Hearts and Bones, by Paul Simon Many words have been written about Paul Simon’s reunion with Art Garfunkel in the early 80s, that started with the Concert at Central Park in 1981 and lasted two years. Fans looking out for the new Simon and Garfunkel LP were no doubt confused by the November 1983 release of the new Paul Simon album, titled Hearts and Bones. A quick scan of the track listing revealed that the album included all the tracks touted for inclusion on the Simon and Garfunkel album.
Obsolete technology is always a source of curiosity. Some examples were replaced by superior versions of essentially the; others; for still others, it's hard to understand how they ever existed at all. One example of the lattermost is the CD single, which willfully sacrificed more for less. The format succeeded 7' vinyl and was roughly contemporaneous with the cassette single. All 3 formats were cheaper than their album counterparts and featured correspondingly less music.
However, where the record contained less vinyl and the cassette less tape, the CD was unapologetically placed onto the market partially empty. It's hardly a surprise, therefore, that to whatever extent any market for CDs can still be said to exist, the CD single has officially become thing of the past. The was released in 1985. Not long thereafter, with record companies still experimenting with the format, Warner Brothers released a promotional CD single of 'The Boy in the Bubble' (the opening track from Paul Simon's landmark album Graceland) for distribution to radio stations. The single was officially released around the world only on vinyl. The 7' versions featured a 'Single Remix' on the A side and either Graceland album track 'Crazy Love, Vol. II' or the title track to Simon's previous album, Hearts + Bones, as the B side.
12' versions featured an 'Extended Version' of the single, one of those two B sides, and (sometimes) the 7' remix. An otherwise extensive of Graceland has come and gone, but the single-exclusive tracks remain officially unreleased outside of those original vinyl copies. It's too bad. Though the 7' mix is identical other than fading out 12 seconds sooner, the Extended Version is dramatically different from the familiar mix, or anything else on Graceland. Many of the African-inspired tracks on the album were, in fact, born from extended jams, which were pared down later to best suit the sensibilities of Simon's radio-listening audience.
For historical interest alone, it's worthwhile to hear some of what a Graceland might have sounded like. It also helps that the Extended Version of 'The Boy in the Bubble' is an outstanding jam, with thunderous drums and a self-harmonized ending that mirrors the ethereal ending of 'Under African Skies' (which ultimately made the cut and is ). While it's a shame that this mix has never been officially revisited, we're lucky that it was ever released on CD. The only other track on Graceland to be released in a less-edited incarnation was 'Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,' released as a 12' mix only in the UK and Germany, and only on vinyl. The rest may never be heard - at the very least, not until Graceland's next round-number anniversary rolls around.
Until then, you can download a 320kbps copy of the extended 'Boy in the Bubble' (and the useless 'remix,' for good measure).
No one likes Simon & Garfunkel more than me, and ordinarily I'd be in the position of lobbying for Art's vocals on any album he did with Paul - but not in this case. I discovered HEARTS AND BONES very late - just a couple of years ago - probably a page ago in this thread. I don't think I liked the title, and I wasn't 'ready' for new Paul Simon material at the time. So it came and went. I heard 'The Late Great Johnny Ace' on the reunion in Central Park concert and found it an odd song, made even odder by the wacko who stormed the stage during it. And through some box sets and throwaway singles collecting over the years, managed to own about half of the tracks from the album. One day, probably spurred on by something here at SHF, I started assembling those tracks from the box sets, compilations and 45s into a sort of album preview and was totally impressed by what I had dismissed all those years ago.
And I just had to find me a copy of the full album, so I scoured eBay and found an old WB CD. What a treat it was to hear the whole album in context. At no point in this process was I aware of any Art Garfunkel participation early on. And after hearing - and really loving - the album as is, I have no desire to hear Artie on this very-much Paul Simon album. The album is now a desert-island-type album in my estimation, and it deserves to stand on its own. It makes me sad to see discussion of it always seeming to turn toward the 'what-if' about Mr. No one likes Simon & Garfunkel more than me, and ordinarily I'd be in the position of lobbying for Art's vocals on any album he did with Paul - but not in this case.
I discovered HEARTS AND BONES very late - just a couple of years ago - probably a page ago in this thread. I don't think I liked the title, and I wasn't 'ready' for new Paul Simon material at the time.
So it came and went. I heard 'The Late Great Johnny Ace' on the reunion in Central Park concert and found it an odd song, made even odder by the wacko who stormed the stage during it. And through some box sets and throwaway singles collecting over the years, managed to own about half of the tracks from the album. One day, probably spurred on by something here at SHF, I started assembling those tracks from the box sets, compilations and 45s into a sort of album preview and was totally impressed by what I had dismissed all those years ago. And I just had to find me a copy of the full album, so I scoured eBay and found an old WB CD. What a treat it was to hear the whole album in context.
At no point in this process was I aware of any Art Garfunkel participation early on. And after hearing - and really loving - the album as is, I have no desire to hear Artie on this very-much Paul Simon album. The album is now a desert-island-type album in my estimation, and it deserves to stand on its own. It makes me sad to see discussion of it always seeming to turn toward the 'what-if' about Mr. The 'too personal' explanation is credible, but so is that Simon found working with his old partner difficult (they'd been seeing rather a lot of each other since 1981, and maybe familiarity bred contempt). I first heard H&B exactly a year after its release - on vinyl, borrowed from the library. My first impressions were of how miserable PS looked in the b&w photo on the inner sleeve.
The songs are all high quality, although there are a couple of lesser tracks (discussed already on this thread) that I don't think necessarily let the side down. Listening to it, I get the impression of an artist trying to do several things at once: prove to the world that he still has all his songwriting chops intact and better than ever; make serious statements relevant to the world and his generation's place in it as of 1983; make an album that sounds absolutely up to the minute without being trendy and soulless; and hopefully fire off a couple of hit singles, too. To my mind, he achieves most of those aims (Allergies could have been a hit, but the subject matter is too bleak) yet the album famously failed to enhance his profile and didn't shift many units, so Paul Simon ended up looking like a has-been after all. I think this album's relative failure served notice that he had to do something REALLY different to get people to listen. For all that, I prefer H&B to Graceland or to any subsequent Paul Simon album: it and Still Crazy.are his greatest works, imo. Huge fan of this album!!
As great as anything he's ever done! Championed it for years as it was his secibd album in a row of lesser sales & then it so overshadowed by the brilliant 'Graceland' & was kind of a lost & underappreciated gem in his catalog. I first caught songs on the 1983 Simon & Garfunkel Summer Tour where their forthcoming album title 'Think Too Much' was even printed on the sleeves of some of the tour shirts. I think they did the fast 'Think Too Much', 'Song About The Moon', 'Cars Are Cars' and possibly 'The Late Great Johnny Ace'? 'Allergies' maybe? I caught him on his supporting tour for the album- the only full solo tour of his career. I am thrilled with it being a Paul Simon album myself.
I love his vocals on it & don't mind the production at all (the major complaint I ever hear about it). That said, I'd still be fascinated to someday hear the Simon & Garfunkel version. With the state of their current relationship I certainly don't see this happening, but. I'd love to see it get a revival via a deluxe edition with the album proper, some demos/outtakes (Maybe live versions from that solo tour) & then the Simon & Garfunkel version with some live versions from that '83 tour. Huge fan of this album!! As great as anything he's ever done! Championed it for years as it was his secibd album in a row of lesser sales & then it so overshadowed by the brilliant 'Graceland' & was kind of a lost & underappreciated gem in his catalog.
I first caught songs on the 1983 Simon & Garfunkel Summer Tour where their forthcoming album title 'Think Too Much' was even printed on the sleeves of some of the tour shirts. I think they did the fast 'Think Too Much', 'Song About The Moon', 'Cars Are Cars' and possibly 'The Late Great Johnny Ace'? 'Allergies' maybe?
I caught him on his supporting tour for the album- the only full solo tour of his career. I am thrilled with it being a Paul Simon album myself. I love his vocals on it & don't mind the production at all (the major complaint I ever hear about it). That said, I'd still be fascinated to someday hear the Simon & Garfunkel version. With the state of their current relationship I certainly don't see this happening, but. I'd love to see it get a revival via a deluxe edition with the album proper, some demos/outtakes (Maybe live versions from that solo tour) & then the Simon & Garfunkel version with some live versions from that '83 tour. Click to expand.Yeah, it seems unlikely that the the Think Too Much album will come out in the foreseeable future, but I'd still love to hear it.
And I base that on, like you, having first heard the songs done by Paul and Artie on the '83 tour, and also by how great Art's voice sounds of the 'laughing boy' part of the bootleg version of 'Song About the Moon' that has surfaced. Imagine how great it would be to hear him take the bridge of 'Rene and Georgette Magritte' ('Side by side, they fell asleep' etc). I've no idea if he actually did a vocal for that, but it's always sounded to me as though it was written for him. Yeah, it seems unlikely that the the Think Too Much album will come out in the foreseeable future, but I'd still love to hear it.
And I base that on, like you, having first heard the songs done by Paul and Artie on the '83 tour, and also by how great Art's voice sounds of the 'laughing boy' part of the bootleg version of 'Song About the Moon' that has surfaced. Imagine how great it would be to hear him take the bridge of 'Rene and Georgette Magritte' ('Side by side, they fell asleep' etc). I've no idea if he actually did a vocal for that, but it's always sounded to me as though it was written for him. Click to expand.Your original post about seeing that '83 tour was the impetus for my post here. Your example was perfect & I too, can hear & imagine those 'Art's parts' moments of the would be album.
And, while (as I said before) I couldn't be more thrilled with the Paul Simon album it became & all the amazing vocal arrangements & layering he did (which feel at least the equal of anything S & G could have done). I still would love to so way hear the S & G harmonies for the gorgeous vocal breaks in the title track (meaning 'Hearts & Bones') or the bridge you sighted. I've posted in other threads here (and maybe even provided links to the article) about an engineer of some sort for those sessions who claimed the whole S & G album was fully finished & rough mixed went home with principle players too. Only finishing touches & final details/mixing was left to be done. Then Paul made his decision & went in & did however much he had to (beyond erasing and/or replacing Artie's parts) & we still got a masterpiece out of it all.
'Citizen Of This Planet' ( written for these sessions) did eventually end up the last officially released Simon & Garfunkel studio track ever released. Unless their estates someday see their way to let the full album see the light of day. I doubt that will happen while Paul is still alive (which hopefully will be for a good long while)- thanks to the endless amounts of random mad trash track that Argue seems incapable of ever stopping himself from falling into. Here is an interesting tidbit from an article regarding the 'Think Too Much Album.' 'The prospect of hearing the Think Too Much album is a tantalizing (if unlikely) prospect. Dan Nash, one of the dozen or so engineers who worked on the album, says, “The entire thing was finished with Artie on it, without a doubt.
I have a copy. When Paul made the decision to make it a solo album, he had Roy Halee make rough mixes of the whole thing.” According to Nash, all that was missing was some backing vocals, but the lead vocals by Simon and Garfunkel were complete. “If you heard the rough mixes you’d know all it needs is to be mastered.” However, Nash isn’t sure whether the duo had agreed on whether the lead vocals were supposed to be final or just “scratch” vocals. Nash feels that the Simon solo version suffered from an attempt to over-compensate for Garfunkel absence. “Paul had a clear sense of the structure of the record. But to make the songs sing, he had to come up with musical accoutrements to make it fly. So there were a lot of extra musical parts added – things that were clever, but that weren’t organic.” In Nash’s opinion, the Simon and Garfunkel version, even in rough-mix form, is “100 times better than the album that came out.” “I recall, and still have somewhere, the rough mixes of the album with Artie on it,” says Arlen Roth.
“He was on almost every song, as I recall, and we were all so excited about this being a true S&G 'reunion' album, as well as reunion tour! Live, we performed 'Cars are Cars', 'Allergies' and 'Hearts and Bones'.”.