Classic Albums: Paul Simon - Graceland

Overview

Singer-songwriter Paul Simon had been on the cutting-edge of pop music throughout most of the 1960s and the '70s, first as half of the seminal folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, and then as a well-received solo artist. But the rise of 1980s rock and new wave saw a decline in Simon's commercial success, and the singer responded by experimenting with different musical styles--most notably, world beat--that culminated in his adventurous 1986 masterpiece GRACELAND. The album's fusion of American folk-rock songwriting and buoyant South African rhythms not only broke new ground in pop music, but became Simon's biggest-selling solo record. This episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series examines the making of Simon's groundbreaking work through interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, music videos, and live performances of album tracks such as "Boy in the Bubble," "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes," "You Can Call Me Al," and "Under African Skies."

Details

Status

Released

Release date

January 1, 1997

Original language

English

Spoken languages

English

Cast

Philip Glass,Ray Phiri,Paul Simon,Roy Halee

Director

Jeremy Marre

Producer

Geoff Kempin,Jeremy Marre,Terry Shand

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

tt0219064