Scissors Cut

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Scissors Cut is the fifth solo studio album by Art Garfunkel released in August 1981 on Columbia Records. It was his second album to miss the US Billboard Top 40 and his second album containing no US Top 40 singles. The month following its release, Garfunkel would reunite with former partner, Paul Simon, for their famous 1981 Concert in Central Park.

History

In August 1981, Garfunkel released his fifth solo album Scissors Cut (U.S. #113, U.K. #51). This album included the Gallagher & Lyle hit "A Heart in New York" (U.S. #61). The U.K. version contains the track "The Romance" rather than "Bright Eyes." The album was co-produced by Roy Halee, who also co-produced the Simon & Garfunkel albums, including Bridge over Troubled Water. Paul Simon makes a brief appearance on "In Cars" performing background vocals. Near the end of the song, Art sings, rather mystically, lines from "Girl From The North Country" ("Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine" which itself comes from "Scarborough Fair" - an old English ballad covered by Simon and Garfunkel on the album "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" - a lyric extracted from this song.) The album is dedicated to Laurie Bird and includes a partial photograph of her on the rear cover.

Garfunkel was devastated by Bird's death in his New York apartment in June 1979 while he was in Europe filming Bad Timing. Garfunkel was quoted at the time, "Laurie was the greatest thing I ever knew in my life, now I've lost it." In 1988, he added, "I took her death terribly and remained moody over it through much of the 80's." He became somewhat of a recluse following the tragedy and wouldn't release another album until 1986's The Animals' Christmas with Amy Grant.

Track listing

Side One

1. "A Heart in New York" (Benny Gallagher, Graham Lyle) – 3:13
2. "Scissors Cut" (Jimmy Webb) – 3:49
3. "Up in the World" (Clifford T. Ward) – 2:16
4. "Hang On In" (Norman Sallitt) – 3:46
5. "So Easy to Begin" (Jules Shear) – 2:56

Side Two

1. "Bright Eyes" (Mike Batt) – 3:55
   (Replaced with "The Romance" on U.K./Japan release)
2. "Can't Turn My Heart Away" (John Jarvis, Eric Kaz) – 4:22
3. "The French Waltz" (Adam Mitchell) – 2:12
4. "In Cars" (Jimmy Webb) – 3:47
5. "That's All I've Got to Say (Theme from The Last Unicorn)" (Jimmy Webb) – 1:54

Personnel

Music

• Art Garfunkel – vocals
• Lisa Garber – vocals
• Tommy Vig – vibraphone, background vocals
• John Jarvis – piano
• Lew Soloff – flugelhorn, trumpet
• David Campbell – strings
• Joe Osborn – bass
• Pete Carr – guitar
• Tony Levin – bass
• Paul Simon – guitar, vocals
• Andrew Gold – guitar, vocals

• Teo Macero – conductor
• Roland Harker – lute
• Rick Shlosser – drums
• Dean Parks – guitar
• Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
• Jeffrey Staton – guitar, vocals
• Errol "Crusher" Bennett – percussion
• Ray Cooper – percussion
• Rob Mounsey – synthesizer
• Scott Chambers – bass
• Michael Boddicker – synthesizer

• Rick Marotta – drums
• Del Newman – strings
• Michael Staton – guitar
• Leah Kunkel – vocals
• Jimmy Webb – keyboards
• Chris Spedding – guitar
• Russ Kunkel – drums
• Eugene Orloff – concert master
• Larry Knechtel – keyboards
• Graham Lyle – guitar

Production

• Roy Halee – producer, engineer
• Art Garfunkel – producer
• Mike Batt – producer
• Terry Rosiello – mixing
• Greg Calbi – mastering
• John Berg – design
• Anthony Loew – artwork