Year ofRelease: 1997 -Record Label: Eagle Rock Catalogue No: VALG-1037 Country
of Origin: Japan 
DVD: Eagle Vision EREDV010
Aired in US by VH1 TV on Apr 4 1997
Released as home video in 1997
Released as DVD in 2001
Director: Jeremy Marre
Producer: Nick de Grunwald and Bous de Jong
75 minutes
Making-of Graceland album filmed in the 10th anniversary of the release
Paul Simon's 1986 album Graceland is a landmark record. Recorded in New York and South Africa, Graceland not only sold 14 million copies, was named Album of the years in 1986 Grammy Awards, but also brought the sound of Sound of South Africa music to audience around the world.
Graceland began when Paul Simon and engineer Roy Halee went on a reconnaissance trip in 1985 to South Africa where he was introduced to many musicians . These sessions led quite quickly to the creation of some powerful rhythm tracks, which Paul Simon brought back to New York.
For Mounths , Paul Simon worked incessantly, creating what emerged as new kind of song, merging African rhythms with his own personal perspective on what he had experinced. He brought the key African musicians to New York and London to complete the recording, later touring with them.
When released in the autumn of 1986, Graceland soared to number three in the US album charts and topped the UK and South African Charts for many Weeks.
The dramatic story of Graceland is told here, both in Paul Simon's own words, in those of engineer and long time associate Roy Halee and those of fellow musicians Joseph Shabalala, Ray Phiri and Bakithi Kumalo. Linda Ronstadt ( who along with the Everly Brothers sang on the Graceland sessions ) also contributes, as well as composer Philip Glass.
There is also electrifying footage of Simon performing songs from album, including the tittle track " Graceland" Under African Skies" " Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes " plus footage from the distinctive videos of You can Call me Al and The Boy In The Bubble.
This acclaimed film shows how a career setback for Paul Simon precipitaled the inspiration for Graceland, how he learned so much from the South African musicians he met and how by collaborating with them a triumphant album was created. In Paul Simon's own words : " That was what Graceland had - an unusual degree of understanding amongst people who had just met."