Paul has always been good to me as a fan. Quick odd story, he came up to me at Coors in San Diego back in '99 and said about 3 sentences. He was a good 2-3 feet from my face & not one word could I or my friend understand. We decided then & there that he was an alien speaking in his native tongue (which is what it sounded like).

His 3 night stand at the Wiltern 10+ years ago was something else...those were the days...great seats, great venues & affordable. Dylan too did these types of gigs. Lou Reed, Tom Waits, Nina Simone...man the Wiltern has hosted some shows!

How strange! I was on a road trip yesterday to Holland Michigan and listened to Rhyming Simon. Great album. Loves Me Like a Rock is so infectious!

You know what? It is true, he is a nice guy. I saw Paul Simon in a Whole Foods supermarket in Boston on January 8. He was getting something from the soup bar, something green and healthy looking, and I was standing behind him in line at checkout. He was wearing his trademark outfit, the fedora-type hat, loosened tie and striped dress shirt not tucked in. And you know what he did? You know those long wooden bars they have at checkout to divide groceries between shoppers? Well, Paul Simon moved the bar for me. Just reached across and placed the bar lengthwise on the conveyor belt so that I could set down my groceries. Mind you, there are quite a lot of ordinary non-famous folks who wouldn't move the bar for you, but Paul Simon, despite being the legendary talent that he is, was still considerate enough to move the bar at checkout for little old me. Though he moved from the soup bar to checkout with a definite sense of purpose and fluid, agile quickness, his body language when interacting with the cashier when she asked him if he needed a bag for his purchase suggested a more humble, somewhat shy nature, as he just looked down and shrugged, saying "No," rather softly. He payed for his purchase not with a credit card or with a large bill, but with a twenty.

As he moved from checkout over to the food court, taking a seat by the windows, I asked the young man bagging my groceries if he thought the man who was just in line looked to him like he strongly resembled Paul Simon. "Who?" the young man answered, who seemed to be around 20. The young female cashier, who was around the same age, just laughed as she handed me my change while I explained, "Paul Simon. Legendary singer and songwriter." When he merely shrugged, looking puzzled, I just said, "Oh, nevermind," and was on my way.

After leaving the store, I glanced over and saw that Paul Simon had removed his coat and was then talking on a cell phone, with a look and straightened posture to suggest that it was important business. But no matter what pressing affairs he might be preoccupied with, he is still considerate enough to move the bar for you at checkout, as if he were indeed that Bridge Over Troubled Water--or Bridge Over Checkout Counter in this case.

I always feel it is that person's responsibility to do that, and quite rude not to. You put your food down, you put the bar down...next person. I am aware many people do not do this...so kuddos to Paul.

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sdstonesguy
I always feel it is that person's responsibility to do that, and quite rude not to. You put your food down, you put the bar down...next person. I am aware many people do not do this...so kuddos to Paul.

I bet The Rolling Stones have never ever been to a supermarket but if they did Ronnie would put the stick down, Taylor would crown you in the head with it..

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DoomandGloom
One day I was cleaning his studio Paul was early and he quipped, "I love to shave, it makes me feel refreshed, my favorite part of the day." I was like "ok then". Someone mentioned Lou Reed.. Lou was a sweetheart and a gentleman always, he loved electric razors and shaving as well. Lou boasted a giant collection of shavers, he'd always buy them in pairs, just in case he liked it and they stopped making that model..

Did they prefer any special brands of razors? Philips or Braun?

Let the great stick debate begin.

I get uppity in the market, so if the stick isn't down, I just put my food down & let the person deal with it when it comes up. I leave a break, so that I am making clear what my stuff is...but if they are too fancy to put the stick down, then they can deal with the explanation with the checker. Of course, I always put the stick down...but then again, I do not stand in the middle of the aisle looking up like a turkey in the rain blocking the other shoppers.

I always think of Jack in Cuckoo's nest:

You see these other people? These are the real ones. These are real people here.

ok...rant over. But please, put the stick down...just like Rhymin' Simon.

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whitem8
How strange! I was on a road trip yesterday to Holland Michigan and listened to Rhyming Simon. Great album. Loves Me Like a Rock is so infectious!

You're at the Tulip Festival? How rock'n'roll!

Paul Simon arrested...the real bad boy of rock n' roll!

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gotdablouse
Not sure about him being the "nicest guy"...ever seen "Annie Hall" or more to the point he asked for a guy's phone at a concert in Mountain View in 2001 and kinda tossed it away when he was done with it!

I was at a Simon and Garfunkel show in 2003 where they asked two women in the front row to give them their phones. Only one of them did. Artie took the phone and sang the next song (yes, the entire song) directly into the phone to whomever happened to be on the other end of the line. When the song was over, Paul said to the woman who had refused to give him her phone, "I bet you're sorry now that you didn't give me your phone, aren't you? Well, don't worry," he said, "We'll do it again later. We'll do it tomorrow in Cleveland." There was something very mean-spirited about the way he said it. The audience was a little taken aback, actually.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-04-29 06:28 by tatters.

Former CBS chief Walter Yetnikoff basically said Simon is a pompous ass in his book. Artie is no picnic either.

I wonder what Mr. Yetnikoff would have written if he had been standing behind Paul Simon in a supermarket checkout line as he thoughtfully moved the bar for him the way he did for me.

Cool song by Edie. I guess this was before the "incident." She's really cute in this one.








Edie: Are you what you are or what?

Paul: Where's Princess Leia when you need her? May the force be with ..... owwww! Why did ya do that?

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71Tele
Former CBS chief Walter Yetnikoff basically said Simon is a pompous ass in his book. Artie is no picnic either.

S & G were enterprising. In the 60's a little folk duo could easily be manipulated into a supergroup monster by record executives. There is no doubt both artists were battlers to protect their vision and that is why they are so unique to music history. Simon broke up the partnership as he felt Art was spread too thin with acting while Simon waited in the studio songs piling up. CBS did not want that as "Bridge" was a grammy winner and big money album. S & G were sort of like todays rap artists, if they were unhappy people were confronted.

Pauls last album was called

"So Beautiful Or So What" hmmm?

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sdstonesguy
he came up to me at Coors in San Diego back in '99 and said about 3 sentences. He was a good 2-3 feet from my face & not one word could I or my friend understand.

Haha, maybe he was saying "you'd better put that effing phone away if you know what's good for you". :-)

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DoomandGloom
Lou was a sweetheart and a gentleman always

Mick said after Lou died: "He was quite rude in interviews, but in person he was actually quite friendly." (Rolling Stone Magazine). And Lou seemed quite nice in his Charlie Rose interviews.

Lou said of Paul Simon: "Paul's such a sweetheart."

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shattered

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BostonLass
There were 50 ways this could have been avoided ...

Just waiting for this comment. Nice.

I wonder if they got it on Kodachrome?

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71Tele
Former CBS chief Walter Yetnikoff basically said Simon is a pompous ass in his book. Artie is no picnic either.

Isn't Walter Yetnikoff the guy who signed Jagger to a solo deal along with the Rolling Stones in the early '80s and in doing so pretty much caused World War III?

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71Tele
Former CBS chief Walter Yetnikoff basically said Simon is a pompous ass in his book. Artie is no picnic either.

Indeed (from the book):

"Paul struck me as pretentious and self-important. In his backstage dressing room, his entourage treated him like little Lord Byron, hanging on his every word ... I didn't like the guy. And, believe me, he didn't like me [evidently, in part, because of lack of label support]."

If Walter disses you, then you're probably doing something right.

A Yetnikoff profile in Esquire included a lunch in a Village cafe with Mick Jagger and Dave Stewart. And Yetnikoff told the writer, "One drag about being out with these guys is women always ignore me."

Does he mean to imply that the rest of the time they wouldn't ignore him?

...maybe Edie found a recent nude photo of Carrie Fisher in his wallet ....



ROCKMAN

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stonehearted
I wonder what Mr. Yetnikoff would have written if he had been standing behind Paul Simon in a supermarket checkout line as he thoughtfully moved the bar for him the way he did for me.

I don't know. I didn't say it, Yetnikoff did. He also said the Rip Torn character in Simon's movie One Trick Pony was based on him. Seems likely.

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Rockman
...maybe Edie found a recent nude photo of Carrie Fisher in his wallet ....

I wouldn't wish that on anybody...

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71Tele

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Rockman
...maybe Edie found a recent nude photo of Carrie Fisher in his wallet ....

I wouldn't wish that on anybody...

Or him in that chicken suit from SNL.

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Rockman
...maybe Edie found a recent nude photo of Carrie Fisher in his wallet ....

or she got sick of dressing up as Princess Leia at bedtime.

she got sick of dressing up as Princess Leia at bedtime.

.... man that's beyond kinky ... that's konky



ROCKMAN

I have no first hand knowledge, but this is an interesting read from a fellow Philadelphian, Los Lobos' Steve Berlin on Paul's interesting songwriting credit acknowledgments- [blog.wfmu.org]

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71Tele

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stonehearted
I wonder what Mr. Yetnikoff would have written if he had been standing behind Paul Simon in a supermarket checkout line as he thoughtfully moved the bar for him the way he did for me.

I don't know. I didn't say it, Yetnikoff did. He also said the Rip Torn character in Simon's movie One Trick Pony was based on him. Seems likely.

Oh yes, that's right! The character is quite rotund and at one point Simon's character approaches him at a party and drunkenly insults him. Haven't seen that movie in ages. Lou Reed had a part in that as well, as a producer, looking very clean-cut and un-rock n roll.