Why Paul Simon Reunited with Art Garfunkel After Bitter Split for the Concert in Central Park (Exclusive)

Simon & Garfunkel’s 1981 concert in Central Park was the first time that Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel performed together as Simon & Garfunkel in full form following the release of their last album, A bridge over troubled water1970. The concert proved to be a new beginning for the duo — and a new end.

In the second part of the new documentary In restless dreams: The music of Paul Simonpremiering March 24 on MGM+, Simon, 82, recounts the pivotal show in Central Park, what it meant for the future of Simon and Garfunkel and the nerve-wracking moment when the man rushed the stage.

He explains that when he was invited to do the concert, he had just faced an obstacle in his career. “Because [his 1980 album] The one trick pony was a failure, when they asked me to do a concert in Central Park, I thought, ‘Well, I just had a big flop, maybe I should ask Artie to come and sing some songs on this’.”

Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon perform in Central Park. Nancy Kaye/AP/Shutterstock Paul Simon describes ‘broken’ friendship with Art Garfunkel in new documentary: ‘We had an unequal partnership’

What they thought would be a small charity concert turned into half a million people flocking to the Great Lawn in Central Park to watch the long-awaited reunion of the former duo, and although it started well, the concert was canceled.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him come up on stage,” says Simon of the concertgoer who jumped on stage while singing “The Late Great Johnny Ace.” The man was quickly pulled off the stage by security, and Simon continued to perform, while Garfunkel was on the sidelines watching the episode unfold without any reaction.

“What’s interesting about it is that my band is ready to jump in,” adds Simon. “Artie was sitting in the air … he didn’t take the bullet for me.”

Simon and Garfunkel perform in Central Park in 1981. Picture parade / Getty Images

The series’ success led to a brief revival for Simon & Garfunkel. “After the concert in Central Park with Simon & Garfunkel was so big – it was such a big hit – and then it kind of made us… it made me get the band back together and do the tour,” recalls Simon.

The “Kodachrome” singer says he’s decided to put his past grievances with Garfunkel, 82, behind him. “We were famous enemies, but I thought, ‘You know what? I’m going to put all that aside and have a good reunion tour with Artie.'”

Simon adds that the tour ended up being a “total hit”, and the pair have discussed getting back together for good. “We said — the album I was working on, Hearts and bones — it’s going to be a Simon & Garfunkel record.”

However, things changed when Simon realized how different Garfunkel’s engagement was this time.

“The way we used to work was that I would write the songs and we would do the harmonies and sing them together. We were friends, we hung out – says Simon. “But until the time we worked Hearts and bonesArtie’s idea was, ‘Give me the songs, and I’ll go to Switzerland and walk around and come up with harmonies.'”

“It was a recap of him in Mexico making a movie. Well, now he wanted to smoke and walk around Switzerland and come up with harmonies to these songs, and then he’d send them back and we’d look at it and say, ‘What’s this?’ It didn’t sound like the old Simon & Garfunkel. And I just said, ‘I can’t do this.'”

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Columbia Records/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Paul Simon tried to stop Frank Sinatra from covering one of his songs: ‘I Said, He Can’t Do That’

Simon explains that he knew saying no to Garfunkel meant the new album wouldn’t be as successful, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. “I decided I wasn’t going to do it, so I had to announce: ‘Hearts and bones, it’s not going to be a Simon & Garfunkel album.’ Everyone was disappointed. So that record was kind of cursed before it really took off.”

Although the concert in Central Park appeared to be a turning point for Simon & Garfunkel, in reality, says Simon, it was just a “luxurious detour”.

“The breakup that happened after [Garfunkel’s 1970 film] Catch-22 it was never fixed,” he explains. “It was just a bandage put over it. But the turn was such a luxurious turn – the concert in Central Park – we forgot that basically, we were done as a team.”

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The first part of In restless dreams: The music of Paul Simon is available to stream on MGM+.

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Source: HIS Education