Mike Harding Folk Show, BBC Radio 2
27/07/2011

Mike Harding presents an hour of the best in folk, roots and acoustic music, including historic archive tracks from Paul Simon's first ever BBC session, which was recorded in January 1965 on 5to 10, The Light Programme (a long time before FM). I remember listening live at the time, my family passed some derogatory comments as I recall.

This summer, Paul Simon released his twelth studio album - So Beautiful Or So What - and played Glastonbury Festival for the first time, performing for a gigantic, sprawling crowd in front of the Pyramid Stage.

But more than 45 years ago, the young Paul was making his first formative trips to Britain, and playing for much smaller audiences. He based himself in London and toured the burgeoning UK folk club scene, sharing ideas with the likes of Martin Carthy, meeting his then girlfriend Kathy Chitty (she of Kathy's Song and America) and writing Homeward Bound on a railway platform in Widnes.

In January 1965, Paul Simon was invited by BBC producer Roy Trevivian to record a session for the Light Programme. Despite suffering from a slight cold, the relatively unknown Simon agreed, and a work permit was sought from the Home Office.

Simon recorded seven tracks: The Side of a Hill, Kathy's Song, Bleecker Street, Patterns, Leaves That Are Green, I Am a Rock and The Sound of Silence. Fresh and sincere renditions of songs that were to become classics.

The session tapes were lost for some time but were returned to the BBC in 2001. Tonight, Mike Harding will play a selection of tracks from this historic session.

Analogue FM>Philips Tuner FT565>SD>PC>Soundforge>Wave Editor (splits)>TLH>Flac (8)>Foobar

1. Intro & Chat with Simon Mayo (3.35)
2. I Am A Rock - Live (2.52)
3. MH Chat (0.54)
4. Bleecker Street - Live (3.29)
5. MH Chat (2.52) *
6. Kathy's Song - Live (4.08)
7. MH Chat (1.06)
8. The Sound Of Silence - Live (3.08)
9. Closure Chat (0.37)

* Please note that "The Sun is Burning by Laura Campbell has been faded in/out to a few seconds duration in accordance with Dime Policies.
I have researched as much as I have time (in fact more than I have time for!!!) to see if these tracks have been commercially released and I could find no record of them having been released anywhere. If anyone has info to the contrary then please let me know and I will take down immediately. The finding of commercially released tracks is one of the areas of Dime where apathy does not exist.

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