The Essential Simon and Garfunkel

Last updated
The Essential Simon & Garfunkel
The Essential Simon and Garfunkel.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedOctober 14, 2003
Recorded1964–1975
Genre Folk rock
Length97:37
Label Columbia
Legacy
Producer
Simon & Garfunkel chronology
Tom & Jerry
(2002)
The Essential Simon & Garfunkel
(2003)
Old Friends: Live on Stage
(2004)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]

The Essential Simon & Garfunkel is the second 2-CD compilation album of greatest hits by Simon & Garfunkel, released by Columbia Records on October 14, 2003.

Contents

This two-disc anthology was released to coincide with Simon & Garfunkel's 2003 reunion tour. It contains all of the duo's 16 singles originally released between 1964 and 1975 to reach the Hot 100 (including the 1975 reunion hit, "My Little Town"). The remaining 17 songs include non-hits like “Richard Cory”, and eight live performances from 1967 to 1969.

Track listing

All songs composed by Paul Simon, except where noted.

US version

Disc one

No.TitlePlace of OriginLength
1."Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." (Live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, January 22, 1967) Live from New York City, 1967 , 2002; originally from Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. , 19642:44
2."Bleecker Street"Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.2:44
3."The Sound of Silence" (Acoustic version with electric overdubs) Sounds of Silence , 1965; original acoustic version from Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.3:06
4."Leaves That Are Green" (Live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, January 22, 1967)Live from New York, 1967; originally from Sounds of Silence2:30
5."A Most Peculiar Man" (Live at the Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Vermont, October 13, 1968) Old Friends , 1997; originally from Sounds of Silence2:33
6."I Am a Rock"Sounds of Silence2:51
7."Richard Cory"Sounds of Silence2:56
8."Kathy's Song" (Live in St. Louis, Missouri, November 1969) Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits , 1972, and later released on Live 1969 , 2008 (through Starbucks)/2009 (Worldwide); originally from Sounds of Silence3:22
9."Scarborough Fair/Canticle" (Traditional, arr. by Art Garfunkel, Simon) Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme , 19663:10
10."Homeward Bound"Sounds of Silence (in the UK)/Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (Worldwide)2:29
11."Sparrow" (Live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, January 22, 1967)Live from New York, 1967; originally from Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.3:03
12."The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme1:55
13."The Dangling Conversation"Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme2:38
14."A Poem on the Underground Wall" (Live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, January 22, 1967)First appeared on Old Friends, and later released on Live from New York, 1967; originally from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme2:06
15."A Hazy Shade of Winter"Non-album single, 1966; later released on Bookends , 19682:17
16."At the Zoo"Non-album single, 1967; later released on Bookends2:23

Disc two

No.TitlePlace of OriginLength
1."Mrs. Robinson" The Graduate soundtrack, 1968; later released on Bookends that same year4:03
2."Fakin' It"Non-album single, 1967; later released on Bookends3:18
3."Old Friends"Bookends2:35
4."Bookends Theme (Reprise)"Bookends1:21
5."America"Bookends3:37
6."Overs" (Live at the Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Vermont, October 13, 1968)Old Friends; originally from Bookends2:25
7."El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" (Daniel Alomía Robles, English lyrics by Simon, arranged by Jorge Milchberg) Bridge over Troubled Water , 19703:07
8."Bridge over Troubled Water"Bridge over Troubled Water4:53
9."Cecilia"Bridge over Troubled Water2:54
10."Keep the Customer Satisfied"Bridge over Troubled Water2:34
11."So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright"Bridge over Troubled Water3:42
12."The Boxer"Non-album single, 1969; later released on Bridge over Troubled Water5:09
13."Baby Driver"Bridge over Troubled Water3:16
14."The Only Living Boy in New York"Bridge over Troubled Water3:58
15."Song for the Asking"Bridge over Troubled Water1:50
16."For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" (Live in St. Louis, Missouri, November 27, 1969)Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits, and later released on Live 1969; originally from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme2:26
17."My Little Town" Still Crazy After All These Years (Simon)
Breakaway (Garfunkel), 1975 (both solo albums)
3:51

Disc three (3.0 edition)

European version

Disc one

No.TitlePlace of OriginLength
1."The Sound of Silence" (Acoustic version with electric overdubs)Sounds of Silence; original acoustic version from Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.3:06
2."Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." (Live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, January 22, 1967)Live from New York City, 1967; originally from Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.2:44
3."Bye Bye Love" (Live recording from Ames, Iowa) (Felice and Boudleaux Bryant)Bridge over Troubled Water2:48
4."Bleecker Street"Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.2:44
5."I Am a Rock"Sounds of Silence2:50
6."A Most Peculiar Man" (Live at the Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Vermont, October 13, 1968)Old Friends; originally from Sounds of Silence2:33
7."Richard Cory"Sounds of Silence2:55
8."Kathy's Song" (Live in St. Louis, Missouri, November 1969)Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits, and later released on Live 1969; originally from Sounds of Silence3:22
9."Scarborough Fair/Canticle" (Traditional, arr. by Simon & Garfunkel)Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme3:09
10."Homeward Bound"Sounds of Silence (in the UK)/Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (Worldwide)2:28
11."Sparrow" (Live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, January 22, 1967)Live from New York City, 1967; originally from Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.3:02
12."Leaves That Are Green" (Live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, January 22, 1967)Live from New York City, 1967; originally from Sounds of Silence2:30
13."He Was My Brother"Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.2:49
14."The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme1:55
15."The Dangling Conversation"Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme2:37
16."A Poem on the Underground Wall" (Live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, January 22, 1967)First appeared on Old Friends, and later released on Live from New York, 1967; originally from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme2:05
17."Blessed" (Live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, January 22, 1967)First appeared on Old Friends, and later released on Live from New York, 1967; originally from Sounds of Silence3:42
18."Cloudy"Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme2:22
19."Blues Run the Game" (Jackson C. Frank)First appeared on Old Friends, and later as a bonus track on Sounds of Silence2:52
20."A Hazy Shade of Winter"Non-album single; later released on Bookends2:17

Disc two

No.TitlePlace of OriginLength
1."Mrs. Robinson"The Graduate soundtrack; later released on Bookends that same year4:02
2."Bridge over Troubled Water"Bridge over Troubled Water4:52
3."At the Zoo"Non-album single; later released on Bookends2:23
4."Fakin' It"Non-album single; later released on Bookends3:17
5."Old Friends"Bookends2:35
6."Bookends Theme"Bookends1:20
7."Punky's Dilemma"Bookends2:13
8."Overs" (Live at the Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Vermont, October 13, 1968)Old Friends; originally from Bookends2:25
9."A Church Is Burning" (Live at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, January 22, 1967)Old Friends, and later released on Live from New York, 1967; originally from The Paul Simon Songbook , 1965 (Paul Simon's solo debut album)3:22
10."America"Bookends3:37
11."El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" (Daniel Alomía Robles, English lyrics by Simon, arranged by Jorge Milchberg)Bridge over Troubled Water3:07
12."Cecilia"Bridge over Troubled Water2:54
13."Keep the Customer Satisfied"Bridge over Troubled Water2:34
14."So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright"Bridge over Troubled Water3:42
15."The Boxer"Non-album single; later released on Bridge over Troubled Water5:08
16."Baby Driver"Bridge over Troubled Water3:16
17."The Only Living Boy in New York"Bridge over Troubled Water3:58
18."Song for the Asking"Bridge over Troubled Water1:50
19."For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" (Live in St. Louis, Missouri, November 27, 1969)Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits, and later released on Live 1969; originally from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme2:26
20."My Little Town"Still Crazy After All These Years (Simon)
Breakaway (Garfunkel) (both solo albums)
3:51

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [23] 2× Platinum140,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [24] Gold17,330 [24]
Germany (BVMI) [25] Gold100,000Double-dagger-14-plain.png
Norway (IFPI Norway) [26] Platinum40,000*
Sweden (GLF) [27] Platinum60,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [28] Platinum300,000^
United States (RIAA) [29] Platinum500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Double-dagger-14-plain.png Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Simon and Garfunkels Greatest Hits</i> 1972 compilation album

Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits is the first compilation album from Simon & Garfunkel, which was released on June 14, 1972, two years after Simon & Garfunkel had parted ways.

<i>Antenna</i> (ZZ Top album) 1994 studio album by ZZ Top

Antenna is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1994. It was the band's first album to be released on the RCA label.

<i>Savage Amusement</i> 1988 studio album by Scorpions

Savage Amusement is the tenth studio album by the German hard rock band Scorpions, released in 1988. It peaked at No. 5 in the US and was certified platinum by the RIAA on June 20, 1988. It was the last Scorpions record to be produced by Dieter Dierks.

<i>Paint the Sky with Stars</i> 1997 greatest hits album by Enya

Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya is the first greatest hits album by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 1997 by WEA. Following her worldwide promotional tour in support of her previous album The Memory of Trees (1995), Enya began selecting tracks for a compilation album in early 1997, as her recording contract with WEA permitted her to do so. The album contains songs from her debut album Enya (1987) to The Memory of Trees (1995) and two new tracks, "Paint the Sky with Stars" and "Only If...".

<i>Best of the Beast</i> 1996 compilation album by Iron Maiden

Best of the Beast was Iron Maiden's first "best of" album, released in 1996 in three formats: a 34 track vinyl, a 27 track CD, a 16 track CD and MiniDisc. The vinyl edition is, to date, the band's longest record release, running for over three hours.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Red Hot Chili Peppers album) Red Hot Chili Peppers compilation album

Greatest Hits is the second compilation album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was released on November 18, 2003, by Warner Bros. Records. Aside from their cover of "Higher Ground", all songs on the compilation are from their tenure on Warner Bros. Records from 1991 to 2002, in addition to two newly recorded songs.

<i>Backstreets Back</i> 1997 Backstreet Boys album

Backstreet's Back is the second studio album by American boy band Backstreet Boys, released internationally August 11, 1997 by Jive Records and Trans Continental Records, with the exception of United States. It was a follow-up to their successful debut album Backstreet Boys (1996). Some songs from this album and the debut album were compiled into a second self-titled album, Backstreet Boys (1997), which was released only in the US.

<i>The Essential Michael Jackson</i> 2005 greatest hits album by Michael Jackson

The Essential Michael Jackson is a greatest hits compilation album by American singer Michael Jackson. It was released on July 19, 2005, by Sony Music's catalog division Legacy Recordings as part of The Essential series. The two-disc compilation features thirty-eight hit songs by Michael Jackson, from his days at Motown Records with The Jackson 5 in the late 1960s and early 1970s to his 2001 hit "You Rock My World".

<i>Scatmans World</i> 1995 studio album by Scatman John

Scatman's World is the debut major-label studio album by American musician Scatman John, recorded after the worldwide success of his debut single "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)". It is something of a concept album dealing with an imaginary Utopian society named "Scatland". He speaks about this at length in the liner notes, as well in several tracks on the album, most notably the track "Song of Scatland".

<i>The Essential Ozzy Osbourne</i> 2003 greatest hits album by Ozzy Osbourne

The Essential Ozzy Osbourne is a compilation album by British heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne, released in 2003. It reached No. 81 on US charts and No. 21 in the UK. Tracks featured here from the first two albums are the re-recorded versions from recent reissues as well as the remixed Bark at the Moon tracks. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on 5 February 2005 with an excess of 500,000 copies sold, then certified Platinum by the RIAA on 3 March 2016. This compilation was re-released in 2009 as a Limited Edition 3.0 package with an additional disc of bonus songs that were not on the original release.

<i>Freak of Nature</i> 2001 studio album by Anastacia

Freak of Nature is the second studio album by American singer Anastacia. It was released on November 23, 2001, by Epic Records and Daylight Records. The album was primarily produced by Ric Wake, Sam Watters, and Louis Biancaniello, with additional production from Richie Jones. It debuted and peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard 200, while reaching number four in the United Kingdom and number one in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. As of September 2012, Freak of Nature had sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide.

<i>The Essential Bruce Springsteen</i> 2003 greatest hits album by Bruce Springsteen

The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a compilation album by Bruce Springsteen, released on November 11, 2003. The collection is part of a series of Essential sets released by Sony BMG. It includes songs from various Springsteen albums and concerts up to the year 2003. A limited-edition third disc includes previously unreleased cuts, B-sides, contributions to soundtracks and benefit albums, covers, and an alternate, "country-blues" acoustic version of "Countin' on a Miracle" from The Rising.

<i>Backstreet Boys</i> (1996 album) 1996 studio album by Backstreet Boys

Backstreet Boys is the debut studio album by American boy band Backstreet Boys, released on May 6, 1996, by Jive Records in Germany. It was a success, becoming one of the biggest debut albums ever. It contains a number of the band's most memorable singles. All of those singles were later released on the group's second self-titled album, Backstreet Boys (1997), their debut in the United States in 1997, which compiled songs from this album and the band's second international release Backstreet's Back (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon & Garfunkel discography</span>

Simon & Garfunkel, an American singer-songwriter duo, has released five studio albums, fifteen compilation albums, four live albums, one extended play, twenty-six singles, one soundtrack, and four box sets since 1964. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel first formed a duo in 1957 as Tom & Jerry, before separating and later reforming as Simon & Garfunkel.

<i>DiscO-Zone</i> 2004 studio album by O-Zone

DiscO-Zone is the third and final album by the Moldovan band O-Zone. It was first released on June 6, 2004, in multiple countries throughout Europe. Produced by the band, the album features their hit singles "Dragostea Din Tei " and "Despre Tine ". It was a commercial success in many European countries, particularly in Portugal where it hit number one for eight consecutive weeks and was in the top 30 for 26 weeks, and it also reached the top ten in Wallonia, Belgium, Poland, Norway, Switzerland, and Finland. In France, it only reached number 15 but stayed in the top 200 for 36 weeks. In Japan it reached the number one position in its 24th week on the chart.

<i>The Essential Elvis Presley</i> 2007 greatest hits album by Elvis Presley

The Essential Elvis Presley is a greatest hits collection by American rock and roll musician Elvis Presley. The album was released as a two-disc set on January 2, 2007, by RCA Records as a part of Sony BMG's The Essential series and was later released by RCA and Legacy Recordings as a Limited Edition 3.0 three-disc set.

<i>The Essential Barbra Streisand</i> 2002 compilation album by Barbra Streisand

The Essential Barbra Streisand is the fifth greatest hits album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on January 29, 2002, by Columbia Records. The compilation features 38 songs from Streisand's catalog, in addition to two previously unreleased tracks. It includes material from 26 of the singer's albums and was described as a collection of, mainly, her pop songs. A reissued version of the compilation was distributed by Columbia and Legacy Recordings in 2008 and includes a bonus disk featuring nine additional songs from Streisand's discography.

<i>The Essential Leonard Cohen</i> 2002 greatest hits album by Leonard Cohen

The Essential Leonard Cohen is a career-spanning collection of Leonard Cohen songs released in 2002. It is part of Sony BMG's The Essential series.

<i>The Simon and Garfunkel Collection: 17 of Their All-Time Greatest Recordings</i> 1981 compilation album by Simon & Garfunkel

The Simon and Garfunkel Collection: 17 of Their All-Time Greatest Recordings is the second compilation album of greatest hits by Simon & Garfunkel, first issued in November 1981, 2 months after performing at the landmark The Concert in Central Park.

<i>The Definitive Simon and Garfunkel</i> 1991 compilation album by Simon & Garfunkel

The Definitive Simon and Garfunkel is the fourth compilation album of greatest hits by the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel, released in UK & Europe in 1991.

References

  1. Unterberger, Richie. Review: The Essential Simon & Garfunkel (UK). AllMusic. Retrieved on 2010-04-14.
  2. "Australiancharts.com – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  3. "Austriancharts.at – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  4. "Danishcharts.dk – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  5. "Dutchcharts.nl – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  6. "Simon & Garfunkel: The Essential" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  7. "Lescharts.com – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  8. "Offiziellecharts.de – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  9. "Greekcharts.com – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  10. "Italiancharts.com – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  11. "O‐ ZONE、18年ぶりの快挙! (O-ZONE)". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. August 23, 2005. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  12. "Charts.nz – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  13. "Norwegiancharts.com – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  14. "Portuguesecharts.com – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  15. "Swedishcharts.com – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  16. "Swisscharts.com – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  17. "Simon & Garfunkel | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  18. "Simon & Garfunkel | Awards". AllMusic . Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  19. "Årslista Album – År 2003" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  20. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2003". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  21. "The Official UK Albums Chart 2004" (PDF). Official Charts Company . Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  22. "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2009". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  23. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2010 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  24. 1 2 "Simon & Garfunkel" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland . Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  25. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Simon & Garfunkel; 'The Essential')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  26. "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  27. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2004" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  28. "British album certifications – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved April 14, 2013.Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Essential in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  29. "American album certifications – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential Simon". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved April 14, 2013.