“It’s about touch”: The singer Paul Simon said no one could imitate
Paul Simon hardly needs a daredevil stunt to generate publicity, but even still, the decision to head to South Africa at the height of apartheid turned more than a few heads.
Of course, the result was the iconic Graceland, an album that truly cemented Simon as a musical god in his own solo right, away from the safety net that being in a band had provided him. If there was any way to do that, however, going to a country at the heart of a political crisis that would change the course of history was probably the riskiest option he could have taken.
Despite this, it was while he was there that Simon’s eyes were massively opened towards the richness and vast multicultural landscape that could be found in music, so long as people dared to step outside the Western bubble. The South African people had a way of connecting with sonics that felt intrinsic and inescapable, something that was rare to find in the environment the singer was familiar with, except for one man.
Although he described many of the recording sessions for Graceland as “euphoric”, Simon also admitted: “It was difficult to play. No, it was difficult to play well, and to play it as well as the South Africans play it. To play that guitar style and to play it well takes a long time.” Nevertheless, with a lot of practice and dedication put into the cause, he mastered the art, all while reminding himself of the work of one country icon.
“Even though the chords are relatively simple,” Simon continued, “it’s about how you play those chords. It’s about touch, like Johnny Cash’s music – boom-chick-boom-chick-boom – sounds easy, but only Johnny Cash could make that stuff swing. And everybody else who tries… well, they just sound like an imitation of Johnny Cash.”
While Cash wasn’t facing up to the political and societal ramifications of apartheid in that moment, his own daring ventures into lands many people would be too scared to explore in music were certainly a powerful influence for Simon to lean on – aside from the fact that he was obviously also one of the best technical musicians to ever play the game.
As such, it’s no exorbitant claim to say that the power of the South African musicians, as well as the sonics of Cash, which echoed in his mind, were the most pivotal factors that transformed Graceland into the truly innovative record that it was for Simon, and still is. This was not just about paying homage to the American sonic dream, but proving that it could also be found in places you least expect it.
With all the controversy that ensued on that front, it would have also been helpful to Simon to keep the memory of Cash at the forefront of his mind. After all, no one would have initially thought that the ‘Man in Black’ performing for prison inmates was a good idea at first, but look where it landed him. There was no denying that going to South Africa was a risk, but deep down somewhere, he had to know it would pay off.
The musical world is full of eclectic connections from all corners, bringing together stars who you would never ordinarily put in the same room together, let alone imagine influencing each other. But with Cash seemingly steering the sites of Graceland, it was clear Simon thought of him as an icon no one could match – and, in doing so, also became a member of that very same exclusive club.
