Graceland
by Paul Simon
- Type: Album
- Released: 25 August 1986
- Label: Warner Bros.
- Country: United States
- Length: 43:16
- Community rating: 3.94/5 from 16 ratings
Album Notes & Community Reviews
Recorded amid immense political controversy in apartheid-era South Africa, 'Graceland' is a vibrant, groundbreaking fusion of American pop-rock and traditional African rhythms. Paul Simon's highly poetic, introspective lyricism glides effortlessly over the joyous, complex grooves of styles like mbaqanga and isicathamiya. The deeply eclectic, warm album fundamentally popularized worldbeat on a massive global scale.
Genres
Descriptors: folk, conscious, desert, male-vocalist, melodic, rhythmic, harmonies, vocal, genre-blending
Tracklist
- The Boy In the Bubble (3:59)
- Graceland (4:51)
- I Know What I Know (with General M.D.Shirinda & The Gaza Sisters) (3:13)
- Gumboots (with Boyoyo Boys) (2:44)
- Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (5:50)
- You Can Call Me Al (4:40)
- Under African Skies (3:37)
- Homeless (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo) (3:48)
- Crazy Love, Vol. II (4:19)
- That Was Your Mother (with Good Rockin' Doopsie & The Twisters) (2:52)
- All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints (with Los Lobos) (3:18)
Credits
- Paul Simon - primary artist, arranged by [co-arranged by], liner notes, producer [produced by], acoustic guitar, backing vocals, music by, words by, words by, music by, synthesizer [synclavier], vocals, written-by [beginning by], 6-string bass [six-string electric bass], electric bass [six-string electric bass]
- Ray Phiri - arranged by [co-arranged by], guitar
- Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff - art direction
- Jeri McManus - art direction
- Night After Night - coordinator [album production coordination]
- Kim Champagne - design
- Roy Halee - engineer
- Greg Calbi - mastered by [originally mastered by]
- Gary Heery - photography by [back cover photograph]
- Mark Sexton - photography by [icon, photographed by]
- John Mahoney - programmed by [synclavier programming]
- Forere Motloheloa - accordion, music by
- Bakithi Kumalo - bass
- Vusi Khumalo - drums
- Peter Thwaites - engineer [assistant engineer, at ovation studios]
- Mark Cobrin - engineer [assistant engineer, at the hit factory], engineer [assistant engineer]
- Adrian Belew - guitar synthesizer [synthesizer guitar]
- Makhaya Mahlangu - percussion
- Rob Mounsey - synthesizer
- Steven Strassman - engineer [assistant engineer, at amigo studios]
- Demola Adepoju - pedal steel guitar
- Everly Brothers - vocals
- General M.D. Shirinda - featuring [with], music by
- The Gaza Sisters - featuring [with], vocals
- Johnson Mkhalali - accordion, music by
- Diane Garisto - backing vocals
- Michelle Cobbs - backing vocals
- Petrus Manile - drums
- The Boyoyo Boys - featuring [with]
- Daniel Xilakazi - lead guitar, rhythm guitar
- Lulu Masilela - music by, tambourine
- Ralph MacDonald - percussion
- Barney Rachabane - saxophone
- Mike Makhalemele - saxophone
- Teaspoon Ndelu - saxophone
- Alex Foster - alto saxophone
- Isaac Mtshali - drums
- Assane Thiam - percussion
- Babacar Faye - percussion
- Youssou N'Dour - percussion
- Lenny Pickett - tenor saxophone
- Earl Gardner - trumpet
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo - vocals, featuring [with]
- Joseph Shabalala - written-by [beginning by], lead vocals [lead singer], words by, music by
- Ronnie Cuber - bass saxophone, baritone saxophone
- Morris Goldberg - soloist, tin whistle [pennywhistle solo], soprano saxophone
- Dave Bargeron - trombone
- Kim Allan Cissel - trombone
- Alan Rubin - trumpet
- Jon Faddis - trumpet
- Lew Soloff - trumpet
- Ronald Brecker - trumpet
- Linda Ronstadt - vocals
- Andrew Fraser - engineer [assistant]
- Lloyd Lelose - bass
- Stimela - featuring [with]
- Alton Rubin, Sr. - accordion
- Alonzo Johnson - bass
- Alton Rubin, Jr. - drums
- Mark Miller - engineer [assistant engineer]