This week 39 years ago marked Paul Simon’s very first Saturday Night Live appearance. Not only was this just the second episode of the still thriving series, but it also reunited Simon and Garfunkel.
Considering the fact that they had other musical guests, like Randy Newman, booked, the creators decided to pull certain comedy sketches to make room for the performances. This resulted in eleven total musical performances – still a record 39 years later. It was also the first time the musical guest was also the host.
Throughout their performance, the former duo avoided eye contact while performing “The Boxer,” “Scarborough Fair,” and “My Little Town.” Later in the night, both played solo, as well.
This first reunion of theirs ended up sparking more – including when both appeared in a sketch in 1986 while Simon was hosting. Unfortunately, this was another low point in their relationship, so the two weren’t featured singing together. Still, the ironic sketch was hilarious.
http://vimeo.com/61509054
Even without Garfunkel, Simon still has made many notable appearances on the show, hosting and performing enough times to be in the Five-Timers Club, performing with George Harrison, dressing up as a turkey, and performing after September 11th to a stage full of police officers and firefighters who saw the collapse of the Twin Towers.
Simon’s most recent appearance was on May 14, 2011, so we’ll just have to wait and see what he comes up with next.
Listen to “The Boxer” here:
