Peter Clericuzio
e-mail me

Professional

Curriculum Vitae
Penn Art History
Emory Art History
Emory History

Personal

Simon & Garfunkel
License Plates
Lighthouses
France
Coins
thedrafthorse.com

Simon & Garfunkel: An Illustrated Discography

Pseudonyms and Behind the Scenes (1957-64)

INDEX TO SIMON & GARFUNKEL PAGES:

General Index	to 1966	1967-70	1971-now	1957-64	1965-70	1971-now	Other Media
	Albums			Singles

Remember: This page, its text, images and content ©2007 Peter Clericuzio

Hey, Schoolgirl b/w Dancin' Wild / Tom & Jerry
          US 45 / November 1957 / Big 613 and King 5167

 

Simon & Garfunkel’s first single, recorded for a minor record label while they were still in high school, reveals the influence of rock ‘n roll and the Everly Brothers, their heroes. This disc climbed to #49 on the pop charts after its release, but subsequent efforts did not match their initial success here. They recorded under the pseudonyms Tom Graph (Garfunkel’s nickname, from the fact that he liked to chart pop singles on graph paper) and Jerry Landis (Simon’s nickname, which he would later use for several other singles in the late 1950s and early 1960s). This record, which Paul Maclauchlan estimates sold about 100,000 copies, is the easiest of the duo’s pre-Simon & Garfunkel singles to obtain. Copies also exist with writing credits given to "Tommy Graph and Jerry Landis."

True Or False b/w Teenage Fool / True Taylor
          US 45 / March 1958 / Big 614

Paul Simon recorded this early in 1958 on his own. The single failed to chart. According to at least one account, Simon said that the fact that he went and recorded this without Garfunkel angered Art, and supposedly Garfunkel never forgave Simon for this. This was the only time that I know of that Simon recorded under the pseudonym True Taylor.

Pictured here is my promotional copy of this record. Most issues of this single that I've found are fairly well-worn. It's possible that the single was somewhat popular with those who actually owned a copy. It would be difficult, however, to believe that it got much radio airplay since it never actually charted.

That's My Story b/w (Pretty Baby) Don't Say Goodbye / Tom & Jerry
          US 45 / May 1958 / Big 618 and Hunt 319

As you can tell, I've got a copy of the Hunt release of this record. Both songs are by Simon and Garfunkel. In my opinion, the B-side is a better cut.

Anna Belle b/w Loneliness / Jerry Landis
          US 45 /August 1959 / MGM 12822

Simon recorded this himself, under the full pseudonym of Jerry Landis, the name under which he recorded most of his pre-Simon & Garfunkel singles. This one didn't chart, either, however. If you like Simon's rock-'n-roll-inspired sound, though, it's not a bad record. The songs are both written by him.

Baby Talk b/w I'm Gonna Get Married / Tom & Jerry
          US 45 / September 1959 / Bell 120 / B-side by Ronnie Lawrence

The A-side of this single was a big hit for the group Jan & Dean at the time of its release. Bell Records specialized in putting out covers of material that had previously been hits for other groups. “Baby Talk” appeared on this 45 shortly after Simon and Garfunkel had recorded the track as Tom & Jerry for the A-side of the single Big 621. Soon after that single’s release, Big Records went bankrupt, and “Baby Talk” was leased to Bell Records.

Dream Alone b/w Beat Love / Artie Garr
          US 45 / October 1959 / Warwick 515

This record includes two songs written by Art Garfunkel himself. It is worth acquiring, as there are actually two vocal tracks that have been mixed together on "Dream Alone." However, most of the re-releases of the song on recent CD compilations leave off one of these tracks, giving the somewhat humorous and misleading impression that the song only has three words. Garfunkel's first solo attempt was no more successful than Simon's, however, as this record didn't chart.

Baby Talk b/w Thank You Pretty Baby / Tom & Jerry
          UK 45 / 1959 / Gala GSP-806 / B-side by Paul Sheldon

Gala was a British label that may have held the rights to publish Bell recordings in Britain. Obviously, just about the same thing happened here with Tom & Jerry's version of Baby Talk as did with the Bell release in the US. The "photos" of Simon & Garfunkel are pretty amusing, as they look absolutely nothing like Simon or Garfunkel, even for 1959.

Just A Boy b/w Shy / Jerry Landis
          US 45 / June 1960 / Warwick 552

These are original compositions by Simon.

Just A Boy b/w I'd Like To Be (The Lipstick On Your Lips) / Jerry Landis
          US 45 / October 1960 / Warwick 588

So, Simon tried again with "Just A Boy" later the same year, this time with another B-side. Some reports say that the B-side is alternatively known as "I'd Like To Be (The Lipstick On Your Collar)." It is truly B-side material, as it sounds much like elevator music. Needless to say, Simon never recorded the song again.

Play Me A Sad Song b/w It Means A Lot To Them / Jerry Landis
          US 45 / February 1961 / Warwick 619

Paul Simon either co-wrote the A-side to this record, or, if the name "Landis" refers to his pseudonym, may have been the sole writer. It's a pretty good effort, though Simon wasn't rewarded for it with a hit.

 

Private World b/w Forgive Me / Artie Garr
          US 45 / 1961 / Octavia 8002

This was Art Garfunkel's second, and last, solo recording effort before the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel. Like his first single, it also didn't chart.

Motorcycle b/w I Don't Believe Them / Tico and the Triumphs
          US 45 / November-December 1961 / Madison 169 and Amy 835

This record was originally released on Madison, which went bankrupt just afterwards. These copies of the record are now rare. Amy Records picked up the masters and rereleased it, however, with considerable success: the song went to #99 on the Billboard charts, and Paul Maclauchlan says that it apparently was very popular around Baltimore and in Puerto Rico, selling upwards of 100,000 copies—which is about the same estimate as for "Hey, Schoolgirl" four years before. Today, the single is almost as easy to find as Tom & Jerry's 1957 hit. Tico and the Triumphs were a group Simon and several of his friends formed. "Tico" was Mickey Borack, while Simon kept his stage name of Jerry Landis, and the "Triumphs" included Marty Cooper, Gail Lynn and Howie Beck. Paul Simon sings the lead vocal on both songs on this single, though that is not always the case on later releases by the group.

 

Wild Flower b/w Express Train / Tico and the Triumphs
          US 45 / May 1962 / Amy 845

Paul Simon wrote both of these songs, and sings lead on both tracks. Definitely a worthwhile record to track down; both these songs are up-tempo and overall are nice ear candy. "Express Train" is additionally interesting for the lead-in train sound effects.

Cry, Little Boy Cry b/w Get Up And Do The Wobble / Tico, with backing by the Triumphs
          US 45 / September 1962 / Amy 860

It's clear that Paul Simon is not singing lead on either side of this record. Paul Maclauchlan thinks that Simon may not actually have had a role in this record's release, although the label says that he wrote both songs and produced the single as Jerry Landis. My guess is that Simon is one of the backing vocalists, since the Triumphs are listed as a backup to Tico on this release . It would also be strange for Simon to write songs for other artists but not perform on the recordings of them himself, particularly at this point in his career. The single never charted, but is interesting to listen to and worth finding.

Surrender, Please Surrender b/w Fightin' Mad / Tom & Jerry
          US 45 / October 1962 / ABC-Paramount 10363

In 1962 Simon & Garfunkel reunited, having both finished college, Garfunkel graduating that year from Columbia and Simon from Queens College. They recorded this record, in which they sound pretty much the same as they did five years before. My copy is a promotional release; regular copies for sale in stores on this label used a black background with a more colorful logo at the top.

The Lone Teen Ranger b/w Lisa / Jerry Landis
          US 45 and Canada 45 / December 1962 / Amy 875 (US) and Barry 3155X (Canada)

The A-side of this single actually was recorded with the rest of Tico and the Triumphs; how Simon convinced them to release it under only his pseudonym remains a mystery. Barry was a Canadian label (I assume it doesn't actually exist anymore) that had agreements to distribute recordings on Amy and Madison records under their name in Canada. This was another minor success for Tico and the Triumphs, reaching #97 on the charts in the US. Lisa uses the exact same background voices and instrumental tracks as "I Don't Believe Them," the B-side to "Motorcycle" (see above). While the US release shown here is a promotional copy, I don't believe the same is true for the Canadian issue.

I'm Lonesome b/w Looking At You / Tom & Jerry
          US 45 / July 1963 / Ember 1094

Tom & Jerry's last single, released on the Ember label. Neither of these songs were written by Simon, but the record was produced by Sid Prosen, one of the by-this-time former executives of Big Records, who was instrumental in getting Simon and Garfunkel a foot in the door to record their first single six years earlier. I'm not much of a fan of the A-side, which has a pretty slow tempo, but "Looking At You" is a pretty catchy tune, probably one of the better ones that Tom & Jerry recorded, particularly of the material that Simon did not write. It's actually right out of the same musical mold as "Hey, Schoolgirl" and "Dancin' Wild." This record arguably might have sold better were the two sides flipped.

Carlos Dominguez b/w He Was My Brother / Paul Kane
          US 45 / 1963 / Tribute 128

This is probably the first appearance of the influence of folk on Simon’s music. Paul Maclauchlan's discography reports that these tracks was recorded in the last half of 1962, though this copy says 1963. This was the only time that he ever recorded the song “Carlos Dominguez,” and both songs were written under the pseudonym Paul Kane, taken from Orson Welles' film Citizen Kane. Original copies of this single are very rare, and I've never been able to find any information about Tribute Records. More common is the reproduction (seen above) which was issued in 1977, clearly marked “Early Paul Simon,” “Recorded 1963” and “Paul Simon (pseudonym: Paul Kane).” True original copies of this single do not include this information on the record label. Instead, they will only indicate “Written and Recorded by PAUL KANE.”

Dori Anne b/w Bye Bye / David Winters
          US 45 / 1962 / Rori R-703

The A-side was partly written by Winters and Paul Simon as Jerry Landis. It's a standard doo-wop ballad, and is actually not bad at all. The B-side is fairly up-tempo, and fun to listen to. Tough record to find, but worth searching for.

Do The Walk b/w In-Laws / The Vels
          US 45 / 1963 / Amy 881

These recordings are fun ear candy. I'm a little surprised that this record didn't chart, given how catchy both sides of this record are. It's worth getting a hand on if you can locate a recording. The CD set The Best Of Amy Records, vols. 1-3, should have recordings of both sides.

I Set A Trap For You b/w Why Don't You Stay A Little Longer / The Fashions
          US 45 / 1963 / Amy 884

From listening to this record, it seems that The Fashions are an all-female group. Apparently, Paul Simon (credited as Jerry Landis) was not the only one involved in the production of this single. This advance copy has a silver label, black print, and black vinyl.

I Wrote You A Letter b/w Play Me A Sad Song / Dotty Daniels
          US 45 / 1963 / Amy 885

Paul Simon produced this record as Jerry Landis, too. "Play Me A Sad Song" is the same song he co-wrote and recorded on Warwick 619 in 1961, but this recording is far different, featuring a much more soulful tone to it (as well as a female perspective). This seems to have been the last Amy release with any Paul Simon involvement. At the right is the original sleeve. Amy Records was in fact owned by the Bell label, which explains why both companies' logos appear on the sleeve.

Red Rubber Ball [mono] b/w Red Rubber Ball [stereo] / The Cyrkle
          US 45 / 1966 / Columbia 4-43589

Simon co-wrote "Red Rubber Ball" when he met Bruce Woodley of The Seekers while in England in 1965. He later offered this song to The Cyrkle, a group who "used to be good friends of ours," according to Art Garfunkel. At the time of the offer, The Cyrkle was apparently on the verge of dissolving, but some aggressive touring helped lift their recording to #2 in the US in the summer of 1966, much to the dismay of Simon & Garfunkel. During the introduction of this song on each of the two concert recordings from 1966-7, Garfunkel notes with obvious disgust that The Cyrkle sold some 890,000 copies of this hit (including this one to a radio station). It's also interesting to note that the record label shows Woodley's name misspelled without the "e".

You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies b/w Having You Around / Dana Valery
          UK 45 / 1977 / Columbia Special Products 4-44004

This record was originally recorded and released in the United States in 1967; Side 1 was written by Paul. If the Columbia catalog number is any indication, it was actually released before Simon & Garfunkel released "You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies" as the B-side to "Fakin' It." Paul does a spoken-word rendition of the lyrics "You don't begin to comprehend," on Side 1. Valery's cut also leaves out the interlude "Indications indicate/Running the same riff will turn you around", etc., which Simon voices over in spoken word on the studio recording by Simon & Garfunkel. The orchestration is also fuller on this cut, with a full string section, trumpets and I believe a trombone, as well as the guitar and drums (though my ear is not entirely trained to pick up every instrument featured on this track). In my opinion, this is the best arrangement/rendition of "You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies" recorded anywhere.

 

INDEX TO SIMON & GARFUNKEL PAGES:

General Index	to 1966	1967-70	1971-now	1957-64	1965-70	1971-now	Other Media
	Albums			Singles