Paul Simon was in a slump in the early 80's. His relationship with Art Garfunkel was at a low point, he was recently divorced from his second wife, Carrie Fisher, and his 1983 album “Hearts and Bones” was considered a commercial failure. This album would change his fortunes. Graceland would become his highest charting album in over a decade, his most successful studio album, and would win the 1987 Grammy for Album of the Year.
Simon lived next door to Lorne Michaels, creator of Saturday Night Live. Michaels introduced Simon to a singer-songwriter names Heidi Berg, and Simon agreed to produce a record for her. Berg wanted a sound like the street music from Johannesburg, South Africa, and loaned Simon a bootleg tape. This inspired Simon to travel to South Africa, meet the musicians, and create an album using these musicians and their native sounds. Obviously, this fractured the relationship between Simon and Berg.
The album would also be controversial, because South Africa was under a cultural boycott at the time due to their apartheid policy. Simon would counter that he was lifting up the music of the indigenous South Africans, even paying three times New York union wages and giving writing credits, but this would not quell the criticism.
Nevertheless, the album would do well both commercially and critically, and introduce American mainstream audiences to world music.
Graceland
The title track was named "Graceland" because the drums reminded him of a traveling rhythm you would hear in a song from Sun Records. The lyrics reflect taking a road trip to Graceland from Louisiana on Route 61. Some also consider it a song about using a road trip to get over the pain of divorce.
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
This song features the South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Simon wrote it when he went to South Africa but it was not originally planned for inclusion on Graceland. That changed when Ladysmith Black Mambazo and several other South African studio musicians were in New York for an episode of Saturday Night Live, and they decided to record it while they were in town.
Under African Skies
This deeper track references two people in the song one is Joseph Shabalala, the leader of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The other is Linda Ronstadt who lends her vocals to this track. Ronstadt's inclusion in the album was particularly controversial because she had performed at Sun City, a South African apartheid resort, three years earlier.
You Can Call Me Al
The hit single from the album only went to number 23 on the charts. The names came from a party that Simon attended years prior with his first wife Peggy Harper. French Composer Pierre Boulez, who attended the same party, mistakenly referred to Paul and Peggy as Al and Betty. Many will remember the video starring Simon and Chevy Chase.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Somewhere Out There by James Ingram and Linda Ronstadt (from the animated film "An American Tail")
This animated motion picture told the story of a family of Jewish mice and their immigration to the United States.
STAFF PICKS:
Goin' Crazy! by David Lee Roth
Wayne leads off the staff picks with former Van Halen frontman, Diamond Dave. This is his third single from his first full studio solo album "Eat 'em and Smile." Steve Vai played guitar on this track. The song was supposed to be the title song from a proposed comedy television production starring Roth entitled "Crazy From the Heat"
Human by The Human League
Brian brings us one of the most beautiful cheating songs you will hear. The Human League went to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in Minneapolis to produce the album. It was a divisive decision, because the two women in the group did not accompany the other members when this song was recorded in Minneapolis.
Emotion In Motion by Ric Ocasek
Rob's staff pick by the former Cars front man reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. This is off his second solo studio album, and was his only single to hit the top 40 as a solo artist. Ric Ocasek died in 2019.
Word Up! by Cameo
Bruce finishes off the staff picks with the highest charting single from funk band Cameo - it hit number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Word Up" was an affirmation used in New York. Larry Blackmon is the lead singer, and was inspired to use the distinctive vocal monotone you hear in this song by listening to Sly Stallone.
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
The Launch by Boston
Boston's long anticipated third album "Third Stage" was released this month, and contained this instrumental lead-in to "Cool the Engines."
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