Music duo racked millions of views with their rendition of Simon and Garfunkel classic
A classic song receives a new breath of life and this duo proves that it’s just as good as the original.
Simon and Garfunkel’s hit song wasn’t a hit when it first came out. They got lucky after a live audition when Tom Wilson, a staff producer from Columbia records, took notice of the duo’s unmistakable talent.
Simon’s poetry was given justice by Garfunkel’s keening tenor, and Wilson saw that.
In 1964, they released “The Sound of Silence”, which was included in their debut album, “Wednesday Morning, 3 AM”.
The song they released that year wasn’t the one we know now. The version of “The Sound of Silence” was in its acoustic form. Much more mellow but already containing the beginnings of an anthem.
Contrary to their hopes, the debut album tanked.
Simon and Garfunkel went their separate ways. Simon moved to England, and Garfunkel went back to Columbia to complete his studies.
In 1965, though, their lives were about to change.
That same year, the Byrds, a five-piece band of folkies-turned-rockers, created an entirely new genre of music. About the same time, Bob Dylan departed from his folk roots when “Like A Rolling Stone” came out. In place of the lonesome harmonica and the acoustic guitar, a distinct undercurrent of electric guitar cut through the chorus.
“The Sound of Silence” was gathering dust in the archives of Columbia Records during that time.
Wilson, the same man who helped them debut, resurrected their song.
He brought in an electric guitarist and a rhythm section and overdubbed their parts into the original.
By late 1965, “The Sound of Silence” was the no. 1 single in America.
Simon and Garfunkel reunited and became one of the most iconic duos in music history.
Since then, the song was covered by different bands in different styles. This is where musicians Emma Louise and Husky Gawenda come in.
In their performance in RocKwiz proved that even if you sing “The Sound of Silence” close to its original arrangement, it would still be as potent as the 1964 version.
Rockwiz is a 2022 Australian TV show that combines live music and pub trivia.
Emma and Husky joined the show and were given the chance to perform Simon and Garfunkel’s classic.
Emma Louise is an Australian singer and songwriter. She gained prominence with her self-filmed acoustic guitar originals on YouTube and has since released albums like Supercry and Lilac Everything.
Meanwhile, Husky Gawenda is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the Melbourne-based band Husky. The band has released albums like Forever So, Ruckers Hill, Punchbuzz, and Stardust Blues.
Together, they performed a rendition of the song that has reached more than 7 million views.
In their version, Emma’s ethereal vocals gave new life to the famous song. It was accompanied by Husky’s masterful plucking and supporting vocals.
If you’re wondering how the debut version of the song sounded like, this rendition bears a close resemblance to it.
As one YouTube commenter puts it:
“I’m 75 and grew up with this song; I’ve listened to the original hundreds of times and many different covers as well. I have to say, this is the best cover of the song I have ever heard.”
And we definitely agree.
Watch this hauntingly amazing version of “The Sound of Silence”, performed by two talented musicians.
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Source: YouTube – Sir Tony, Instagram – emmalouisemusic, Instagram – huskygawenda, Rubber Soul Revolver, RocKwiz Live, Emma Louise, Indian Express, Simon and Garfunkel