Paul Simon's One-Trick Pony is a record released to coincide with the movie of the same name, in which Simon also stars. Although considered a soundtrack to the movie, the original album did not contain some songs from the movie; likewise there are some songs from the album that are not in the movie. The record is best known for the track "Late in the Evening" which was a hit for Simon in 1980, peaking at #6 in the U.S. Two of the tracks (the title song and "Ace in the Hole") were recorded live at the Agora Theatre and Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio in September 1979. The rest are studio cuts.
The record features several top session musicians (who also appeared in the movie as the character Jonah's backing band), including Eric Gale on lead guitar, Richard Tee on piano, Tony Levin on bass, and Steve Gadd on drums.
In 2004, "One-Trick Pony" was remastered and re-released by Warner Bros. Records. This reissue contains four bonus tracks in addition to the original ten songs: two songs which originally appeared in the movie but not the album "Soft Parachutes" and "Spiral Highway (an early version of "How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns")", an outtake "All Because of You" (an early version of "Oh Marion"), and "Stranded in a Limousine", which originally appeared on the 1977 compilation Greatest Hits, Etc.
Miscellanea
The Victoria, B.C. band Immaculate Machine takes their name from the lyrics
of the track "One-Trick Pony".
Douglas Adams' novel, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, was dedicated
to this album.
The film has yet to have an official DVD release.
Track listing
"Late in the Evening"
"That's Why God Made the Movies"
"One-Trick Pony"
"How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns"
"Oh, Marion"
"Ace in the Hole"
"Nobody"
"Jonah"
"God Bless the Absentee"
"Long, Long Day (with Patti Austin)"
Personnel
Paul Simon - vocals, guitar, percussion
John Tropea - acoustic guitar
Patti Austin - vocals
Joe Beck - electric guitar
Michael Brecker - saxophone
Hiram Bullock - electric guitar
Jon Faddis - flugelhorn
Don Grolnick - synthesizer
David Sanborn - saxophone
Marvin Stamm - trumpet
Ralph MacDonald - percussion
Randy Brecker - trumpet
Dave Grusin - horn & string arrangements
Gordon Edwards - bass
Steve Gadd - drums, percussion
Eric Gale - guitar
Lani Groves - background vocals
Anthony Jackson - bass
Tony Levin - bass
Irwin "Marky" Markowitz - trumpet
Hugh McCracken - acoustic guitar
Jeff Mironov - electric guitar
Richard Tee - piano, tambourine, background vocals
Bob Friedman - horn & string arrangements