Classic Albums- Graceland by Paul Simon

This week classic album segment is the 1986 album by legendary American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. After the disappointing performance of his 1983 album Hearts and Bones Paul Simon's music career was it's lowest ebb and in late 1984 while driving in his car in the state of frustration he was listening to a cassette of instrumental by the Boyoyo Boys called Gumboots which later he wrote lyrics to sing over a re-recording of the song that was to become of the album that was to become known as Graceland. Paul went to South Africa in an attempt to embrace the culture as well as finding the most comfortable environment to record the album and the recordings of the album began @ Ovation Studios in Johannesburg South Africa in February 1985 which lasted until April 1986 with the overdubbing and additional recordings done at the Hit factory in New York, Abbey Road in London and Amigo Studios in los Angeles. The album was released on August 12th 1986 which it went to no 3 in the USA where it went platnium and selling over 14 million copies, number 1 in the UK, Australia, canada, Holland, France, New Zealand and Switzerland, no 2 in Germany, number 3 in Austria and Germany, no 4 in Italy, no 7 in Finland, number 13 in Norway and Sweden and number 46 in Japan and this album was to become Paul Simon's most commercially successful albums as well as winning 2 Grammies Album of the Year and the title track won record of the Year. the huge success of the album helped to draw worldwide attention to South African music as well as the introduction of the musicians of south Africa including Ladysmith Black Mambazo an vocal group and Linda Rondstadt, los Lobos and the Everly brothers who sing on the title track appeared on the album. It was produced by Paul simon with Roy Halee doing the engineering. it's an BRILLIANT album with great songs besides from the title track including you can call me Al which it has an great bass guitar sound which was an big hit in 1986, boy in the bubble, Diamonds on the soles of her shoes etc which holds up very well in 2012 and also an great sound with the SOuth African musicians on this album. It's been re-released to celebrate 25 years and it's one of the best albums ever made which it's still in the shops to this day.