| Art
Garfukel, became a solo artist as
well as pursuing an acting career, after
Simon & Garfunkel, one of the most
successful duos in pop history, split up
in 1970. Garfunkel's pure, high tenor
had been one of the most distinctive
elements of the duo's music, yet he
wasn't responsible for the songwriting
-- Simon wrote all of the group's hits.
Not surprisingly, Garfunkel relied on
other songwriters, from Jimmy Webb and
Randy Newman to rock & roll standards
like "I Only Have Eyes for You,"
throughout his solo career. As a solo
performer, he was never quite as
successful as he was with Simon &
Garfunkel, yet he did have a number of
Top 40 hits in the mid-'70s.
Garfunkel didn't begin a solo career
until 1973. Between 1970 and 1973, he
acted, appearing in two Mike Nichols
films, Catch 22 and Carnal Knowledge.
Angel Clare, his first solo record, was
co-produced with Simon & Garfunkel
producer Roy Halee and released in the
fall of 1973. It established the style
-- a light, carefully arranged and
constructed melodic soft rock -- he
would follow throughout his solo career.
The album became a Top Ten hit on the
strength of the single "All I Know,"
which peaked at number nine. Two years
later, he returned with the Richard
Perry-produced Breakaway, the most
successful album of his solo career. The
record peaked at number seven, with a
version of the Flamingos' "I Only Have
Eyes for You" reaching number 18 on the
U.S. charts; in Britain, the single
topped the charts. That same fall, he
reunited with Paul Simon for the first
time, performing on Saturday Night Live.
In December, Simon's "My Little Town,"
featuring Garfunkel on backing vocals,
became a Top Ten hit.
In the fall of 1977, Garfunkel
released his third album, Watermark,
which primarily consisted of Jimmy Webb
covers. However, when the first single
from the album failed to chart, the
album was reissued in early 1978 with a
cover of Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World"
that featured supporting vocals from
Simon and James Taylor. Released as a
single, "Wonderful World" peaked at
number 17. The following year, Fate for
Breakfast appeared. Although it
performed well in Britain, reaching
number two, the album signalled that his
American audience was beginning to
shrink: None of the singles made the Top
40 and the album only reached number 67.
In the fall of 1979, he filmed two
movies, Bad Timing and Illusions.
Scissors Cut, a reunion with producer
Roy Halee released in 1981, did nothing
to reverse his sliding commercial
potential -- it didn't even break into
the Top 100 albums.
After the release of Scissors Cut,
Simon & Garfunkel reunited for a concert
in New York's Central Park. The concert
was so successful, the duo decided to
embark on a year-long world tour. During
the tour, tensions mounted between the
pair and they split again after it was
completed. After a lengthy quiet period,
Garfunkel re-emerged in 1988 with Lefty,
which spent a mere eight weeks in the
American charts and failed to make the
British charts. He did not release
another album until 1993's rarities
compilation Up 'til Now. Following its
release, Garfunkel took another extended
break, returning in 1997 with the live
album Across America. |
