Which 60s Duo Combined Elements of Folk Music With the Techniques of Phil Spector

Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the most popular recording artists of the 1960s and became countercultural icons of the decade.

Simon and Garfunkel

Simon and Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s and became counterculture icons of the decade. The duo first met as children in 1953 and began collaborating in 1957. They rose to prominence in 1965 with their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M..

Their sound

Simon and Garfunkel’s sound was characterized by Paul Simon’s intricate, often literate songwriting, and Art Garfunkel’s clear, angelic voice. The duo first found popularity with their first album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which contained their first hit single “The Sound of Silence”. This was followed two years later with the album Sounds of Silence, which featured several other songs that would become classics (“I Am a Rock”, “Kathy’s Song”, and “Scarborough Fair/Canticle (Parser’s Song)”). 1967’s Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme was their most accomplished work to that point, winning a Grammy Award for Best Album of the Year. It included the Simon-penned songs “Homeward Bound” and “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)”. The latter track rose to No. 1 in Cashbox magazine’s pop singles chart in February 1968. It would be their only American chart-topper as a duo.

Their success

Simon and Garfunkel’s success began in 1965 with the release of their first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. The album included the song “The Sound of Silence,” which was originally released as a single in 1964. The song became a hit after it was re-released in 1965, reaching #1 on the Billboard charts.

The duo’s second album, Sounds of Silence, was released in 1966 and reached #4 on the Billboard charts. The album included the singles “I Am a Rock” and “The Sound of Silence.”

In 1967, Simon and Garfunkel released their third album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, which reached #4 on the Billboard charts. The album included the singles “Homeward Bound” and “The Dangling Conversation.”

The duo’s fourth album, Bookends, was released in 1968 and reached #1 on the Billboard charts. The album included the singles “Mrs. Robinson” and “The Boxer.”

Simon and Garfunkel’s fifth and final studio album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, was released in 1970 and reached #1 on the Billboard charts. The album included the singles “Cecilia” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The line-up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr led them to be regarded as the most influential band of all time. With a sound rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, they later utilised several genres, ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. Their clothes, style and statements made them trendsetters, while their growing experimentation and blending of genres influenced artists and helped to usher in the Counterculture of the 1960s.

Their sound

The Beatles combined elements of both folk music and the “Wall of Sound” production technique of American producer Phil Spector. The Beatles’ sound was further distinguished by the extensive use of multitrack recording, overdubbing, and feedback.

Their success

The Beatles became successful in the United Kingdom in late 1962 with their first single, “Love Me Do”, which peaked at number seventeen on the UK Singles Chart. The success was followed by a string of similar releases, including “Please Please Me”, “From Me to You” and “She Loves You”. By early 1964 they had become international stars, leading the “British Invasion” of the United States pop market.

During their time as a touring band, starting with their 1964 debut American Tour, they produced what musical historian Clinton Heylin has described as a succession of traditional small-group recordings that displayed marked innovation in both songwriting and recording techniques. These albums included Please Please Me (1963), With the Beatles (1963), A Hard Day’s Night (1964), Beatles for Sale (1964), Help! (1965), Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966). In 1967, they produced Magical Mystery Tour, an ambitious – if somewhat incoherent – experimental film designed for television broadcast in Britain and the United States; it was accompanied by a soundtrack album of the same name. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band furthered what he termed their “conceptual unity”, represented as an avant-garde pop project that wove together numerous threads from contemporary culture. The album was recorded during a 138-day period from December 1966 to May 1967 and became possibly their most widely admired work; according to Heylin, Sgt. Pepper marks the moment where John Lennon and Paul McCartney fully realised their potential as world-class songwriters.

The Kinks

The Kinks were one of the most important and influential British rock bands of the 1960s. The group was led by singer, songwriter and guitarist Ray Davies, and his brother, drummer and singer Dave Davies. The Kinks are known for their innovative and influential style of music, which combined elements of British Invasion pop, folk, and R&B. The band’s hits include “You Really Got Me,” “All Day and All of the Night,” and “Tired of Waiting for You.”

Their sound

The Kinks are a British rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, in 1964 by brothers Dave Davies and Ray Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. They achieved success in 1964 with “You Really Got Me”, which reached number one in the UK, and later also had chart hits with singles including “All Day and All of the Night”, “Tired of Waiting for You”, “Set Me Free” and “See My Friends”. The Kinks have released twenty-four studio albums, thirty-six Swinging London; this resulted in them being teased by other musicians. The Kinks broke up multiple times but reunion tours have occurred periodically since their reunion in 1989.

Their success

The Kinks are an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. They developed a distinctive style blending blues and pop music with R&B and harmonica-driven Britpop.

The Kinks’ first hit, “You Really Got Me”, was released in 1964 and reached number 1 in the UK charts. The band’s next few singles failed to make an impact on the charts, but their popularity increased with the release of their albumFace to Face in 1966, which included their second UK chart topper “Sunny Afternoon”. Their following albums—Something Else by The Kinks (1967), The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968), Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969) and Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One (1970)—were highly praised by critics for their lyrical content, musicianship and Dave Davies’ innovative guitar work.

In 1971, drug abuse and creative disagreements led to tensions between the Davies brothers, which culminated in Dave’s firing from the band. They continued as a three-piece without him for one album before breaking up in 1996. Since reuniting in 1999, they have released seven more albums: Phobia(1993), To the Bone(2017), Sleepwalker(2007), Low Budget(1979), Give the People What They Want(1981), State of Confusion(1982) and Preservation: Act 1(1993).