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This week’s Song of the Week is Simon & Garfunkel’s classic “Homeward Bound.” “Homeward Bound” was released on single in February 1966, backed with “Leaves That Are Green.” In the US, it also appeared on the album “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.” It was left off the UK version of the album as it had already appeared on the UK pressing of the “Sounds of Silence.”

“Homeward Bound” was written by Simon while touring in England in the summer of 1965. He famously began writing the song when he was stranded overnight at a railway station. Widnes Central railway station is the most accepted venue, but there are conflicting reports, including a suggestion from Simon himself that it was Liverpool station.

The song tells of the tedium of playing one night stands and how the singer is missing the comforts of home. It is home where his “love lies waiting” and this love is thought to be English girl Kathleen Mary “Kathy” Chitty, with whom Simon was staying in Brentwood, Essex. She would also be immortalised by Simon in the classic “Kathy’s Song.” Of course it’s generally assumed that when writing “Homeward Bound” Simon was also looking further afield and expressing homesickness for America, which he had been away from for some time.

Simon & Garfunkel – “Homeward Bound”

“Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits” (1972) features an excellent live version of “Homeward Bound”, which is certainly the equal of the studio cut.

Authorship

The words and music of “Homeward Bound” were written by Paul Simon.

Recording date/location

“Homeward Bound” was recorded on December 14, 1965 at CBS studios in Los Angeles, California.

Musicians

The following musicians appeared on “Homeward Bound”:

• Paul Simon – lead vocals, guitar
• Art Garfunkel – vocals
• Carol Kaye – bass guitar
• Hal Blaine – drums.

Glen Campbell possibly plays the second guitar.

Chart performance

“Homeward Bound” hit number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1966 and peaked at number nine in the UK. In total, Simon & Garfunkel achieved eight top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the number ones “The Sounds of Silence”, “Mrs Robinson” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

The album on which “Homeward Bound” appeared, “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme”, reached number four on the Billboard album chart.

Covers

There were around a dozen covers of “Homeward Bound” within a couple of years of the original, including versions by artists as diverse as Cher, Mel Torme, Cliff Richard, Sandie Shaw, Glen Campbell and Petula Clark. The versions by the latter two can be heard below.

Glen Campbell – “Homeward Bound”

Glen Campbell delivers a typically solid vocal on his 1967 cover of “Homeward Bound”, which was the second track on his Grammy-winning album “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” The addition of strings tends to steer this version away from the folk origins of the Simon & Garfunkel version and towards easy-listening territory, but it’s a good performance by all concerned.

Petula Clark – “Homeward Bound”

Petula Clark was enjoying the most successful period of her career when she released the album “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” in 1966. “Homeward Bound” was one of a number of covers on the album, including “Rain”, “Groovy Kind of Love” and “Monday Monday.” Some imagination has been used with the arrangement of Clark’s version of “Homeward Bound” and the piano part that introduces the song and runs through each of the verses is attractive and well conceived. However, neither this version, nor the Glen Campbell cover make you believe the lyric in the way that Paul Simon does.

There will be a new Song of the Week on February 14.

Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound” features on the album “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.” The album can be purchased separately, but also as part of the great value (particularly in the UK) 5 CD/1 DVD “Simon & Garfunkel – The Collection.”

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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (CD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now