Mike Jan-26-2011, 18:23 GMT USA - United Staates America
This is the audio of Paul Simon´s 1982 performance of "Citizen Of The Planet" on Late Night with David Letterman. At this point all he had was a chorus.
(The video is just set to images of Paul)
This is a treasure Mike . Many thank for posting !
Forum guest Jan-26-2011, 23:15 GMT USA - United Staates America
better than the s and g version for sure. I was him play it live many years ago at a benefit at the sf opera house, if I remember correctly. He said he was gonna play a few new songs and if we didn´t like them he was "gonna go right back to the hits."
Loved the original clip of "Citezen of the Plannet." Never heard it before only have the audio of Simon and Garfunkel version on the live cd and dvd.
I enjoy listening to all of Paul Simon´s work in progress and how the words and music change.
Wounder if the song will be sung live solo and or with Art when they complete their tour.
Mike Jan-28-2011, 15:01 GMT USA - United Staates America
I wonder too, it really is one of his most beautiful songs in my opinion, and the S&G version really should have gotten a better public reception. It had all the elements of a Simon & Garfunkel hit.
I have never been listening to the S&G version a lot. It´s only as a hidden audio bonus on the DVd, and I did not take the time to convert it to mp3.
It sounds like a cheap and very fast production (and i obviously is).
I remember that S&G in that time had a fight with the publisher(Warner music?) about how much money they should get for this live CD/DVD. Warner wanted to pay them as if these are Old songs (30 years old), and so the fee should be really low. S&G said these are ´new´ songs (or at least new recorded songs).
So - from my point of view - they eventually just made a deal to record 1 new song for this release, and get paid as if all songs are complete new. Maybe Warner thought thats a fantastic deal to have a new S&G song, but Paul knew he would never play it and never advertise it, and he would only spend a few hours in the studio.
That might explain why this song got no attention. At least we all know this IS the last song S&G recorded together, but it is a completely unknown number. In My Little Town should be the official last one forever.
Just my 2 cent... And I think at least 90% of the real S&G tracks are more beautiful, the 2003 recording is uninspired...it is real elevator music.
Your source Bodo for the quarrel about how much they would be paid ? 1st time I have heard about it...
COTP sounds good to me. A nice little song. I have always thought they did not do any promotion not to fill the rumor of an upcoming reunion in the studio for a new album. I thought that Paul recorded it upon repeated requests by Artie.
Mike Feb-09-2011, 15:18 GMT USA - United Staates America
The Simon & Garfunkel recording gives off a real under-produced demo sound, which is probably why I like it. But I´m confused as to when Simon & Garfunkel recorded the version for their Old Friends Live album.
The quarrel was originally about the best of CD. Had been discussed here a few times. (it was the deal that Paul get all incomes from the CD sales [as he was the writer], and S&G share the concert incoming)
But you may be right - the recording of the song, and the problems with the label did not happen at the same time.
Although it is interesting, that Sony said this is Old material and they want to use the same deal as 20 years ago, while S&G had a new song on that release.
So maybe it is connected together, maybe in the end they decided to put the new record on this album as a bonus to please Sony.
Whatever it was, the result is that this song never has been promoted anywhere by them.
Mike Feb-09-2011, 15:56 GMT USA - United Staates America
Thanks Bodo! Very interesting how Paul Simon is consistently self critical of his work. He knew even a beautiful song like this wasn´t quite the image he was going for at the time that he wrote it.
Jon Feb-09-2011, 18:58 GMT USA - United Staates America
I thought that Paul had nothing to do with it aside from giving it his blessing --- Artie went into the studio and just recorded his vocals over Paul´s vocals from 1983.
