Another ticket-stub from the 1967 College Tour was put on eBay for auction recently:
The rear-balcony price was US$2,00, for a price between 79 US$ and 150 US$ this stub becomes yours.
Taken form Mudcat.org here are some other memories of Paul Simon playing in folk clubs in the UK during 1964/1965:
Dave – NOT Jack , but Dick Frost who is still in good voice despite being even older than ME !
The Folk Chamber was in an old half timbered pub (Coach and Horses) when I joined . That was demolished and the and for club moved around a lot . When I left the RAF in 1972 the club was in Nags Head for the second time, and I was invited onto The Committee.
It was the first period at the Nags when Paul Simon did a floor spot and would have done a booking but the club wouldnt raise their offer.
Didnt you go to Amersham more than Wycombe Dave ? I DO remember a Dave Hill who played a bit of Washboard on occasions.
In my dotage am I imagining it but did I used to go to a folk club in RAOB rooms above a pub on London Rd/Wycombe Marsh in the early 60’s? Did I pay 2/6d to see Paul Simon, did we have a “Philarmonias Jug Band” with members from the USAF High Wycombe? They sang/played “Ukelele Lady” I seem to remember. the only name I remeber is “Jack” Frost. Did we have all night bashes after the films had finshed at Beaconsfield Cinema? Did we have Dis Disley? Noone will remeber me, I was very modest, had a lot to be modest about!
Much enjoyed The Leesiders Club – Sunday Night in Birkenhead. Missed The Watersons and I think Paul Simon but much enjoyed Leon Rosselson and Pete Stanley & Brian Golbey/Wizz Jones amongst many others.
Saw Paul Simon in The Packhorse (or The Bridge) on Bridge Street in Manchester. An American girl was with him that night, she wore a beret, polo neck sweater, a full skirt and a pair of boots. She sang songs like “Mr Frog would a courtin’ ride” and the like. She was excellent, I can’t remember her name, would love to know who she was. There was only a handful of us in the room that night.
Also saw Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup at one of the blues night’s at MSG and Stephan Grossman in the folk club upstairs.
I remember seeing Derroll Adams at the Lyon’s Den Folk Club in Stevenage in the early 60’s. He was a great mate of Derek Brimstone’s. I also saw Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, Tom Paxton, Paul Simon, Bill Clifton,(with the Echo Mountain Boys) and Rick Norcross(Canadian but close enough?)
For what it’s worth, here is my contribution. Friday was my night to go to Bunjies, because I had my wage packet in my back pocket. I worked nearby and was already strumming and singing folk songs. My first night coincided with Al Stewarts first gig as resident, which he shared with Peter Bellamy. Al’s first song was “Pretty Golden Hair”
and his guitar playing was excellent. Peter sang his Norfolk inspired songs, I loved his “German Musicianer Ballad.(all full of double meaning lyrics!) Peter also strummed an old guitar back then, played concertina and tin whistle. Meg came in to sing when the cinema queues had disappeared, Theo Johnson sang. Mox on harmonica. Sandy Denny, Shirley Abacaire, Noel Murphy with his Irish Ballads.`Jackson Frank singing “You never wanted me babe” and many other self penned songs. (He was brilliant!) Gordon Giltrap guitar wizard,Lovely songs from Doris Henderson. Hratch who first began by singing “Deportees”
Al took a room in Lyall Street, Soho for 5 pounds a week, and we used to go back there for coffee and he’d try out new songs.
Paul Simon arrived unexpectedly one friday night (Summer 65) and sang nearly all the songs from (Paul Simon Songbook) his first solo folk album)He was playing a fine Guild guitar and at the last song he called out to Art Garfunkle, who was standing at the back wearing a long cream raincoat…”Hey Art…Come a sing this with me”…And they both sang together, “Sounds of Silence!” That was a very special Magic night. Afterwards, we sat in the coffee bar section and Lou served up coffee…and paul Simon told us what his favourite book was. (Ulysses by James Joyce) Many magic memories come back to me of those friday nights between Early 65 ’till about 69. So many fine singers,and friendships made. (I’m still strumming at 66yrs.Check out utube) Best Wishes to all you Bunjies fans from Cliff Wedgbury.(Cork, Ireland)
I used to work behind the bar in the pub near the Town Hall run by one Joe Hartles This pub also used to run a folk club where Paul Simon appeared before penning his famous song on Widnes station in 1965 I think
Robin Gray and I used to run the folk club in the early 70`s in “The Green Man” at the top of Blackheath Hill. I`ve still got the poster for the Paul Simon night. The place closed during that decade and some poncy flats are now on the site. I hope they didn`t blame us!
– if you have more please keep it coming –
Paul Simon performed an 8 song set at the show honoring Phil Everly, on October 29, 2014:
– The sound of silence
– Hearts and bones
– Mystery train
– Here comes the sun
– Me and Julio down by the schoolyard
– The boxer
– When will I be loved
– Mrs. Robinson
Here you can read the entire review of the evening.
On Tuesday, January 20, 2015, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bobby McFerrin and other prominent musicians honored the memory of their friend and colleague, 15-time Grammy-winning saxophonist Michael Brecker, at “The Nearness of You” benefit concert in New York City.
Read more here
A lot of folk-fans remember Paul Simon playing in a – local – folk club which they often visited. Here are a few examples:
Enterprise Chalk Farm:
I was a regular at the Engineer sessions after the Guitar
classes at CSH and knew Jim, Doug and Ollie well, and probably yourself Julie.
I don’t have evidence of Jim jamming with Paul but Paul Simon was a guest on one
or two occasions at the close by Enterprise Chalk Farm where all of us would have been
regular as well so it’s not impossible.
Hi Julie
Margaret & I certainly remember Jim ( Woody ) with great affection,
I first met him in a John Pearse guitar class which would have probably been in 1960 or
61 and later when we ran the Cellar he and Ollie were regular visitors . We remember
him as always immaculately dressed ,blazer grey flannels collar and tie and never without his pork
pie hat stood out amongst the load of scruffs that seemed to be the followers of Folk Music in those
far off days.I remember him with Ollie and I think Ollie’s girl friend Georgie performing at the Cellar.
I particularly remember three songs that he used to do regularly the first “Gosport Nancy ” which I seem
to remember caught the ear of Cyril Tawney then there was the one to the tune of “Abdul abulbul ameer” about a scots lad wno tamed a wild haggis ,Jim always said he got the idea from a poem he read in the Beano and lastly a Music Hall ditty “You dont wnt to keep on showing it Mary” about a girl with a big red nose.I dont remember him jamming with Paul Simon but it was certainly a possibility Paul often dropped into the cellar if he hadn’t got a gig.Sad to think of another old “Folker” gone theres not many of us left (Jack & Margaret King).
Manchester Sports Guild:
A CONCERT TO CELEBRATE THE ICONIC
1960’S AND 1970’S MUSIC VENUE
THE MANCHESTER SPORTS GUILD
———————————–
FEATURING
A HOST OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL
FOLK SINGERS
AND NOSTALGIC MEMORIES FROM
MSG ARTISTS THAT INCLUDED:-
Paul Simon, Billy Connolly, Jasper Carrot, Mike Harding,
Julie Felix, Christy Moore, Martin Carthy, Barbara Dixon
and many, many more.
Yeovil Folk Club:
1965 Yeovil Folk Club @ The Yetties’ and Paul Simon before
he became famous singing ‘Sparrow’.
aT THE Grimsby Folk Club / Queens Hotel in Cleethorpes:
I recall visiting the club in Cleethorpes when Paul Simon appeared and
I took along fellow students we were out from Leeds on teaching practice,
and we knew all the words to his ‘Songbook’ L P
(Paul Simon played here twice – see)
Green Moose (Liverpool ??):
Jerry O’Reilly. Joyce asks if Paul Simon played at the Green Moose. I don’t remember him playing at
the Green Moose but I do remember him playing in Jim Pedan’s club in Sampson and Barlow’s sometime in 1964/65.
Jim’s group were called The Calton Three if I remember rightly.
[…]
at the Spinners Club. Paul did a sort of egocentric cabaret act rather than the slightly self-deprecating thing the average folk club guest served up. This really got up my nose and I would stay outside drinking until he had finished as I couldn’t stand the smarm!
Les Cousins:
…..and when when “The sound of silence” made it to the charts, whilst in Les Cousins
I seem to remember Paul Simon complaining in ‘Cousins’about his record company releasing
‘The Sound of Silence’ when he was in the UK. Then it did well in the charts, so somebody did a parody,
called, ‘The Sound of Finance‘.
If you have any information about seeing Paul Simon play in a folk club in 1964 or 1965 please let us know your memories.
There seem to have been Simon & Garfunkel concerts at 3 colleges in the North-East of the US, late January 1966, in one weekend. But unfortunately we are still looking for the exact dates and names. One of them could have been at:
Brown College / University in Providence (Rhode Island)
and another may have been at:
Teacher’s College in New York City.
But we are still looking for confirmation. So if anyone has any memory or “evidence” they played there, please let us know what you know.
In 1967 Simon & Garfunkel appeared in the Upbeat Show of November 5.
Later that day they would play in Cleveland’s Music Hall.
Simon and Garfunkel on the Upbeat Show, Cleveland, Ohio 11/5/67
You can now buy the picture on Ebay
In 1968 (May 20th) an article was published in the New York Times that a new musical would come to Broadway, starring Dustin Hoffman. Music would be written by Paul Simon.
The musical would be staged 116 times in the NY Brooks Atkinson Theater from December 5 – 1968 and close on April 26, 1969. Unfortunately Paul Simon must have had second thoughts about him contributing to the musical as the actual music was written by (Loovin’ Spoonful)