Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall by Paul Simon (cover)

Glennwillow · #1 06-14-2021, 02:13 PM

Paul Simon first recorded this song in 1965. It's included on his CD "The Paul Simon Songbook" recorded in England where he played this song two half tones lower, with no capo.

This song was also included on Simon & Garfunkel's 3rd album, "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme" where the song was played with a capo on the 2nd fret, as I have played it for this video. I played this with only an acoustic guitar and then added harmony to my first recording.

The Guitar is a 1995 Olson SJ.

I've known this song since my college days, but I had forgotten about it until my wife suggested I do this song on video.

Thanks very much for watching!

- Glenn

foxo · #2 06-14-2021, 04:07 PM

This is great Glenn. Beautiful harmonies.

airborne1 · #3 06-14-2021, 04:11 PM

Glenn,
As always, wonderfully done!

Your vocals blend nicely with the sweet sound of your guitar!

Thank you for sharing!

Be well,

Bill

Glennwillow · #4 06-14-2021, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxo

This is great Glenn. Beautiful harmonies.

Thank you Foxo!

Nice of you to take the time to listen and comment! I'm so pleased that you thought this came out well!

I really enjoy singing harmony; I'm glad you appreciate this!

Be well Foxo!

- Glenn

Glennwillow · #5 06-14-2021, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by airborne1

Glenn,
As always, wonderfully done!

Your vocals blend nicely with the sweet sound of your guitar!

Thank you for sharing!

Be well,

Bill

Thank you Bill!

I'm so glad you like this. I, too, enjoy the sound of the Olson SJ on this song. That guitar has such a velvety sound coupled with nice trebles. It's very easy on the ears.

And thank you, too, for noticing the harmony. I really enjoy singing harmony as much as I enjoy singing the lead line.

I hope all is well Bill and that you are enjoying your guitar!

Take care,
Glenn

Kerbie · #6 06-14-2021, 06:48 PM

I love that song, Glenn... I remember it well. Thanks for covering it and to your other half for suggesting it. It's a quickie, but a goodie. I always enjoy hearing that Olson... wow, just beautiful. Great harmony and I love the psychedelia going on behind you.

Glennwillow · #7 06-14-2021, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kerbie

I love that song, Glenn... I remember it well. Thanks for covering it and to your other half for suggesting it. It's a quickie, but a goodie. I always enjoy hearing that Olson... wow, just beautiful. Great harmony and I love the psychedelia going on behind you.

Thank you Kerbie!

How nice to hear from you! And it's nice to know that you remember this song. It wasn't one of their big hits, but if you bought the "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme" album back in time, you became familiar with it. I sure did.

I tried that song on the Olson, the Sheppard, and my D-45 and it sounded great on each of them. I wanted just a little bit more sparkle from the Olson, so I changed the strings right before recording, and that did just what I wanted.

I really do love that Olson! Well,... I love a bunch of my guitars.

I know I am very fortunate.

I'm glad you noticed the psychedelic background, too. I ran the mixdown of this song through Windows Media Player a few times until I got patterns that weren't too distracting, and I kept recording what I was seeing with a screen capture recording program. When I got what I wanted, I used that screen-capture video for the background after deleting the audio. It worked out.

At first I thought -- This is going to look really stupid! -- but when I put it into the completed video it was okay. Even my wife thought it was okay!

It certainly adds a lot of color!

Thanks so much for the vote of confidence Kerbie!

- Glenn

zeeway · #8 06-14-2021, 08:03 PM

My goodness. You have done it again...another stellar performance. I just barely remember that song, but I found myself singing along. I guess those lyrics were buried in the shadows of my mind (to coin a phrase). Thanks, Glenn.

islandguitar · #9 06-14-2021, 08:05 PM

Just great. Glenn! Here again, the harmonies, the production....the song.....all come together so nicely. So, enjoyable.
I think the thing I also enjoy is reliving the lyrics of these classics you bring us. All of them from the 60's are so familiar, but back in those days I was so tuned into the melodies and guitar work that the lyrics were kind of secondary. Now these many years later I'm hearing them again....really hearing them.....through your performances. Simon surely has the gift to bring some wonderful phrases to a song.
Thanks again, Glenn!

Glennwillow · #10 06-14-2021, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeeway

My goodness. You have done it again...another stellar performance. I just barely remember that song, but I found myself singing along. I guess those lyrics were buried in the shadows of my mind (to coin a phrase). Thanks, Glenn.

Hi Angie!

I am so glad you enjoyed this! And how terrific that you remembered this once you heard it!

Isn't that crazy how that seems to work with our brains??!!

When my wife suggested this song, I thought, Oh, nobody will even know that song. But then I just sat down with the guitar and played it, words and all, from memory! I thought, Holy Cow! This is going to be easy!

I went up to my studio yesterday afternoon and recorded the guitar and vocal lead part and this morning I did the harmony part and in about maybe 3-4 total hours I had this done. It was that easy! Because, of course, I already knew this. I didn't have to beat it to death as I so often do!

Thanks for taking time to listen and comment, Angie!

- Glenn

Glennwillow · #11 06-14-2021, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by islandguitar

Just great. Glenn! Here again, the harmonies, the production....the song.....all come together so nicely. So, enjoyable.
I think the thing I also enjoy is reliving the lyrics of these classics you bring us. All of them from the 60's are so familiar, but back in those days I was so tuned into the melodies and guitar work that the lyrics were kind of secondary. Now these many years later I'm hearing them again....really hearing them.....through your performances. Simon surely has the gift to bring some wonderful phrases to a song.
Thanks again, Glenn!

Hi Fred,

Thank you for your thoughtful comments! They are very much appreciated!

My wife and I were talking just today about Paul Simon's lyrics, about how in so many songs he seems to have been much older than his years when he actually wrote these songs. He was 24 years old when he wrote "Flowers Never Bend..." yet this song is quite deep.

How does somebody get this kind of understanding at such a young age? It really is a mystery and it's rather astounding when you listen to some of the things he had to say in so many songs -- Sounds of Silence, Old Friends, Leaves That Are Green, on and on.

I'm glad you feel I am doing justice to these old songs. Your comments are greatly appreciated, Fred!

- Glenn

Rogerblair · #12 06-15-2021, 07:04 AM

Nice one, Glenn. Great job. And again, the Olsen sounds wonderful.

Yes, some of Simon’s lyrics just amaze me…the insight at such a young age. And the simplicity of others…”so, I’ll continue to continue, to pretend”. Simple but it speaks volumes.

Roger

Glennwillow · #13 06-15-2021, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogerblair

Nice one, Glenn. Great job. And again, the Olsen sounds wonderful.

Yes, some of Simon’s lyrics just amaze me…the insight at such a young age. And the simplicity of others…”so, I’ll continue to continue, to pretend”. Simple but it speaks volumes.

Roger

Thank you Roger!

Yes, your comments are right on the mark regarding Paul Simon's lyrics! I can't help wondering how a person gains that kind of understanding and thought process.

And I am pleased that you like the sound of the Olson. I do, too!

Thanks for listening Roger! Much appreciated!

- Glenn

Aimelie · #14 06-15-2021, 09:19 AM

Wow—this really grabs one by the heartstrings. Beautifully done, Glenn. So glad your wife thought to remind you of it.

Glennwillow · #15 06-15-2021, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aimelie

Wow—this really grabs one by the heartstrings. Beautifully done, Glenn. So glad your wife thought to remind you of it.

Thank you Aimelie!

How nice of you! I'm so glad you appreciate this! Thank you for your kind words!

I'm glad my wife thought of this, too. She is very good at that kind of thing.

When we were in the music business 3 decades ago, she was the one would come up with song ideas. She'd say, we need a song about _____. Knowing how this works, she'd say something like, "I'll write down a bunch of ideas for you." She'd put together a bunch of phrases or ideas and then I'd take those and build them into a song. And once I had her ideas, I could add some of my own, as needed. I could always come up with music at the drop of a hat and I was pretty good with song and phrase structure and maintaining the rhyme scheme, but my wife always came up with great ideas. If she gave me an idea and a bunch of phrases to work from, I could have a completed song together by the next day.

Thanks for taking time to listen and comment, Aimelie!

- Glenn