# Why didn't Art Garfunkel play any instruments? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 4, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738 "2012-03-04T18:46:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/21 "2012-03-05T10:00:00Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > I think it’s been pretty well part of history that Art added nothing to that group. Oh really?? what color is the sky on your planet? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/22 "2012-03-05T12:43:28Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > I think it’s been pretty well part of history that Art added nothing to that group. If I were you I would demand a refund from whomever taught your history class. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/23 "2012-03-05T13:26:12Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > I think it’s been pretty well part of history that Art added nothing to that group. Just to add to the consensus, I think that is not established history. In any rate I don’t buy it. It is worth mentioning, I think, that Paul Simon to some degree feared breaking up because he was afraid that Garfunkle would end up being the bigger star. Obviously, he was wrong, and I think I can state with confidence that almost anyone would judge Simon the much greater artist, but that is a far thing from saying that Garfunkle added nothing to the group. That, IMO, is very, very far from the truth. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/24 "2012-03-05T13:56:27Z")
I find it interesting that the one S & G track Art “created” but didn’t sing on, ALSO is simply voices – voices of old people talking, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/25 "2012-03-05T14:07:31Z")
He started making music in an era when it was routine to use session musicians for recordings. The Byrds “Mr Tambourine Man” has session musicians except for Jim "Roger McQuinn’s guitar and their voices. Originally The Who’s “I can’t explain” was supposed to have an ace session guitarist Jimmy Page play guitar. Pete Townshend protested, was allowed to have a crack at it and Townshend thinks his guitar was used on the song. Assuming Garfunkel is indeed competent to play, he may just think why change something that I am used to. I was under the impression that it was more Simon who broke up the band and got jealous when Garfunkel was cast in two big films of the era “Catch 22” and “Carnal Knowledge”. In retrospect we should have seen it was the songwriter who became big. But I remember Tom Snyder once commenting that everybody thought when Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin broke up that Lewis would have the bigger career, that Martin was just some drunk hack singer he was paired with. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/26 "2012-03-05T14:22:22Z")
This might have something to do with it: Everyone I’ve ever met who worked with Paul Simon has stated he is one of the biggest dicks on the planet with an unbelievably unwarrented huge ego. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/27 "2012-03-05T14:49:20Z")
I can’t imagine anyone who is remotely familiar with Simon’s work would call his ego unwarranted… ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/28 "2012-03-05T15:06:05Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > I think it’s been pretty well part of history that Art added nothing to that group. Besides an amazing voice? That’s like saying Ringo was the Beatles worst drummer. It shows a distressing lack of knowledge of the subject at hand. [QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] This might have something to do with it: Everyone I’ve ever met who worked with Paul Simon has stated he is one of the biggest dicks on the planet with an unbelievably unwarrented huge ego. [/QUOTE] Like John Lennon, Paul Simon’s talent is only exceeded by his ego. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/29 "2012-03-05T15:15:23Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > I can’t imagine anyone who is remotely familiar with Simon’s work would call his ego unwarranted… Simon is a talented singer/songwriter, but he is no Mozart. However, his ego makes Mozart’s look tiny. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/30 "2012-03-05T15:43:31Z")
Interesting. Lots of Paul Simon ego hate. I don’t recall that being a central component of his persona - like, say, Sting - but that’s cool. Are there specific incidents or events to cite? I know his relationship with Carrie Fisher wasn’t all seashells and balloons… As for Garfunkel - hmm, I always just assumed that Simon wrote the songs and that they had agreed early on, after re-forming as a folkie-type group, that their “brand” would be one player/singer and one singer. If you look across the various folk-based groups that crossed over into popularity, the choices about which musicians held instruments and which just sang seems more an appearance thing unless there was specific instrumentation like the Kingston Trio. Coupled with Simon writing the songs and actually being a really talented player, using complex chord changes and picking patterns - and there ya go. I never read more into than that… ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/31 "2012-03-05T16:13:25Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Simon is a talented singer/songwriter, but he is no Mozart. However, his ego makes Mozart’s look tiny. I’d like to see Mozart’s album of popular folk music so that we may compare talents. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/32 "2012-03-05T16:21:18Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Interesting. Lots of Paul Simon ego hate. I don’t recall that being a central component of his persona - like, say, Sting - but that’s cool. Are there specific incidents or events to cite? I know he supposedly dicked over Los Lobos during their collaboration on the closing track of Graceland. To hear them tell it, he brought nothing at all to the recording of that song (he did later write the lyrics) but took all the credit for it and told them they could compain all they want - nobody would believe them over him. I don’t know if it’s true, although Los Lobos have stuck by their story and would seem to have little to gain from telling it. I’m not going to sit here and comment on Paul Simon as a person because I don’t know much about him, but I found that discouraging because I’m a big fan of Simon and of Los Lobos. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/33 "2012-03-05T16:31:45Z")
Okay then. > **[Music News](https://www.jambase.com/articles)** > > Get the latest music news plus concert recaps, reviews, photos, videos and more at JamBase. > [@](#): > > I have plenty of recollections of working on that one [Graceland]. I don’t know if you heard the stories, but it was not a pleasant deal for us. I mean he [Simon] quite literally – and in no way do I exaggerate when I say – he stole the songs from us… The guy was clueless… He’s the world’s biggest prick, basically. > -Steve Berlin on making Graceland with Paul Simon That quote is pulled and highlighted. Berlin, the sax player for Los Lobos, goes into a lot more detail, including the anecdote that Simon didn’t even know how to pronounce the word “zydeco” when they got together. Bad blood for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/34 "2012-03-06T14:19:22Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > This might have something to do with it: Everyone I’ve ever met who worked with Paul Simon has stated he is one of the biggest dicks on the planet with an unbelievably unwarrented huge ego. I know this is but one example, but [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBlY5CImUU) does not fit in with the ‘biggest dick/huge ego’ designation. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/35 "2012-03-06T15:56:22Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Besides an amazing voice? That’s like saying Ringo was the Beatles worst drummer. It shows a distressing lack of knowledge of the subject at hand. > > Like John Lennon, Paul Simon’s talent is only exceeded by his ego. Apologies, I had read somewhere that Simon was the brains behind the whole thing. It’s possible I was reading a biased source. :o ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/36 "2012-03-06T16:56:06Z")
Please note I did not say that Paul Simon was not talented. He is one of my favorite musicians. I also think he has an ego the size of Cleveland. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/37 "2012-03-06T17:17:07Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > … paws really aren’t well-suited for playing. [This fellow would disagree with you.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J---aiyznGQ) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/38 "2012-03-08T13:59:59Z")
Simon and Garfunkel, separate, were good. Together, they were _magic._ ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/39 "2012-03-08T20:56:31Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > [This fellow would disagree with you.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J---aiyznGQ) > 😛 [So would this one.](http://www.flickr.com/photos/deedeeq5724/514834241/) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738/40 "2012-03-08T21:06:23Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Interesting. Lots of Paul Simon ego hate. I don’t recall that being a central component of his persona - like, say, Sting - but that’s cool. Are there specific incidents or events to cite? I know his relationship with Carrie Fisher wasn’t all seashells and balloons… Shelly DuVall has badmouthed him too. > [@Biggirl](#): > > I’d like to see Mozart’s album of popular folk music so that we may compare talents. If Mozart were alive today, he would be well known for making some kind of music. One of my favorite games is figuring out who would be famous in any era and who was born at the right time. Mozart vs. Dylan as it were. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-art-garfunkel-play-any-instruments/614738.md?page=3)