Vinyl Word: Paul Simon

Music legend Paul Simon

For more than 50 years the legendary singer/songwriter Paul Simon has spoken to us in his music.

With songs like The Sound of Silence, Homeward Bound and Bridge Over Troubled Water he has become one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century.

During my recent holiday I read the book on his life, written by Robert Hilburn, called Paul Simon, the Life.

It's a compelling read, taking you almost inside the mind of the shy New York-born singer/songwriter.

I have always been a lover of the music of Simon and Garfunkel. In fact in my younger days growing up in Whanganui I formed a duo with a friend and we had aspirations of being New Zealand's version of Simon and Garfunkel ... sadly we didn't quite make it!
Paul Fredric Simon was born on October 13, 1941 in Newark, New Jersey. His father Lou was a musician who played the bass in a local dance band and regularly made appearances on CBS radio and television shows of the time.

It was his father's love for music that had a big influence on a young Paul. The other big influence was radio. The first real music star that he was infatuated by was Elvis. When Elvis Presley recorded That's Alright in 1954, Paul Simon said he wanted to be Elvis! Sadly, when he saw him on TV performing Hound Dog and Love Me Tender, he realised he would not be able to follow in his idol's footsteps. Elvis was six feet tall, strikingly handsome and he had a powerful voice. Paul was just over five foot and very shy.

One part of Paul's story that fascinated me was how he was such a perfectionist when it came to songwriting. Sounds of Silence has always been one of my favourite Paul Simon compositions.

That first hit for the duo had its origins in the family bathroom in New Jersey in the very early 60s. Paul would pick up his acoustic guitar, take it to the tile-lined bathroom, turn off the lights and experiment with words and chords.

He was around 13 at the time and night after night he would sit alone, in the dark and strum his guitar. Out of one of those sessions came that first hit single The Sound of Silence.

"Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk to you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping ..."

If you love the music of Paul Simon, you will love this book, Paul Simon, the Life by Robert Hilburn.