It’s hard to imagine a world where Paul Simon is just a frustrated songwriter and Art Garfunkel is an architect or a math teacher. But in late 1964, that was basically the reality. Their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., didn't just "underperform." It flopped. It was a total ghost. It sold maybe 3,000 copies out of the gate, which, for a major label like Columbia Records, is essentially a rounding error.
They weren't "Simon & Garfunkel" yet, at least not in the way we think of them now. They were two kids from Queens who had already failed once as "Tom & Jerry." They were trying to be the next Kingston Trio or The Weavers.
What Really Happened with Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.
The album was recorded in March 1964. Produced by Tom Wilson—who, honestly, is the unsung hero of 60s folk-rock—the record is a weird, transitional artifact. It’s got one foot in the traditional folk revival and the other in the budding singer-songwriter movement. Most people think of this as the "Sound of Silence" album, but the version of that song on this record is a naked, acoustic skeletal thing. No drums. No electric guitar. Just two voices and an acoustic guitar.
When it hit shelves in October '64, nobody cared.
The Beatles were busy conquering the planet. The British Invasion had turned acoustic folk into something that felt, well, old. Simon and Garfunkel looked like choirboys in a world that suddenly wanted rockers. Paul Simon was so discouraged he packed his bags and moved to England, playing small clubs and crashing on sofas. Artie went back to school. For all intents and purposes, the duo was dead.
The Tracklist That Confused Everyone
If you listen to the record today, it’s a bit of a sonic mess. You’ve got traditional spirituals like "Go Tell It on the Mountain" sitting right next to "The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan. It felt like they were hedging their bets.
Paul Simon’s songwriting was still in its infancy here, though you can see the flashes of genius. "Bleecker Street" is gorgeous. It captures that foggy, lonely Greenwich Village vibe perfectly. But then you have "Benedictus," a literal 15th-century chant. It’s jarring. They were trying to prove they could sing anything, but they hadn't yet figured out what they should be singing.
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The cover art is iconic now—the two of them standing in the Fifth Avenue subway station—but back then, it just looked like two guys who took a wrong turn on their way to a library.
The Sound of Silence: The Remix That Changed History
You can’t talk about Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. without talking about how it was retroactively saved.
In 1965, while Paul was in Europe, Tom Wilson noticed that a radio station in Boston (and another in Florida) was starting to play "The Sound of Silence." People were calling in. They liked the lyrics. They liked the harmony. But Wilson knew the acoustic version was too thin for the 1965 ear.
Without telling Paul or Art, Wilson took the original master tape. He brought in some of the same session musicians who worked on Dylan’s "Like a Rolling Stone"—guys like Al Gorgoni and Vinnie Bell. They overdubbed electric guitars and drums onto the acoustic track.
That’s the version that went to Number 1.
When Paul Simon heard the "rock" version of his song while he was in England, he was reportedly horrified. But then it became a hit. Suddenly, Columbia Records wanted a new album. They pulled Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. out of the bargain bins, dusted it off, and it finally started selling. It eventually peaked at number 30 on the Billboard charts, years after it was actually released.
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A Masterclass in Harmony
Despite the identity crisis, the vocal performances on this album are objectively incredible. Art Garfunkel’s high tenor was at its peak.
Take a song like "Sparrow." It’s a fable-style lyric, very much in the vein of the folk tradition. The way their voices blend on the line "Who will write his epitaph?" is chilling. Even if the production felt dated by the time it hit the shelves, the raw talent was undeniable. They had a "blood harmony" despite not being related. It was a psychic connection.
Why the Critics Originally Hated It
Early reviews weren't kind. Critics felt they were too "pretty." In the 60s, folk music was supposed to be gritty and political. Simon and Garfunkel were... poetic. Delicate.
There’s a lot of "thee" and "thou" in the lyrics of the title track. "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." tells the story of a man watching his lover sleep before he has to go to jail for a robbery. It’s dramatic. Maybe a little melodramatic for some. But it showed Paul Simon’s interest in narrative songwriting. He wasn't just writing "I love you" songs; he was writing short stories.
The album also includes "He Was My Brother," which Simon wrote about his friend Andrew Goodman. Goodman was one of the three civil rights workers murdered in Mississippi in 1964. It’s one of the few truly "protest" style songs on the record, and it carries a weight that the traditional covers lack.
The Legacy of a "Failure"
Looking back, this album is the blueprint. Without the failure of Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., Paul Simon might never have gone to England. If he hadn't gone to England, he wouldn't have written the songs that populated Sounds of Silence and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
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Failure gave him space to grow.
It’s also a reminder that "overnight success" is usually a lie. These guys spent years grinding. They had to watch their debut album sink like a stone before they ever got a taste of real fame.
Honestly, the record is a bit of a time capsule. It’s the sound of the 1950s folk scene gasping its last breath before the psychedelia of the late 60s took over. It’s polite. It’s earnest. It’s a little bit naive. But it’s also undeniably beautiful.
Practical Insights for Vinyl Collectors and Fans
If you're looking to dive into this record today, don't expect Bridge Over Troubled Water. Expect something much more intimate.
- Listen to the Mono Mix: If you can find an original mono pressing, do it. The stereo mix from that era is notoriously "wide," with voices hard-panned to one side and instruments to the other. It’s distracting. The mono version feels much more cohesive.
- Context is Everything: Listen to this side-by-side with The Paul Simon Songbook. You’ll hear how these songs evolved when Simon was on his own in London.
- Spot the "Sound of Silence" Differences: Pay close attention to the acoustic version. Notice the phrasing. Without the drums, Paul’s guitar playing is much more rhythmic and driving. It’s a completely different emotional experience.
The album eventually went Gold. It took a while, but it got there. It stands as a testament to the fact that great songs usually find their way to the surface eventually, even if they have to wait for a rogue producer to add some drums and a funky electric guitar.
Moving Forward with the Music
To truly appreciate the evolution of Simon and Garfunkel, you have to start here. You can’t understand the sophistication of Bookends without hearing the sincerity of "Bleecker Street."
Next time you’re awake at 3 A.M. on a Wednesday, put the title track on. It hits differently in the dark. You can almost feel the cold New York subway tiles. You can hear the uncertainty in their voices. They didn't know they were going to be legends. They just knew they had made a record, and they were waiting for the world to notice.
Actionable Steps for Music History Buffs:
- Compare the 1964 acoustic "Sound of Silence" with the 1965 electric remix to understand how production can fundamentally change a song's "genre" and commercial viability.
- Track the development of Paul Simon’s lyrics from the literal storytelling of the title track to the more abstract imagery found in their later 1966 work.
- Seek out the 2001 remastered CD or digital versions which include three bonus tracks, including an early take of "Peggy-O," to see the different directions the duo almost took.