Elton John’s favourite Simon and Garfunkel song: “It stayed with me forever”
The robust bond between Elton John and Bernie Taupin is unbreakable. Once their paths crossed, they were an unstoppable force of nature and allowed to play to their strengths. During the blossoming stage of their friendship, they particularly connected over their love of Simon and Garfunkel.
The album by Simon and Garfunkel, which became an addiction to the duo, is Bridge Over Troubled Water, released in 1970. At this stage, the New Yorkers had been riding an impressive wave for half a decade, and their final album proved to be their crowning moment. Although they were already incredibly successful, Bridge Over Troubled Water took them to new heights and won six Grammys.
Simon and Garfunkel took artistic gambles on the record by expanding their sonic boundaries, which dramatically paid off. They also recruited a series of seriously talented session musicians, who added a further sprinkling of brilliance to proceedings, with Los Ancas delivering flavourings of Peruvian folk and Larry Knechtel working his magic on the piano.
As the piano is John’s favourite instrument, Knechtel’s contribution appealed to him the most, especially in the album’s title track. While the musician’s name isn’t on the cover of the record, and his work flies under the radar of most, John appreciates what Knechtel brought to the table on ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.
During an interview with The Guardian in 2014, John singled out the song when asked to pick a record he used to listen to with Taupin. He explained: “The piano playing on this track was by a guy called Larry Knechtel. Apart from it being one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard, the piano is just sublime.”
John continued: “Bernie and I used to listen to that whole album on headphones. When it’s sung by Aretha Franklin, this is just the most amazing song. But the piano playing made it for me: it stayed with me forever. I once saw them sing at the Royal Albert Hall – it was just a magical time.”
The memories of hearing Simon and Garfunkel perform together in London and the endless days he spent with Taupin listening to Bridge Over Troubled Water still make John feel warm inside, reminding him of his younger days.
For Simon, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water‘ is also particularly significant. While the song eventually took a life of its own, the singer-songwriter knew he’d cooked up a track which he was confident would be remembered for a long time.
In a documentary exploring the album, Simon said of the title track, “I have no idea where it came from. It came all of a sudden. It was one of the most shocking moments in my songwriting career. I remember thinking, ‘This is considerably better than I usually write.'”
John is one of millions who hold feelings of affection toward ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, and although Simon has produced hundreds of beloved songs, only a few are as widely cherished as this track.
