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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Simon and Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.(1994)

Simon and Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.(1994) front coverSimon and Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.(1994) back cover
 Simon and Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. - Released Year 1964

Tracklist front / back album covers

Side one
1. "You Can Tell the World"   2:47
2. "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream"   2:11
3. "Bleecker Street"   2:44
4. "Sparrow"   2:49
5. "Benedictus"   2:38
6. "The Sound of Silence"   3:08

Side two
1. "He Was My Brother"   2:48
2. "Peggy-O"   2:26
3. "Go Tell It on the Mountain"   2:06
4. "The Sun Is Burning"   2:49
5. "The Times They Are a-Changin'"   2:52
6. "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M."   2:13

Total length:   31:38

Bonus tracks (2001 CD reissue)
13. "Bleecker Street" (demo)   2:46
14. "He Was My Brother" (alt. take 1, previously unreleased)   2:52
15. "The Sun Is Burning" (alt. take 12, previously unreleased)   2:47



Simon and Garfunkel Band Members / Musicians
Paul Simon – acoustic guitar, banjo on "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream", vocals
Art Garfunkel – vocals
Barry Kornfeld – acoustic guitar
Bill Lee – double bass



Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. is the debut studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Following their early gig as "Tom and Jerry", Columbia Records signed the two in late 1963. It was produced by Tom Wilson and engineered by Roy Halee. The cover and the label include the subtitle exciting new sounds in the folk tradition. Recorded in March 1964, the album was released on October 19.

The album was initially unsuccessful, so Paul Simon moved to London, England and finished his first solo album The Paul Simon Songbook. Art Garfunkel continued his studies at Columbia University in his native New York City, before reuniting with Simon in late 1965. Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. was re-released in January 1966 (to capitalize on their newly found radio success because of the overdubbing of the song "The Sound of Silence" in June 1965, adding electric guitars, bass guitar and a drum kit), and reached No. 30 on the Billboard 200. It was belatedly released in the UK two years later (in 1968) in both mono and stereo formats.

The song "He Was My Brother" was dedicated to Andrew Goodman, who was their friend and a classmate of Simon at Queens College. Andrew Goodman volunteered in Freedom Summer during 1964 and was abducted and killed in the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner.

The album is included in its entirety as part of the Simon & Garfunkel box sets Collected Works and The Columbia Studio Recordings (1964–1970).

Simon & 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 their biggest hits—including "The Sound of Silence" (1965), "Mrs. Robinson" (1968), "The Boxer" (1969), and "Bridge over Troubled Water" (1970)—reached number one on singles charts worldwide.

Simon and Garfunkel met in elementary school in Queens, New York, in 1953, where they learned to harmonize and began writing songs. As teenagers, under the name Tom & Jerry, they had minor success with "Hey Schoolgirl" (1957), a song imitating their idols, the Everly Brothers. In 1963, aware of a growing public interest in folk music, they regrouped and were signed to Columbia Records as Simon & Garfunkel. Their debut, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., sold poorly; Simon returned to a solo career, this time in England. In June 1965, a new version of "The Sound of Silence" overdubbed with electric guitar and drums became a US AM radio hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The duo reunited to release a second studio album, Sounds of Silence, and tour colleges nationwide. On their third release, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966), they assumed more creative control. Their music was featured in the 1967 film The Graduate, giving them further exposure. Their next album Bookends (1968) topped the Billboard 200 chart and included the number-one single "Mrs. Robinson" from the film.


Simon and Garfunkel Band Members / Musicians
1964 Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.
1966 Sounds of Silence
1966 Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
1968 Bookends
1970 Bridge over Troubled Water

Live albums
1982 The Concert in Central Park
2002 Live from New York City, 1967
2004 Old Friends: Live on Stage
2008 Live 1969

Soundtracks
1968 The Graduate (with Dave Grusin)

Compilation albums
1972 Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
1981 The Simon and Garfunkel Collection: 17 of Their All-Time Greatest Recordings
2000 Tales from New York: The Very Best of Simon & Garfunkel
2003 The Essential Simon and Garfunkel

Box sets
1981 Collected Works
1997 Old Friends
2001 The Columbia Studio Recordings (1964–1970)
2007 The Collection: Simon & Garfunkel (2007)
2014 Simon & Garfunkel: The Complete Albums Collection


Simon & Garfunkel – Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964): The Quiet Beginning of a Legendary Duo

Introduction

Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. is the debut studio album by Simon & Garfunkel, originally released in 1964. While it initially failed to make a commercial impact, the album later gained recognition as the starting point of one of the most influential folk-rock duos in music history.

Keywords: Simon and Garfunkel Wednesday Morning 3 A.M., Simon & Garfunkel debut album, folk rock 1960s, Simon and Garfunkel biography

Simon & Garfunkel Biography

Early Years and Formation

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel met as children in Queens, New York, and began performing together in the late 1950s under the name Tom & Jerry. Despite an early minor hit, the duo went separate ways before reuniting in the early 1960s with a shared passion for folk music.

Inspired by artists like Bob Dylan, The Everly Brothers, and traditional folk songs, Simon & Garfunkel developed a minimalist style built around acoustic guitar, poetic lyrics, and intricate vocal harmonies.

About Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.

Album Overview

Released on October 19, 1964, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. is a predominantly acoustic folk album, recorded with minimal production. At the time of its release, folk music was popular, but folk-rock had not yet entered the mainstream.

Key tracks include:

  • “The Sound of Silence”

  • “He Was My Brother”

  • “Bleeker Street”

  • “Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.”

The album’s title track reflects themes of isolation, regret, and introspection, which would become central to Paul Simon’s songwriting.

Musical Style and Themes

The album focuses on social commentary, loneliness, political awareness, and youthful idealism. Songs like “He Was My Brother” addressed civil rights issues, while “The Sound of Silence” captured the emotional disconnect of modern society—though it would only become famous later.

Fun Facts & Trivia

Lesser-Known Facts About the Album

  • The album flopped commercially upon release, selling only a few thousand copies.

  • After the failure, Simon moved to England, effectively ending the duo temporarily.

  • “The Sound of Silence” became a hit without Simon & Garfunkel’s knowledge after producer Tom Wilson added electric instruments in 1965.

  • The album was reissued multiple times after the duo’s later success.

  • The cover photo was taken in a dimly lit hallway, reflecting the album’s somber mood.

Commercial Failure Turned Historical Importance

Initially, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. did not chart and was considered a disappointment by Columbia Records. However, after the electrified version of “The Sound of Silence” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the album was rediscovered by audiences worldwide.

Today, it is regarded as a foundational folk album and an essential piece of 1960s music history.

Top Grossing Simon & Garfunkel Albums

Here are the best-selling Simon & Garfunkel albums worldwide:

  1. Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) – Over 25 million copies

  2. Sounds of Silence (1966) – Over 5 million copies

  3. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966) – Multi-Platinum

  4. Bookends (1968) – Multi-Platinum

  5. Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964) – Gold (later certifications)

While not their most successful album commercially, the debut remains historically significant.

Why Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. Still Matters

A Blueprint for the Future

This album captures Simon & Garfunkel before fame, revealing the raw songwriting talent and vocal chemistry that would later define their career.

Cultural and Musical Impact

The introspective lyricism and acoustic purity of the album influenced generations of singer-songwriters and helped pave the way for the folk-rock explosion of the mid-1960s.

Final Thoughts

Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. is not just a debut album—it is a quiet but powerful beginning. Though initially overlooked, it ultimately became the foundation of one of the most respected and enduring partnerships in popular music.

For fans and historians alike, this album remains a timeless document of artistic growth and perseverance.