Talk:Bridge over Troubled Water

Best-selling album in 1970, 1971 and 1972
There is a claim in the article about the album being the best-selling album in 1970, 1971, and 1972:


 * It was the best-selling album in 1970, 1971 and 1972 and was at that time the best-selling album of all time.[38]
 * [38] Ebel 2004, p. 68.
 * Ebel, Roswitha (2004). Paul Simon: seine Musik, sein Leben [Paul Simon: His Music, His Life] (in German). epubli. ISBN 978-3-937729-00-8.

As much as I want this to be true, the reference is vague (is it world-wide or in a particular country, across genres or in a specific genre, etc) and I cannot find evidence to back this up after a couple of hours of searching.

JoeCasadonte (talk) 13:22, 19 November 2018 (UTC)


 * I remember seeing the estimate of ten million LP copies sold worldwide by 1975. By then, it was noted as the best-selling album of all time, a position it may have held until Thriller came along. Strausszek (talk) 12:54, 11 August 2020 (UTC)

Recording dates
The recording dates for the songs here are really inaccurate and oversimplified. Making the album was a famously drawn-out process, for many reasons. Both "The Boxer" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" took weeks of recording sessions (not just rehearsals) and at least "Bridge" (the song) was recorded both in LA and NYC, a couple of weeks apart (and almost certainly finished before November). A track like "The Only Living Boy in New York" with its elaborate vocals would have taken several days of recording too. When Simon has been talking about the making of the album, he's stressed that it was being worked on all through the autumn, even when Artie wasn't around. Also, mixing work continued through the Christmas season, into early January (see Victoria Kingston's thorough biography of the band from around 1990).

Both men are on record in interviews saying that Bridge and Boxer had their vocal tracks pieced together from many different takes, "punching in" phrases to keep a high technical level in Artie's singing - just like Steely Dan would do with instrumental tracks a decade later. Actually I don't think any of these songs were recorded in a single day, except "Cecilia" (and "Bye Bye Love" of course, being recorded live on stage). Strausszek (talk) 19:40, 10 August 2020 (UTC)

I have an embarrassing question: who sings which song?
. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.29.198.129 (talk) 15:50, 14 November 2021 (UTC)

No need to be embarrassed! Lead vocal duties are as follows:

1. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Art 2. El Condor Pasa - Paul (Art sings lead on the bridge: "Away, I'd rather sail away...") 3. Cecilia - Paul and Art (duo harmony throughout, Paul sings the melody) 4. Keep the Customer Satisfied - Paul & Art (duo harmony throughout, Paul sings the melody) 5. So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright - Art 6. The Boxer - Paul 7. Baby Driver - Paul 8. The Only Living Boy in New York - Paul (I identify the "aaaahhhhh - here I am" parts as mostly Art) 9. Why Don't You Write Me - Paul & Art (duo harmony throughout, Paul sings the melody) 10. Bye Bye Love - Paul & Art (duo harmony throughout, Paul sings the melody) 11. Song For the Asking - Paul

Missouri Earl (talk) 19:34, 1 January 2022 (UTC)


 * Not doubting the veracity of this in any way, but, if there are sources, the information should surely be in the article.  Ghmyrtle (talk) 21:45, 1 January 2022 (UTC)