Maps of Music

Breakaway (1975)

Where the lyrics of Breakaway take you, and where it was really made.

Garfunkel's most successful solo album peaked at number 7 in the United States, below his first solo album, yet it still went platinum.

Key places

Recorded in Los Angeles at The Village Recorder (1975)

Recording site Village Recorders — The Village Recorder is listed among the Los Angeles recording locations for this album. The source does not say which tracks were recorded there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded in Los Angeles at Cherokee Recording Studios (1975)

Recording site Cherokee Studios — Cherokee Recording Studios is listed among the Los Angeles recording locations for this album. The source does not say which tracks were recorded there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded in New York at Record Plant (1975)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Record Plant is listed among the New York recording locations for this album. The point is set at the city centre, so the exact building is not confirmed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded in London at AIR Studios (1975)

Recording site AIR Studios — AIR Studios is listed among the London recording locations for this album. The source does not say which tracks were recorded there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

'My Little Town' recorded at Muscle Shoals (1975)

Recording site Muscle Shoals Sound Studio — 'My Little Town' was recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, according to the track credits. The place is listed as the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Cover photo shot at Dan Tana's (1975)

Album cover Troubadour — The cover photo was taken at a staged photo shoot at Dan Tana's restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. Norman Seeff was the photographer. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Breakaway: second solo studio album by Art Garfunkel
• Released in 1975 on Columbia Records
• Produced by Richard Perry, who had also produced albums for Carly Simon and Ringo Starr
• Includes three Top 40 singles: 'I Only Have Eyes for You', 'Break Away' and 'My Little Town'
• Also issued in a 4-channel quadraphonic version on LP and 8-track tape, with the LP encoded in SQ matrix format

Background

• Follows Garfunkel's first solo album, Angel Clare
• 'I Only Have Eyes for You' reached US #18 and UK #1, his first UK number one single
• 'Break Away' reached US #39
• 'My Little Town' is a Simon & Garfunkel reunion duet with Paul Simon that peaked at #9
• 'My Little Town' was produced by Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel and Phil Ramone; the other tracks were produced by Richard Perry

Recording

• Sessions were held in Los Angeles, New York and London
• Los Angeles: Cherokee Recording Studios, Record Plant, The Village Recorder and A&M Recording Studios
• New York: Record Plant and The Hit Factory
• London: Marquee Studios and Air Studios
• 'My Little Town' was recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
• Mixing was done at Davlen Studios and Sound Labs in Los Angeles
• Session players include Larry Knechtel, Andrew Gold, Bill Payne, Joe Osborn and Russ Kunkel

Cover

• The cover is a Norman Seeff photograph taken at a staged photo shoot
• Pictured: actress Helena Kallianiotes on the left, Garfunkel in the middle, and Laurie Bird, who was then dating Garfunkel, on the right
• Speculation holds that the art inspired Leonard Cohen's 1977 cover for Death of a Ladies' Man, but neither artist nor their photographers have confirmed it

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Arthur Ira Garfunkel, born November 5, 1941 in Forest Hills, Queens, New York.
• Met Paul Simon in sixth grade at PS 164, both cast in an elementary school play, Alice in Wonderland.
• Performed as Tom & Jerry in the late 1950s, imitating the Everly Brothers' close two-part harmony; "Hey, Schoolgirl" reached number 49 on the pop charts in 1957.
• Studied at Columbia University, earning a bachelor's in art history in 1965 and a master's in mathematics education in 1967.

Career

• Simon & Garfunkel reformed in 1963; "The Sound of Silence" reached number one on the Billboard pop charts in 1965 after producer Tom Wilson added electric backing.
• Hits included "Mrs. Robinson" (written for The Graduate, 1967), "Scarborough Fair", "The Boxer" and "Bridge over Troubled Water".
• The duo split after Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), then reunited occasionally, including for "My Little Town" (1975) and The Concert in Central Park (1981).
• Solo: Angel Clare (1973), Breakaway (1975), Watermark (1977), and Fate for Breakfast (1979), which gave him his first UK number one with "Bright Eyes".
• Acted in Mike Nichols films Catch-22 (1970) and Carnal Knowledge (1971); nominated for a Golden Globe for the latter.
• Earned eight Grammy Awards in total, and he and Simon were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
• Reunited with Simon for a 2003 world tour, followed by a 2004 free concert at the Colosseum in Rome.
• Released Father and Son with his son Art Garfunkel Jr. in 2024; on April 10, 2023 he cancelled his remaining concert dates.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released in 1975 on Columbia Records
• Issued in both the usual 2-channel stereo version and a 4-channel quadraphonic version the same year
• The quadraphonic LP was encoded in the SQ matrix format and also came on 8-track tape

Records

• Peaked at number 7 in the United States
• Garfunkel's first solo album, Angel Clare, peaked higher at US #5
• Certified platinum by the RIAA
• 'I Only Have Eyes for You' reached US #18 and UK #1
• 'Break Away' reached US #39
• 'My Little Town', the Simon & Garfunkel reunion duet, peaked at #9
• Breakaway has proven to be Garfunkel's most successful solo album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The cover was shot at a staged photo shoot at Dan Tana's restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood
• Garfunkel's cover models were Helena Kallianiotes and Laurie Bird, who was then dating him
• 'My Little Town' was recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
• Paul Simon sings on 'My Little Town' and plays acoustic guitar on it
• The cover's link to Leonard Cohen's 1977 album art was never confirmed by either artist or their photographers

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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