Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
Encyclopedia
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme is the third album by Simon & Garfunkel, released in the United States on October 10, 1966. Its name comes from the second line of the album's first track, "Scarborough Fair
/Canticle", an English folk song from the 16th century, paired with a counter-melody
and text about a soldier. It peaked on the U.S. charts at #4. The album was produced by Bob Johnston
as Columbia Records LP CL 2563 (mono); CS 9363 (stereo); CD CK 9363; Remastered CD CK 66001.
"Homeward Bound
"appearing as the fourth song in the American versionwas excluded from the album upon its release in the United Kingdom
, since it had already appeared on the UK release of Sounds of Silence
.
The album can be seen as having a protest element in it: the closing song, "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" featured a news bulletin recording mixed in
with the music. The bulletin reported murders and the calling out of the National Guard in the United States, and contained clips from a news broadcast about the Vietnam War
. The bulletin was broadcast on August 3, 1966, the day of comedian Lenny Bruce
's death.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 201 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
except where noted.
Scarborough Fair
"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional ballad of the United Kingdom.The song tells the tale of a young man, who tells the listener to ask his former lover to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she...
/Canticle", an English folk song from the 16th century, paired with a counter-melody
Counter-melody
In music, counter-melody is a sequence of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent lead melody. Typically a counter-melody performs a subordinate role, and is heard in a texture consisting of a melody plus accompaniment...
and text about a soldier. It peaked on the U.S. charts at #4. The album was produced by Bob Johnston
Bob Johnston
Donald William Robert 'Bob' Johnston is a noted American record producer, best known for his work with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson and many Nashville recording artists, as well as Simon and Garfunkel.-Early days:Johnston was born into a professional musical family...
as Columbia Records LP CL 2563 (mono); CS 9363 (stereo); CD CK 9363; Remastered CD CK 66001.
"Homeward Bound
Homeward Bound (song)
"Homeward Bound" is an American folk song written by Paul Simon, performed by Simon and Garfunkel, produced by Bob Johnston and recorded on December 14, 1965. The song describes his longing to return home, both to his then girlfriend, Kathy Chitty in Brentwood, Essex, England, and to return to the...
"appearing as the fourth song in the American versionwas excluded from the album upon its release in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, since it had already appeared on the UK release of Sounds of Silence
Sounds of Silence (album)
Sounds of Silence is the second album by Simon and Garfunkel, released on January 17, 1966. The album's title is a slight modification of the title of the duo's first major hit, "The Sound of Silence", which originally was released as "The Sounds of Silence"...
.
The album can be seen as having a protest element in it: the closing song, "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" featured a news bulletin recording mixed in
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
with the music. The bulletin reported murders and the calling out of the National Guard in the United States, and contained clips from a news broadcast about the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The bulletin was broadcast on August 3, 1966, the day of comedian Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
's death.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 201 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
Track listing
All songs by Paul SimonPaul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
except where noted.
Side one
- "Scarborough FairScarborough Fair"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional ballad of the United Kingdom.The song tells the tale of a young man, who tells the listener to ask his former lover to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she...
/Canticle" (Traditional, arranged by Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel) – 3:10
Recorded: July 26, 1966 - "PatternsPatterns (song)"Patterns" is a song written by Paul Simon and included on his 1965 album The Paul Simon Songbook, and later recorded by Simon and Garfunkel on their third album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme...
" – 2:42
Recorded: June 8, 1966 - "Cloudy" (Paul Simon, Bruce WoodleyBruce WoodleyBruce William Woodley , is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was a founding member of the successful pop-folk group The Seekers, and co-composer of the anthemic song "I Am Australian"...
) – 2:10
Recorded: June 10, 1966 - "Homeward BoundHomeward Bound (song)"Homeward Bound" is an American folk song written by Paul Simon, performed by Simon and Garfunkel, produced by Bob Johnston and recorded on December 14, 1965. The song describes his longing to return home, both to his then girlfriend, Kathy Chitty in Brentwood, Essex, England, and to return to the...
" – 2:30
Recorded: December 14, 1965 - "The Big Bright Green Pleasure MachineThe Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine"The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine" is a 1966 song originally by Simon & Garfunkel released on their album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Written by Paul Simon, it is a commentary on advertising...
" – 2:44
Recorded: June 15, 1966 - "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"The 59th Street Bridge Song " is a song by folk music duo Simon and Garfunkel, appearing on their 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. "59th Street Bridge" is the colloquial name of the Queensboro Bridge in New York City...
" – 1:43
Recorded: August 16, 1966
Side two
- "The Dangling ConversationThe Dangling Conversation"The Dangling Conversation" is a song written by Paul Simon, first released in September 1966 as a Simon and Garfunkel single "The Dangling Conversation"/"The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine". The song only climbed to 25 on the US charts and never made it onto the UK charts. Paul Simon was amazed...
" – 2:37
Recorded: June 21, 1966 - "Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall" – 2:10
Recorded: December 22, 1965 - "A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd into Submission)A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission)"A Simple Desultory Philippic " is a song written by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Originally recorded for Simon's 1965 UK-only debut, The Paul Simon Songbook, it was recorded soon after by Simon and his partner, Art Garfunkel, for the duo's third album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme...
" – 2:12
Recorded: June 13, 1966 - "For Emily, Whenever I May Find HerFor Emily, Whenever I May Find Her"For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" is a song written by Paul Simon. It is the tenth track on Simon & Garfunkel's 1966 album by Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, where it is sung by Art Garfunkel....
" – 2:04
Recorded: August 22, 1966 - "A Poem on the Underground Wall" – 1:52
Recorded: June 13, 1966 - "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night7 O'Clock News/Silent Night"7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" is the twelfth and final track on Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, a 1966 album by Simon and Garfunkel. The track consists of an overdubbing of two contrasting recordings: a simple arrangement of the Christmas carol "Silent Night", and a simulated "7 O'Clock News"...
" (Josef MohrJosef MohrJoseph Mohr, sometimes spelt Josef was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest and composer, who wrote the words to the Christmas carol "Silent Night".-Biography:...
, Franz Gruber) – 2:01
Recorded: August 22, 1966
Bonus tracks (2001 CD reissue)
- "Patterns" (Demo) - 2:53
Recorded: June 7, 1966 - "A Poem on the Underground Wall" (Demo) - 1:51
Recorded: June 12, 1966
Charts
| Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 14 |
| UK Album Charts | 15 |
| US Album Charts Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
4 |
Personnel
- Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
– lead vocals, guitar - Art GarfunkelArt GarfunkelArthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
– lead vocals, piano - Joe SouthJoe SouthJoe South is a multi-talented American singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Career:...
- guitar - Carol KayeCarol KayeCarol Kaye is an American musician, best known as one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in history, playing on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions in a 55 year career....
- bass guitar on Scarborough Fair/Canticle and Homeward Bound - Eugene WrightEugene Wright"The Senator" Eugene Wright is an American jazz bassist, best known for his work as a member of The Dave Brubeck Quartet, in particular on the group's most famous album Time Out , with pianist Brubeck, drummer Joe Morello and saxophonist Paul Desmond.Wright, nicknamed "The Senator", had played...
(bassist) and Joe MorelloJoe MorelloJoseph Albert Morello was a jazz drummer best known for his 12½-year stint with The Dave Brubeck Quartet. He was frequently noted for playing in the unusual time signatures employed by that group in such pieces as "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk"...
(drummer) of the Dave Brubeck Quartet played on The 59th Street Bridge Song - John Meszar - harpsichord on Scarborough Fair/Canticle
- Roy HaleeRoy HaleeRoy Halee is an American record producer and engineer, best known for working with Simon and Garfunkel.Halee grew up on Long Island, New York. His father, also named Roy Halee, provided the singing voice for Mighty Mouse in late 1940s Terrytoons cartoons, as well as the voices of Heckle and Jeckle...
- producer and recording engineer - The voice of the newscaster on 7 O'Clock News/Silent Night was that of Charlie O'DonnellCharlie O'DonnellCharles John "Charlie" O'Donnell was an American radio and television announcer, primarily known for his work on game shows...
, then a New York disc jockey. - Bob CatoBob CatoBob Cato was a graphic designer whose work in record album cover design contributed to the development of music and popular culture for five decades. He was vice president of creative services at Columbia Records, and later at United Artists.-Biography:Bob Cato was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
- cover photograph.