In 1966 Simon Garfunkel did their first European tour. Besides Scandanavia, they visted at least Engalnd and The Netherlands. Here they recorded the now infamous Twien TV Show.
They also performed in Haarlem, De Waag, on June 29, where they were interviewed by Dutch newspaper ‘Het Vrije Volk’:
(click on the picture to enlarge)
Here’s a translation:
Het Vrije Volk, Thursday 30 June 1966
Two 24 year old boys stopped by in The Netherlands for a short while, together with their girlfriends. Since last December (and that really is just 7 months ago) they sold 5 million records.
Simon & Garfunkel yesterday recorded, in Studio Irene in Bussum, a TV Special for NCRV TV, which will be broadcasted on August 10. *)
In the evening in De Waag in Haarlem, where Cobi Schrijer has a place of pelgrimage for every folksinger who visits our country, Reina starts knitting while Paul Simon;s girlfriend is reading a leaflet of a Soda Pop company.
Paul Simon, a small dark little man with a Caesar-like haircut in a burgundy red sweater starts to talk. ‘We sing folksongs from the city. That’s the future and where all the problems are now.The rural blues is not appealing to the people so much anymore. Art Garfunkel and I are already singing since we were 15. Art never cared so much to be in showbusiness. This is our first large tour together, because his still studying mathematics at NYU.
First hit
The first hit of Simon & Garfunkel was The Sound of Silence in September 1965. Which was quickly followed up by ‘Homeward Bound’ and ‘I am a rock’, written by Paul Simon.
– Follows part of the lyrics of ‘I am a rock’
Do they still agree with the content of their lyrics? Paul Simon: ‘Yes. Even though I have had many requests, I wrote for myself, because the lyrics talk about problems that have my interpretation.’
A couple of moments later Simon & Garfunkel are on the very small stage of De Waag and sing ‘I am a rock’ and ‘Homeward Bound’.
*) the correct broadcast date is August 12, 1966.
Paul Simon - 'Time it was...it was' 