When an act breaks up, you can never assume that they’ll get back together again. The good news for Simon & Garfunkel fans is that they didn’t have to wait an interminable amount of time following their fallout before the two reunited to record.
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The bad news is that their reunion only lasted for a single song. “My Little Town”, released in 1975, gave everyone a taste of what they were missing. And then Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel went their separate professional ways once again.
The Split
Art Garfunkel’s Hollywood aspirations proved to be the last straw. Paul Simon, frustrated at not having his longtime musical partner around for long stretches while making the duo’s final album (Bridge Over Troubled Water), decided that it just wasn’t worth the trouble to keep it together.
That last dustup was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the animosity that had been building between the two. Simon, as the songwriter, had increasingly taken over the artistic direction of the music, to Garfunkel’s chagrin. And Garfunkel’s visibility as the vocalist with the powerhouse voice ate at Simon.
The 1970 split ended a dizzying run of success. They had advanced from the influential folk rock of their earliest records to pop music of rare invention and nuance by the time they were through. Bridge Over Troubled Water sent them out on a high note. Five years later, they were back at it again.
Paul Helps Artie
Before they came to their one-song comeback, both Simon and Garfunkel embarked on solo careers. Simon continued the multi-genre pop exploration in which he had indulged at the end of the duo’s time together. Critical love came calling for the albums Paul Simon and There Goes Rhymin’ Simon, both of which spun out multiple hit singles.
Garfunkel took a little more time before returning to music. In addition to acting, he took on a wide array of gigs that you wouldn’t expect from a pop star. When he got back to business with his 1973 album Angel Clare, he enjoyed commercial success. But the record suffered some critical slings and arrows.
Among those who had issues with it: Paul Simon. Simon wasn’t crazy about the material that Garfunkel chose for the record, feeling that it lacked bite. He figured out a way he could rectify that. Why not write a song that he’d like to hear his former partner sing?
“Town” Crier
Simon imagined a scenario of a young boy with dreams that are squelched by his unimaginative locality. While Simon claimed that he used nothing but his imagination to create the song, Garfunkel likened the story to his own upbringing. The lyrics of “My Little Town” certainly contained the acidity that had been lacking from Garfunkel’s previous album.
A funny thing happened when Simon brought the song to Garfunkel. The pair decided that they’d record the song together. Without much trouble at all, the vocal harmonies locked into place just like the old days. “My Little Town” shot to the Top 10 in 1975, helped by an appearance by the pair on Saturday Night Live to perform it.
Those hoping that something more lasting would emanate from that positive experience would be disappointed. Simon & Garfunkel have never recorded another original song together since that one time. At least they left us wanting more by giving us a great one in “My Little Town”.
Photo by Jon Lyons/Shutterstock
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