Simon & Garfunkel 45 vs. LP mixes

It has been reported on the Both Sides Now message board (www.bsnpubs.com) that there are a number of Simon & Garfunkel Top 40 hits where the mono 45 mixes differ from the stereo LP mixes:

HOMEWARD BOUND - The LP contains heavy reverb, while the 45 is alleged to be "dry".

A HAZY SHADE OF WINTER - The 45 is reported to have additional horn passages not on the LP.

AT THE ZOO - The LP is said to have phasing effects not on the 45.

MRS. ROBINSON - On the 45, the cymbals are alleged to be mixed louder during the choruses and the song fades out approximately :13 later, which includes a piano passage and extra guitar strums not heard on the LP.

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER - It's reported that the cello is more prominent throughout the 45 and during the final verse the bass, drums, and orchestra are mixed way up along with the lead vocal, whereas only the vocal is upfront on the LP. The 45 also supposedly runs slightly faster than the LP.

CECILIA - The percussion is supposedly a bit different in the section between the verses "taking my place" and "Cecilia, you're breaking my heart" on the 45 than on the LP, and the "Wo-o-oo . . " ending is believed to be arranged differently on the 45.

The database currently contains no comments on mix differences for any of the above songs. I don't have any of the commercial 45s so I'm unable to verify these mix differences for myself. If there is anyone who can, please confirm them for us!

Edited by Todd Ireland

I didn't realize Rascals 2-fers have recently been reissued on CD, Brian. That's great news because I've been waiting for the stereo mixes on the group's earlier Top 40 hits to receive some much needed remastering treatment. I've always been pretty impressed with the sound quality on Collector's Choice CDs.

Back to Simon & Garfunkel... I notice the CD run times in the database for "Cecilia" run anywhere from 3:49-4:02. This is a pretty big range and there are currently no database comments indicating what the correct 45 and LP run times are. Would anyone be so kind to help provide this info? Thanks!

Todd Ireland wrote: The database currently contains no comments on mix differences for any of the above songs. I don't have any of the commercial 45s so I'm unable to verify these mix differences for myself. If there is anyone who can, please confirm them for us!

Todd, I will shoot original 45 dubs for all six of these out to you, within the next few days, so your "expert ear" can determine and separate fact from fiction....

The 45 version of "At The Zoo" does not have the phasing effect on the
percussion after the opening lines, and again, when the phrase is
repeated. The 45 version of "Homeward Bound" does sound as though
there is no reverb, and also, the drums sound as though they have more
low-end, or bass sound to them, and it seems that one can hear the
organ in the chorus a little louder as well.

Having now had a chance to compare Jim's "Homeward Bound" mono commercial 45 to the stereo mix on Simon & Garfunkel's Best of CD, I agree that the LP version contains some slight reverb not heard on the 45. That's pretty much the only difference I hear between the two mixes though. So does anyone think the light reverb is significant enough to warrant some sort of general mention in the database? Perhaps something like: (The stereo LP contains slight reverb not heard on the mono 45)?

Edited by Todd Ireland