"The Boxer" by Paul Simon (cover)

Glennwillow · #1 07-13-2018, 01:02 PM

This my cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer" published in 1970 on the album "Bridge over Troubled Water." I learned to play this song in my last year of college in 1970 and worked hard to figure out the Travis pick that Paul Simon uses on this song. But this is the first time I have ever tried to sing Art Garfunkel's harmony to this song, which was a challenge to hit some of the high notes. Thanks for watching!

I am playing my 1967 Martin D-35, the guitar on which I originally learned to play this song. It still sounds good to me.

- Glenn

MrEd · #2 07-13-2018, 01:13 PM

Excellent job Glenn.

Thanks for sharing.

Mike

Chickee · #3 07-13-2018, 01:15 PM

You always put up beautifully dialed in recordings Glenn. Your singing and that great old guitar work well together. You conjured up some long forgotten memories with this one.

Glennwillow · #4 07-13-2018, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrEd

Excellent job Glenn.

Thanks for sharing.

Mike

Thank you Mike!

Glad you are watching! Thanks for your comments!

- Glenn

Glennwillow · #5 07-13-2018, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chickee

You always put up beautifully dialed in recordings Glenn. Your singing and that great old guitar work well together. You conjured up some long forgotten memories with this one.

Hi Chickee!

Thanks so much for your thoughts and comments! And thank you for the compliments!

"The Boxer" does sort of bring back memories.

I know I must have driven all the other college students around me crazy while I practiced and practiced that Travis pick. And spring of 1970 is when I graduated from college and got married on the same day. Two pretty important events for me that really set up my life starting in 1970.

So yes, "The Boxer" is part of all those memories for me.

- Glenn

reeve21 · #6 07-13-2018, 06:30 PM

Beautiful! One of your best, Glenn

bill austin · #7 07-13-2018, 06:53 PM

That was beautiful.

Glennwillow · #8 07-13-2018, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reeve21

Beautiful! One of your best, Glenn

Thank you Bob!

How great to know you are listening! Thanks so much for the vote of confidence! I very much appreciate your comments here!

- Glenn

Glennwillow · #9 07-13-2018, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bill austin

That was beautiful.

Thank you Bill!

I'm very pleased that you thought this came out okay! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!

- Glenn

islandguitar · #10 07-13-2018, 08:53 PM

Oh, that was so good Glenn!! Your Travis pick is steady and on point, with the occasional down stoke.....so effective.
The song is such a classic, that one almost can't imagine The Boxer without that harmony! It must be just what the ear "wants" from many years of listening to this Paul Simon song and you give it to us in spades!
Great job......full and beautiful delivery of a classic tune!
thanks,
Fred

Glennwillow · #11 07-13-2018, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by islandguitar

Oh, that was so good Glenn!! Your Travis pick is steady and on point, with the occasional down stoke.....so effective.
The song is such a classic, that one almost can't imagine The Boxer without that harmony! It must be just what the ear "wants" from many years of listening to this Paul Simon song and you give it to us in spades!
Great job......full and beautiful delivery of a classic tune!
thanks,
Fred

Thank you Fred!

Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm so glad you like how this came out.

I feel very much like you do, that "The Boxer" is a 2-voice song. It's signature sound has that high Garfunkel harmony. It's like hearing the Everly Brothers sing "All I Have To Do Is Dream." The song without the high harmony just doesn't quite satisfy my ears.

A very nice thing about modern recording technology is that a person can sing harmony to a prerecorded performance.

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Fred!

- Glenn

TBman · #12 07-13-2018, 10:10 PM

You really nailed that one Glenn, excellent!

superbitterdave · #13 07-13-2018, 10:32 PM

Hey Glenn, that was great.

You don’t often post with your own harmonies, so that was fun to hear and you nailed it. Funny enough, I was playing with some friends last night and the Boxer was in our book of songs with chords. I kinda said, ‘uhh, that’s a tough one . . .’ You demonstrated both the challenge and potential of that song in one recording.

Plus, I will never figure out how you switched shirts back and forth so quickly and seamlessly throughout that take!

Cheers

Dave

Glennwillow · #14 07-13-2018, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

You really nailed that one Glenn, excellent!

Thank you Barry!

Thank you for watching and for posting here! I'm so glad to read that you feel this came out well!

- Glenn

Glennwillow · #15 07-13-2018, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superbitterdave

Hey Glenn, that was great.

You don’t often post with your own harmonies, so that was fun to hear and you nailed it. Funny enough, I was playing with some friends last night and the Boxer was in our book of songs with chords. I kinda said, ‘uhh, that’s a tough one . . .’ You demonstrated both the challenge and potential of that song in one recording.

Plus, I will never figure out how you switched shirts back and forth so quickly and seamlessly throughout that take!

Cheers

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thank you, Dave! I'm so glad you enjoyed this rendition!

About the shirts, I did the main recording with me and the guitar one day and the harmony the next. I had a green shirt on the 2nd day (today) -- mystery solved!!

Thanks so much for your thoughts and comments!

- Glenn