Music Features

On This Day: Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” Barely Came Together

The iconic soundtrack for “The Graduate” debuted at #1 in the US on this day in 1968

On this day in 1968, modest folk-pop duo Simon & Garfunkel took the bare scraps of a song dedicated to Eleanor Roosevelt's alleged drunken infidelities and made one of the most unexpected smash hits of the 1960s.

The duo's soundtrack for Mike Nichols' vexatious comedy/drama The Graduate debuted at #1 in the US on April 6, 1968. The relatively unknown New York-based pair suddenly became pop stars. It was rare for a film soundtrack to make such a splash, but the album's success was a joint-effort between Simon & Garfunkel's haunting melodies and Nichols' affecting execution of those melodies in the film.

While crafting the film, Nichols approached the duo about handling the music, but they were initially hesitant. It was only when the illustrious film producer Lawrence Turman got involved that Simon & Garfunkel became interested. Turman put up his own money for the film and sealed a three-song deal with the duo in the process. The soundtrack's haunting minimalism only added to The Graduate's overall sense of unease. Minus the duo's contributions, Nichols' film is relatively quiet, devoid of any unnecessary noise.

Simon & Garfunkel's hushed moments are given the space to breathe as a result. "It's difficult to imagine Benjamin's stunned passage on the L.A. airport's motorized sidewalk during the opening credits without the accompaniment of 'The Sound Of Silence,'" wrote Variety. The film's music was an arresting accompaniment that brought the ennui of The Graduate together. Tracks like "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine" transport us directly into Benjamin's tortuous subconscious. His loneliness and annexation fully realized and painfully palpable.

But in the case of "Mrs. Robinson," the song barely came together. It's origin: a cycled minute-long diddly about First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her alleged promiscuity. Nichols' fell in love with the demo, and at the last minute he asked Simon & Garfunkel to craft it into something usable. The result, in hindsight, is barely that. The now iconic "Deet-da-dee-dee" was merely a placeholder as a deadline loomed. The rest of the track is practically just a glorified chorus. But the song's drive, amongst its relatively tame counterparts, is the almost comical tension in the film's final moments. It's the perfect finale.

So here's to you, Mrs. Robinson. Revisit the iconic soundtrack below:

The Graduate

MUSIC

INTERVIEW | Karen Atkins, Singer-Songwriter, Healer

Music is the most potent and far-reaching healing tool

Photo Courtesy Karen Atkins

Karen Atkins recently released the music video for her cover of Paul Simon's "Slip Slidin' Away." The song is from Atkins' latest album, In My Room. The album is receiving beau coup airplay on Triple A (adult album alternative) radio stations and Atkins' last three music videos attained more than 300,000 views on YouTube.

Not only is Atkins a talented singer-songwriter, she's also attained celebrity as a natural health expert and healer. Because of her unique background, Popdust sat down with her to find out more about what makes her tick.

How would you describe yourself?

An astrologer once described me as part monk and part pixie. I thought that was a pretty accurate description. I really love people, yet I also need lots of freedom, space and quiet time to just feel myself. As a musician and health educator, that combo makes a lot of sense. When I'm teaching and mentoring, I get to be social and connect on deeper levels with people and when I'm playing music, I tend to get reflective and go inward and my inner monk takes over.

What is the most trouble you've ever gotten into?

Hmmmm. An interesting question. Even though I'm not generally a rule follower, I have somehow managed to avoid getting into any major trouble.

What's your favorite song to belt out in the car or the shower?

"It's a Shame" by The Spinners (which was actually co-written by Stevie Wonder). I go a little nuts on those high notes.

Who is your favorite music artist?

It's a toss-up between Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin (I know Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin are bands, but it was what those groups of music artists did together that made them even more special).

How did you get started in music? What's the backstory there?

At 2 years old, I accompanied my sister during her piano lessons and begged and begged my mother to let me start taking lessons until she finally caved when I turned 3. I had a favorite song at that age, as well, and would make my mother play it over and over again. I think I made her buy the record.

Music has always been the doorway to my inner world. My grandmother was a talented pianist and played on the radio in Brooklyn. She passed away when I was 5 and I inherited her piano. I would practice for hours and hours.

I had a hard time staying still. In fact, my mother took me to get tested for hyperactivity. Fortunately, they didn't think I needed Ritalin. Playing music was one of the only things that I could stay focused on for that long.

My father played the guitar and was always encouraging me to play, especially after I quit playing the piano in junior high school. When I was 14, a friend on my field hockey team invited me to play in her all girl band with the stipulation that I learn to play "Day Tripper" by the Beatles in a month's time in order to perform at the Thanksgiving Celebration at our High School. I'm not one to turn down a challenge, so I went home that day and asked my father if he could get me guitar lessons and let me borrow his guitar to practice for the performance. He agreed and I practiced every day for a month until I nailed the song and even the guitar solo at the event.

What musicians influenced you the most?

Jimmy Page, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Lindsay Buckingham, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Frederic Chopin

In High school I listened to Led Zeppelin over and over and over again and I somehow got my hands on a compilation of live vinyl recordings of tons of the their shows called " The Can." Sadly they were lost in a flood about 7 years ago.

Guitar-wise, the 2 most influential players were Jimmy Page and Lindsay Buckingham. Jimmy Page's guitar playing is so innovative and virtuosic. I would practice his licks all the time. My favorite solo to play was "Since I've Been Loving You."Such a great chord progression! Lindsay Buckingham is also so very unique and I love how he plays with tunings and capos to get the exact sounds he is going for.

How would you describe your style of music?

It's always a difficult thing to pinpoint an exact genre. You could call it fresh old school or conscious, soulful indie pop-rock (with some folk elements). When others have tried to describe my music, I've heard almost every genre except rap.

What kind of guitar do you play? And why?

I mostly play electric guitar. It's interesting being a female guitar player because people almost always assume I play acoustic or "classical" guitar. That used to really annoy me when I as growing up.I play a little acoustic, but my main axe is a 1964 fender Strat and I also LOVE my 1968 Fender Tele. I'm definitely a fender girl. I really love the versatility of an electric guitar and how many different kinds of sounds you can get out of it.

What motivated you to cover Paul Simon's "Slip Slidin' Away?"

In my opinion, Paul Simon is one of the greatest song-writers that ever lived. His profound lyrics, hooky melodies, intricate guitar parts, awesome harmonies... he really covers all the bases. I was looking for a song to cover that I loved, but would also lend itself to interpretation, so I could really make it my own. "Slip Slidin' Away" has such a strong chorus, but the arrangement has space for something different, so it was the perfect song for me in that regard.

Your instruments eschew the standard Western frequency where A = 440, and are calibrated to A = 432. Why?

When I came back to recording music after 15 years of being a health educator, I was very interested in capitalizing on the healing properties of music by finding the most effective ways to use music as a healing tool.

I researched a number of different ways to use sound frequencies for healing and I stumbled upon the A = 432 Hz tuning, which is said to have a more harmonious, rounder sound, more aligned with nature.

There are researchers who have studied the effects of music in 432 Hz. One study in particular demonstrated that, after seven days of exposure to music in 432 Hz, the participants experienced reduced stress, insomnia, depression and pain levels, as well as increased concentration and calmness. Despite the research, there is still a lot of debate out there about whether 432 Hz is indeed more healing than 440 Hz.

I wasn't too stuck on how "sound" the scientific evidence is. I was more interested in the fact that when I play my music in 432, I intuitively feel that it has a softer, more relaxing effect.

Nevertheless, I was curious to see if my music would have a similar effect on the listeners, so I conducted a field study using my music recorded in 432Hz. I was excited to find that after listening to only 1 or 2 of my songs, over 75% of the participants reported reduction in their stress level and over 55% reported a reduction in their pain and discomfort levels.

You're a natural health expert, as well as a healer. How do those two disciplines align with being a musician?

I quit playing music in my mid 20s for 2 main reasons. One, my health was failing largely due to the typical unhealthy musician's lifestyle of late nights, smoky bars, crappy food and life on the road. And two, the attention and accolades I was receiving as a young music artist were feeding my ego and I felt that I needed to take a step back to get to know myself better outside of the realm of being a "performer." So I set my music career aside and spent the next 15 years on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Towards the end of this journey, I had found a clear vision of my life's purpose. That led me to combine the enormous amount of healing tools I had learned with what I realized was my most potent and far-reaching healing tool: music.

Are you involved in any current musical projects?

Yes, I'm currently working on a new EP. I'll be releasing a few singles off of the EP this fall. The EP will be mostly originals, but I'm including one cover on the album of a song by the 70s band Bread. It's one of my favorite songs of theirs.

There's an upbeat funky tune called "Lovertown," which was super fun to produce, especially because the rhythm section (Reggie Hamilton and Curt Bisquera) just kill it on that one. There's a little more trippy slow groove tune called "Wild Wild Nights" where I let myself experiment a bunch on the guitar.

I also included a catchy acoustic rock-based reworking of a song I wrote and played with my band in the mid-90s called "Changing Colors."

Will you be doing any touring?

In place of a conventional album tour, I will be presenting a Keynote Concert series starting in the late fall or early winter, which will combine inspirational stories and original songs and will also include an introduction to my vitality lifestyle tools.

Follow Karen Atkins Website |Facebook | Twitter.

Randy Radic is a Left Coast author and writer. Author of numerous true crime books written under the pen-name of John Lee Brook. Former music contributor at Huff Post.