Steve Berlin of Los Lobos remembers working with Paul Simon...and it was NOT good.

I'm a big fan of both Los Lobos and Paul Simon, and I find this story to be shocking and quite sad.

Sounds like they got screwed by Simon and Warners.

dan c

See the whole interview here:

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/Story.aspx?StoryID=9391&pagenum=1

 

Have heard the collaboration was far from an easy one. My least liked track on Graceland it just doesn't fit well.

 

amazing.....

--tob

 

Very interesting...didn't know any of that. I kinda remember stuff about "ripping" songs off though.

I'm inclined to believe his whole version...sad.

 

Never heard of this before. This is awful.

 

I do remember there was some criticism going 'round about Paul getting credits for songs (or parts of them) brought in by the African artists. But this story is new to me.
I'm a big Paul Simon fan, but this is a sad story, even if it's only partly true (though I have no reason to think that Berlin is exaggerating).

The hardest part for me to believe is the statement that Paul was lacking focus when he started working on Graceland. And that zydeco thing - I mean, say what you want, but hasn't Paul always had a keen ear for eclectic musical styles (i.e. El condor pasa, Me and Julio down by the schoolyard, the Rhythm of the saints album)?

 

Call me naive, but I find this shocking.

But I believe it.

Chris

 

I do, too.

Especially because it's the guy's own words, and not a 3rd party account.

Wow.

 

Sounds like somebody is small in more ways than one.

 

If Los Lobos hadn't buried their heads in the sand about this 20 years ago, maybe people would knock Paul Simon instead of Jimmy Page for being a ripoff artist.

I'm surprised they still didn't try to sue Simon at some point about this. How long did it take them to stop being "naive"?

 

Maybe it's true that Paul Simon isn't the nicest guy but this guy needs a chill pill. Make that two chill pills.

 

It wasn't the first time. Paul "borrowed" Martin Carthy's arrangement of "Scarborough Fair" without giving him any credit.

 

SB has a right to be hostile, and speak the truth.
C

 

First time I hear about this, sad, no winners here.

 

Those sorts of things don't always turn out in your favor. I really can't see that Berlin and the band members would have had the stomach or the finances to sue Paul Simon, and trashing Simon in the press would probably have had a very bad effect on their career. Paul Simon may not have been at the peak of his commercial powers, but he still had a titanic reputation in the business and Los Lobos didn't. It's highly unlikely that they would have benefited from taking him on.

They definitely should have negotiated some fee for the studio time before agreeing to do it, though. That's truly naivete.

 

I love Paul Simon, but to add to the pile on, "American Tune," is well, not even that. Perhaps this is well known here, but I was floored to hear the song in church with different lyrics a few weeks ago. Seems he ripped off Bach. Wonder if he told old Johann to sue him?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Tune

 

Paul Simon apparently won!

 

Same here. This just doesn't sound like BS to me.

No he doesn't...he seems to have kept this quiet for years out of respect for Mo and Lenny. Then no one asked him directly about it till now and he just spilled it out. It doesn't sound rehearsed. And it's not like he was being interviewed by "Time" or "Rolling Stone" hoping to get the cover.

 

Very interesting reading. It would be nice to hear Simon's version, too, but that's not likely to happen.

 

It's weird that almost everyone here is quick to assume that the above story is 100% fact. All we are reading is one side.

 

This is so depressing. I love "Graceland" and Los Lobos is easily one of my favorite bands. I don't doubt this story at all, especially since Paul Simon had to give credit to the African artists he ripped off. Listening to that song, how could anybody NOT think that is a classic Los Lobos song, from the lyrics to the music?

 

True, but I really don't see what reason Berlin would have to lie about it. It reflects badly on Simon, Lenny Waronker and Mo Ostin. And, to a lesser degree, it makes him look like a chump for agreeing to work with Simon for free.

Plus, I've heard so many stories like this (the Stones have pulled japes like this more than once) that it has the ring of truth to it. Some artists just don't like to share credit, and are quite ruthless about it.

 

Yes, I tend to agree with this take on the interview too, there's always two sides to a story. But some how I don't think we will ever hear Paul Simon's version of what took place over the two days in the studio.
But one thing that worries me is PS attitude towards Los Lobos when they confronted him over the song........allegedly

 

If you got ripped off, I don't think you'd appreciate being told to take a chill pill. And why the heck should he take a chill pill? To make you feel better?

 

I believe it because Berlin can't do himself any good professionally by telling this story. The politic thing to do would be to not tell it. He's pissed and the question pulled the scab off.