1997 studio album by Paul Simon
Songs from The Capeman is the ninth solo studio album by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon , released in 1997 by Warner Bros. Records . His first new studio album of original materials in seven years, it contains Simon's own performances of songs from the Broadway musical he wrote and produced called The Capeman , augmented by members of the original cast. The songs retell the story of Salvador Agron , who was known as the "Capeman". A departure musically from his earlier work, the album features doo-wop , rock and roll and Puerto Rican rhythms , and a number of songs contain explicit lyrics, a first for Simon. The stage show was a commercial flop, losing $11 million, and the album did not sell well.[ 1] It peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200 , the lowest chart position in Simon's career at the time.
Track listing
All songs written by Paul Simon , with lyrics co-written by Derek Walcott .
"Adios Hermanos" – 4:42
"Born in Puerto Rico" – 4:54
"Satin Summer Nights" – 5:46
"Bernadette" – 3:28
"The Vampires" – 5:06
"Quality" – 4:10
"Can I Forgive Him" – 6:02
"Sunday Afternoon" – 3:25
"Killer Wants to Go to College" – 1:51
"Time Is an Ocean" – 5:24
"Virgil" – 2:50
"Killer Wants to Go to College II" – 2:10
"Trailways Bus" – 5:15
Personnel
Credits adapted from CD liner notes.[ 4]
Musicians
Paul Simon – lead vocal (1–13), acoustic guitar (2–4, 7–13), background vocal (3–4, 6), hi string guitar (4, 8)
Marc Anthony – lead vocal (3, 10)
Rubén Blades – lead vocal (10)
Ednita Nazario – lead vocal (8)
Briz – background vocal (1, 3)
Myrna Lynn Gomila – background vocal (1, 3–4, 6), duo vocal (3, 6)
Karen Bernod – background vocal (1, 3)
Renee Connell-Adams – background vocal (1, 3)
DeWayne Snipe – background vocal (1, 3)
Kia Jeffries – background vocal (1, 3)
Ed Vasquez – background vocal (1, 3)
Derrick James – background vocal (1, 3)
Oriente Lopez – organ (1), flute (2, 8, 10), Fender Rhodes (13)
Danny Rivera – coro vocal (2)
Ray De La Paz – background vocal (2, 4)
Nestor Sanchez – background vocal (2)
Oscar Hernández – piano (2, 5, 8, 10), synthesizer (2, 4), celeste (4), vibes (4), glockenspiel (4)
Nelson González – tres (2), plenaro (2)
Edgardo Miranda – cuatro (2–3)
Vincent Nguini – guitar (2, 4, 10, 13)
John Beal – bass guitar (2, 4)
Robby Ameen – drums (2, 4, 10), guitar case kick drum (4)
Bobby Allende – bongos (2), cymbal (2), bell tree (4)
Marc Quiñones – timbales (2), congas (2), cua (2)
David Rodriguez – first trumpet solo (2), trumpet (10)
Ray Vega – second trumpet solo (2), trumpet (5), trumpet solo (5)
Juliet Hafner – viola (2, 10)
Stewart Rose – French horn (2)
Marcia Butler – oboe (2)
Teana Rodriguez – background vocal (3–4, 6), duo vocal (6)
Edgar Stewart – background vocal (3)
David Mann – tenor saxophone (3), baritone saxophone (3)
Milton Cardona – background vocal (4–5), bongos (8), maracas (8), claves (8), conga (9), guira (9)
Kevin Harrison – background vocal (4)
Paul Livant – guitar (4)
Bill Holloman – tenor saxophone (4, 12), trumpet (13)
Horace Ott – piano (4, 9)
Angelo Aponte – background vocal (5)
Hechter Ubarry – background vocal (5)
David Davila – background vocal (5)
Hans Giraldo – background vocal (5)
Luis Marrero – background vocal (5)
Angel Ramirez – background vocal (5)
Robert Vargas – background vocal (5)
Bernie Minoso – bass guitar (5)
Edwin Montalvo – congas (5)
Johnny Andrews – timbales (5)
Pablo Nuñez – bongos (5), cowbell (5)
John Walsh – trumpet (5)
Luis Lopéz – trombone (5)
Mitch Frohman – tenor saxophone (5)
Pablo Calogero – baritone saxophone (5), bass clarinet (10)
Frank Negron – falsetto lead vocals (6)
Bobby Bright – background vocal (6)
Sean Pulley – background vocal (6)
Trent Sutton – background vocal (6)
Dionte Sutton – background vocal (6)
Wallace Richardson – guitar (6)
Paul Griffin – piano (6)
Jay Leonhart – bass guitar (6)
Jimmy Sabater – conga (6), cowbell (6)
Richard Crooks – drums (6)
Chris Eminizer – tenor saxophone (6)
Saturnino Laboy – acoustic guitar (8)
Diomedes Matos – acoustic guitar (8)
Rubén Rodriguez – bass guitar (8, 10)
Laura Bontrager – cello (8, 10)
Harper Simon – guitar (9, 11–12), harmonica (9)
Arlen Roth – guitar (9, 11–13), acoustic guitar solo (13)
Tony Garnier – bass guitar (9, 11–12)
Shannon Ford – drums (9, 11–13)
Steve Cropper – guitar (10)
Bob Franceschini – soprano saxophone (10)
Barry Danielian – flugel (10)
Ozzie Melendez – trombone (10)
Krista Feeney – violin (10)
Paul Peabody – violin (10)
Vic Miles – interviewer (12)
Salvador Agron – interview subject (12)
Sara Ramirez – vocal (13)
Robby Turner – pedal steel (13)
Bakithi Kumalo – bass guitar (13)
Mike Ramos – accordion (13)
Crusher Bennett – shaker (13)
Technical
Paul Simon – producer
Oscar Hernández – associate producer; horn arrangement (5)
Roy Halee – associate producer; additional production (6, 13), background vocal engineer (1, 3)
Stanley Silverman – orchestration (2, 10), orchestral conductor (8)
Oriente Lopez – horn arrangement (10)
Andy Smith – engineer, mixing
Bob Ludwig – mastering
Rob Murphy – second engineer
Greg Pinto – second engineer
Ethan Schofer – assistant engineer
Mark Johnson – assistant engineer
Pete Matthews – assistant engineer
Frank Olinsky – design
Bob Crowley – cover art
Nitin Vadukul – photo of Paul Simon
Sigrid Nama – photo of Derek Walcott and Paul Simon
Charts
References
^ a b Songs from The Capeman at AllMusic
^ Browne, David (November 21, 1997). "Songs from The Capeman" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2 January 2022 .
^ DeCurtis, Anthony (14 November 1997). "Songs From The Capeman" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2 January 2022 .
^ Songs from The Capeman (CD liner notes). Burbank, California : Warner Bros. Records . 1997. 9 46814-2.
^ "Ultratop.be – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved May 26, 2023.
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman" . Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman" . Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Paul Simon – Songs From The Capeman" . Hung Medien. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved May 26, 2023.
^ "Paul Simon Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved May 31, 2023.
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