A mutual appreciation between songwriters Paul Simon and Bob Dylan led to the pair touring together.
It began with one half of the Simon and Garfunkel duo, as well as veteran musician Dylan, covering one another’s songs during live shows. High praise flowed between the pair, with Dylan calling the Graceland songwriter a “preeminent songwriter”. Dylan would suggest he and Dylan got “closer” as their tours began to overlap, and they eventually decided to play together. Simon had been a great admirer of Dylan’s work and would even suggest he was willing to compromise on his position for the song, coming in second on some performances, if it meant he got to perform with his idol. That praise appeared to flow both ways as Dylan would end up touring with Simon throughout 1999. The Mrs Robinson hitmaker has since shared what led to the tour coming about.
The pair would co-headline a tour starting at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado. One night Dylan would play first, another night it would be Simon. The back-and-forth between the pair inevitably led to the duo putting together a selection of duets. The pair would perform The Sound of Silence and Forever Young together, as well as classic tracks like The Wanderer and That’ll Be the Day.
Dylan had high praise for Simon, saying: “I consider him one of the preeminent songwriters of our time. Every song he does has got a vitality you don’t find everywhere.” Simon, too, would be complimentary of Dylan, and suggested his love for the songwriter’s work is a reason why he was willing to take a back seat during performances.
He said: “I usually come in second to Dylan, and I don’t like coming in second. In the beginning, when we were first signed to Columbia, I really admired Dylan‘s work. The Sound of Silence wouldn’t have been written if it weren’t for Dylan. But I left that feeling around The Graduate and Mrs Robinson. They weren’t folky any more.
“One of my deficiencies is my voice sounds sincere. I’ve tried to sound ironic. I don’t. I can’t. Dylan, everything he sings has two meanings. He’s telling you the truth and making fun of you at the same time. I sound sincere every time.”
The pair would go on to perform classics like Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door together, as well as Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right. A bootleg of their tour together, Summer of 1999, compiled the pair’s best efforts on stage. It’s a tour which is filled with hits, including a cover of Blue Moon of Kentucky and a tremendous version of Tangled Up in Blue. You can listen to the bootleg below, and find our review here.
