‘I met Paul Simon for the first time in years recently… I cried,’ says Art Garfunkel

ART GARFUNKEL is reflecting connected the opus Old Friends.

You know, the 1 astir 2 men who “sat connected their parkland seat similar bookends”.

“It has been a immense instrumentality favourite each implicit the world,” helium says. “And that has ever been precise overmuch appreciated.”

The wistful ballad serves arsenic an intimate representation of beloved acquaintances looking backmost connected their lives, reminiscing astir their youth.

Now 82, Art has conscionable recorded a heartfelt mentation with his son, Art Jr. for their duets medium Father And Son but helium archetypal sang it arsenic a young antheral with its writer, Paul Simon.

As Simon & Garfunkel, they had formed 1 of music’s top duos, with songs specified arsenic The Sound Of Silence, Homeward Bound, The Boxer and Mrs Robinson making an indelible people connected fashionable culture.

Garfunkel’s towering vocal connected Bridge Over Troubled Water is wide regarded arsenic his finest hour.

But since the New Yorkers divided successful 1970 and contempt a immense Central Park reunion successful 1981 and assorted tours including 1 called Old Friends, their narration has been analyzable and turbulent.

Some accidental their feuding was down to Paul wanting to beryllium successful power due to the fact that helium wrote the songs.

He erstwhile admitted thing had “broken” betwixt them.

Others judge it was due to the fact that Art took clip retired to prosecute his movie vocation which saw him onshore roles successful Catch-22 and Carnal Knowledge.

What’s definite is that Simon & Garfunkel haven’t sung unneurotic since 2010 . . . which makes what Art tells maine successful effect to my question astir Old Friends each the much astonishing.

“I met with Paul Simon for the archetypal clip successful years conscionable recently,” helium reveals.

“We had a luncheon together. It was very, precise lukewarm and wonderful.”

So the “old friends” met successful a restaurant, not connected a parkland seat but hey . . . 

Art admits that helium struggled to power his emotions. He says: “There were tears. I was crying astatine a definite constituent due to the fact that I felt that I had wounded him.”

Then helium stresses: “But determination were hugs. I’m cherishing this two-week-old representation of having luncheon with Paul Simon.”

‘I emotion everyone’

I inquire if they talked astir those heady days successful the Sixties erstwhile they enjoyed phenomenal success.

“No, we didn’t. That speaks for itself,” helium answers.

Although it seems improbable they volition execute unneurotic again, helium suggests that a reconciliation has taken place.

“I similar to deliberation I’m a antheral who has a batch of love,” helium says.

“There are NO relationships of excavation that don’t person emotion astatine the bottom.

“I emotion everyone.

“I can’t ideate holding a presumption of dislike and clinging to it.

“It’s each meant to beryllium resolved truthful we tin dice easy.”

I’m speaking to Art, who inactive lives successful The Big Apple, and Art Jr, who is based successful Berlin and has had deed albums successful Germany.

The conception of Simon (by that I mean me) and 2 Garfunkels having a chat seems irresistible.

Art Jr has this instrumentality connected Old Friends: “One of the reasons I truly vouch for it is due to the fact that I americium 33 years old.

“That means I’ve known my dada arsenic a beloved person each my life.

“We’re truthful adjacent erstwhile we sing these songs connected signifier oregon successful the ­studio next to each other.”

Dad addresses his lad straight and affectionately: “Junior, we person sung astatine 1 mic with our foreheads successful interaction with each other.

“It’s specified a close, beauteous embrace, among the sweetest moments of my life.

“Do you retrieve that, honey?”

And Art Jr replies: “I do, precise well.

“Music is our connection of affection.”

Their Garfunkel & Garfunkel album, Father And Son, appropriately named aft the Cat Stevens screen which closes it, is simply a sublime national of voices and comes with afloat orchestrated arrangements.

Art’s sensation is reflected by songs from the American Songbook specified arsenic Blue Moon, Once In A While and You Belong To Me.

Art Jr’s emotion of Eighties popular is represented by Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time, The Eurythmics’ Here Comes The Rain Again and Ph.D’s I Won’t Let You Down.

And The Beatles get a look successful with a touching instrumentality connected Blackbird.

But it is their Let It Be Me, a tender emotion opus by The Everly Brothers, that we crook to next.

For Art, Don and Phil Everly were the main inspiration down Simon & Garfunkel.

They famously covered the ­Everlys’ deed Bye Bye Love connected their last workplace album, Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970).

 Art says: “Anybody with ears knows that Don and Phil are not surpassed for harmony.

“Nobody is arsenic good, not adjacent Simon & Garfunkel.

“The blend of those 2 voices is supreme.”

This is the cue for Art Jr to interrupt with: “I disagree.

“I deliberation Simon & Garfunkel are arsenic arsenic bully oregon better.”

Dad laughs and exclaims: “I’ll instrumentality a walk astatine this point!”

But past helium casts his caput backmost to erstwhile helium archetypal heard the Everlys.

'Lovely aboriginal memories'

“I went bowling with Paul Simon erstwhile I was 14 successful Jamaica, New York.

“When we came back, I heard, ‘Ching, ka-ching, ching, ching, ka-ching, ching, ka-ching, ching’ — the intro to Bye Bye Love connected the radio.

“I instantly loved however hep it was.

“The vocal hadn’t adjacent begun yet.

“Just that guitar intro captured me.

“Then came these 2 voices and I knew successful a flash — I person bully ears — that this was the champion determination was.

“I was smitten.”

Art recalls however helium and Paul Simon started retired arsenic Tom & Jerry and how, successful 1957, they sang their deed Hey, Schoolgirl connected Dick Clark’s TV amusement American Bandstand, connected the aforesaid measure arsenic Jerry Lee Lewis.

So what made them alteration to their existent names?

Art says: “We ne'er could travel up with what we should telephone ourselves.

“Then the grounds statement said, ‘Look, it’s the Sixties now’, meaning it’s the future.

“It’s arrived. ‘You tin usage your morganatic names’.

“They told us, ‘If it sounds similar a law firm, truthful beryllium it.

“You’re Simon & Garfunkel now.’”

Art besides remembers the duo’s aboriginal trips to England arsenic they sought to marque a sanction for themselves.

“We’d spell to pubs and, supra the pub, determination would beryllium a country for 100 people.

“Paul and I would sing each the aboriginal songs similar Who Will Love A Little Sparrow?

“We learned to harmonise unneurotic and I was a large instrumentality of Paul Simon’s songs.

“We would get connected a train, spell to Bristol oregon Hull, bash a amusement and travel location to Judith Piepe’s flat successful London.

“We would riff and gag around. I’d accidental to Paul, ‘You’ve got to stop, you’re sidesplitting me.’ He has a large consciousness of humour.

“These are precise beauteous aboriginal memories.”

Now we person Garfunkel & Garfunkel, who are besides channelling the Everlys with their rendition of Let It Be Me.

“Don’t you think, Father, that Let It Be Me is simply a no-brainer? It’s our song,” says Art Jr.

Art responds with: “Having toured with the Everlys, I knew them a small bit.

“Don called that opus the champion happening they ever did.”

I inquire Art, known for the aureate dependable down mega solo No1 Bright Eyes, erstwhile helium discovered his lad could besides sing.

He replies: “When helium was two, we brought Junior down to a soundcheck successful Japan.

“We took him connected signifier and said, ‘Come to the microphone, play with it. It’s a toy.’

“And helium started making sounds into the mic. So signifier enactment has ever been integrated for Junior, precise earthy happening for him.”

Art adds: “Now I’m brainsick astir his voice.

“He’s truthful damn good.

“He’s amended than I am.”

That’s immoderate compliment from the vocalist of Bridge Over Troubled Water, I’m thinking.

Art Jr says: “Well, I can’t adjacent process that.

“All I tin accidental is that my begetter has 1 of the astir iconic antheral voices of each time.

“But I emotion singing.

“It’s my existent passion.”

Before this candid Zoom telephone ends, I’m keen to find retired if begetter and lad would similar to support their signaling concern going.

Art Jr answers first: “I’d similar to spot america enactment connected aboriginal projects, particularly with my dad’s enthusiasm.

“What a blessing for me.”

And yet Art: “I emotion this.

“I privation to bash it again.

“If you’re successful Junior, I’m in.”

GARFUNKEL & GARFUNKEL

Father And Son

★★★★☆