts of all time. His songs are so layered and filled with gems that hit you even after you've already heard the song dozens of times. My favorite of his is still "America" but he has many that I really like , but "America" speaks in a way no other song does.
Perfect album of the 80s: several. I’d go with either Graceland, Bonnie Raitt’s Nick of Time (1989), or Steve Winwood’s Back in the High Life (1986). Honorable mention: Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual (1983).
There was so much good music in the 80s. Great time to be a teenager.
I was a big fan of Simon and Garfunkel from the first time I ever heard them. When Graceland came out it had a huge impact on me 4 years after it was released. This song at the time helped me to get sober. The way it sounded to me was a man searching for his purpose, and that meant everything to me, even the line "you can call me Al" was perfect since the essence of getting sober required admitting to being an alcoholic, and "Al" to me represented alcoholic. In many ways this song saved my life, I will always be grateful for that. Thanks Paul.
Working with Black South African artists during apartheid was and is a political statement on its own.
For me Paul Simon is a songwriting genius, I loved "Call Me Al" as a kid in the 80s and have been a fan of Paul's music since then. I grew to love his back catalogue and adore Gracelands. I had the pleasure of winning tickets to see Paul Simon and Sting play together around 10 years ago. It was a truly magical experience with two legends who clearly got on well together. Some artists are not defined by one genre or style of music and Paul Simon is one of them(Sting is another). PS Somehow your Sting T-shirt felt perfect for this video. Keep up the great work Martin from London England.
Thanks for a great episode ! It brought back lots of great memories for me . At the time I was trying to find and listen to more music from South Africa and had lots of Johnny Clegg and Juluka . So when Paul Simon's Graceland came out it was added to my vinyl collection. Your episode today has given me inspiration to get the album back out and have a listen again. Thanks again.
I experienced the same thing. I had picked up the Scatterlings album by Juluka after nearly every music critic in the Tucson weekly newspaper listed it in their top ten lists for the year. I bought all their subsequent US releases. So, I was really excited when Paul went to SA and featured African music on his album. I went to Africa myself from 1987-90 as a US Peace Corps volunteer (Kenya). In the 90s, as a member of the Johnny Clegg fan club group, I arranged to buy all of Juluka's South African releases through a member there. To this day, Juluka is still one of my most favorite groups.
Thanks for the reply. Juluka music was a big influence for me on a trip I made to Africa 1993- London to Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania . I stayed for a few days in the American Peace Corps mission in Bangui C.A.R. - I had a friend from South Africa that gave me some tapes that were not available in Canada. Every time I hear Johnny Clegg singing it reminds me of my trip there .@@stevenvarner9806
I took a couple who had defected from Russia to see Paul Simon for their wedding gift. They had never been to a concert, so it was an amazing night.
There's albums that come along, every once in a while, when you know it's an instant classic - even in the first year of it's release. Graceland is one of them.
I remember being blown away when this album came out. Every song is a treasure. When the video with Chevy Chase came out that just sealed the deal on "You Can Call Me Al". I didn't even know there had been a prior video. Thanks for the info behind this song and for spotlighting this wonderful album!
Great segment. The indelible stamp however of the whole album, and particularly the track, is the bouncy and rhythmic fretless bass playing of Bakithi Kumalo. Amazing talent! Whenever I hear the album, that bass is in the forefront in my ears as well as all the other wonderful, beautiful harmonies.
I feel Paul Simon knew You cannot fight a war from your armchair, You have to go where the battles are, and in his own way he was fighting the War on apartheid, where it was happening. I respect the guy for taking the risk to go out to South Africa to record his Music in collaboration with Black musicians out there. He brought the problem into the lives of many more people than the Politicians and Governments ever could.
If I was a religious person I would nominate him to become a Saint. God Bless the Guy!