"Under African Skies" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the fifth and final single from his seventh studio album, Graceland (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. The song features guest vocals from singer Linda Ronstadt.
| "Under African Skies" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Paul Simon and Linda Ronstadt | ||||
| from the album Graceland | ||||
| B-side | "I Know What I Know" | |||
| Released | August 1987 | |||
| Recorded | April 1986 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:37 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Paul Simon | |||
| Producer(s) | Paul Simon | |||
| Paul Simon singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
edit"Under African Skies" originated in later recording sessions for Graceland. Simon flew over several South African musicians to New York to complete the record three months after the original sessions in Johannesburg,[1] paying them triple union rates in order to lure them to record, as many did not know who he was.[2] He also offered writer's royalties to those who he felt had contributed particularly to the song's compositions.[3] These sessions also resulted in the lead single, "You Can Call Me Al".[1]
Cash Box said that "Ronstadt provides angelic harmonies to Simon's inimitable vocal stylings."[4]
Personnel
edit- Paul Simon—lead vocals, guitar
- Linda Ronstadt—additional vocals
- Ray Phiri, Adrian Belew—guitar
- Bakithi Kumalo—bass
- Isaac Mtshali—drums
- Ralph MacDonald, James Guyatt—percussion
References
edit- ^ a b Graceland (liner notes). Paul Simon. US: Warner Bros. Records. 1986. W1-25447.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ David Fricke (October 23, 1986). "African Odyssey". Rolling Stone (485). New York City: Wenner Media LLC: 77–80. ISSN 0035-791X.
- ^ Stephen Holden (August 24, 1986). "Paul Simon Brings Home the Music of Black South Africa". The New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. December 5, 1987. p. 6. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
Sources
edit- Bennighof, James (2007). The Words and Music of Paul Simon. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-99163-0.
- Eliot, Marc (2010). Paul Simon: A Life. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-43363-8.