“The Sound of Silence” (originally titled in the plural as “The Sounds of Silence”) is today’s classic song of the day. Written by Paul Simon, performed by Simon and his partner Art Garfunkel, and recorded for Columbia Records, the single was released twice.
The first version, a folk-like acoustic recording, was released in October of 1964 and included on the duo’s Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. album. It was not a success.
Producer Tom Wilson, inspired by the Byrds and other emerging folk-rock acts, thought the song would benefit from the addition of electric instruments and a rock rhythm section and called in a group of studio musicians to overdub those parts on top of Simon & Garfunkel’s original acoustic recording. On June 14, 1965, Wilson enlisted guitarists Al Gorgoni and Vinnie Bell, bassist Joe Mack, and drummer Bobby Gregg, along with engineer Roy Halee, to add some oomph to the acoustic original. As Paul Simon’s original acoustic guitar part sped up and slowed down throughout the track, recording on top of it was a tad difficult; the musicians had to kind of wait and then play catchup as they tried to sync to the track.
This electrified version of “The Sound of Silence” was released in September of 1965 and was an immediate hit. This new version went all the way to #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and was a huge hit in countries all around the globe.
Interestingly, Paul and Artie weren’t consulted or informed about Wilson’s electric makeover of the song. In fact, Paul Simon was performing solo at a small club in Denmark when he picked up a copy of Billboard magazine and saw his song climbing the chart. He got a copy of the single in the mail a few days later and didn’t necessarily like what he heard. In the words of Paul’s friend Al Stewart, with whom he was living at the time:
“Paul was horrified when he first heard it … [when the] rhythm section slowed down at one point so that Paul and Artie’s voices could catch up.”
Art Garfunkel was less alarmed at the change to their original recording. He told producer Wilson at the time:
“It’s interesting, I suppose it might do something, It might sell.”
And sell it did, hitting #1 on January 1, 1966. That inspired the duo to reunite (they had split after the relative failure of their first album) and hurry into the studio to record a follow-up album, titled after their hit song. “The Sound of Silence” ended up being chosen by director Mike Nichols to feature in his 1967 film, The Graduate, along with a handful of other Simon & Garfunkel songs. It was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
“The Sound of Silence” has proven an enduring classic and has been covered by dozens of other artists over the years. In 2015, the heavy metal band Disturbed recorded a powerful version of “The Sound of Silence,” which proved a major hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hard Rock Digital Songs and Mainstream Rock charts. That track, newly popular among a much younger crowd, is today’s daily bonus video of the day. It’ll take your breath away.
