Simon: ´I just felt it was time to do something different than just making another album. I wanted to do a musical. At first, I looked for some established writer to collaborate with. But everyone I was interested in had other projects going. So, I finally began to sketch out a story myself.´
By the summer of 1978, Simon had a finished script. He also had most of the songs for the picture. With attorney-adviser Michael Tannen, Simon took the script to Hollywood and offered it to two studios, 20th Century-Fox and Warner Bros. He said he wanted a response within 24 hours. Both studios made bids. Simon said he went with Warners because he had already signed with the firm`s record label and it made sense to keep the whole thing under one corporate umbrella. -...
(Later): He didn`t plan to be in the movie originally. He even talked to potential actors, including Richard Dreyfuss. The problem using an actor was a musical one. Simon already had the sound track album finished. Could you use an actor`s singing in the film and Simon`s on record? Simon certainly didn`t want an actor to lip-synch the music. The answer was he had to be in the film.-...
(After beginning of filming late 1979): Simon: ´The only frustrating thing is I have the sound track album finished for a year and it`ll be another year before it comes out. People keep asking me when I`m going to put another record out. I wish I could put it out tomorrow.´ |