Editing Simon & Garfunkel (section)

===1969–1970: Growing apart and final album===
''Bookends'', alongside the ''Graduate'' soundtrack, made Simon & Garfunkel the biggest rock duo in the world.<ref name="Eliot93" /> Simon was approached by producers to write music for films or license songs; he turned down [[Franco Zeffirelli]], who was preparing to film ''[[Brother Sun, Sister Moon]]'', and [[John Schlesinger]], who was preparing to film ''[[Midnight Cowboy]]''.<ref name="Eliot93" /> In addition to [[Cinema in the United States|Hollywood]] proposals, Simon declined a request by producers from the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] show ''[[Jimmy Shine]]'' (starring Simon's friend [[Dustin Hoffman]], also the lead in ''Midnight Cowboy'').<ref name="Eliot94">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/paulsimonlife0000elio|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/paulsimonlife0000elio/page/94 94]|date=2010|author=Marc Eliot|title=Paul Simon: A Life|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn= 978-0-470-43363-8}}</ref> He collaborated briefly with [[Leonard Bernstein]] on a sacred [[Mass (Bernstein)|mass]] before withdrawing from the project due to "finding it perhaps too far afield from his comfort zone".<ref name="Eliot94" />

Mike Nichols, director of ''The Graduate'', was impressed by the duo's performance styles and asked them both to play parts in his next film, ''Catch-22''.  Garfunkel was cast as Captain [[Nately]], and Simon as the character of Dunbar.  But the screenwriter, [[Buck Henry]], felt the film was already crowded with characters and wrote Simon's part out.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1-dDFQj3gwC&pg=PT317|page=27|title=Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Bittersweet Story Of 1970|author=David Browne|publisher=Da Capo Press|date= 2012|isbn=9780306822131}}</ref><ref name="Ebel52">{{cite book |author=Roswitha Ebel | title= Paul Simon: seine Musik, sein Leben |trans-title=Paul Simon: His Music, His Life |publisher=epubli | date= 2004 | isbn= 978-3-937729-00-8 | language= de | pages=52–53}}</ref> Garfunkel left to begin filming in Mexico in January 1969 (the subject of the song, ''[[The Only Living Boy in New York]]'').  Simon remained behind and prepared for the recording of their next album after filming ended.<ref name="Ebel52" /> But the film's production lasted longer than expected, forcing Garfunkel to return to the studio intermittently.<ref name="Calley obit">{{cite web|last=Hayward|first=Anthony|title=John Calley: Film producer who made 'Catch-22' and successfully headed three major studios|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-calley-film-producer-who-made-lsquocatch22rsquo-and-successfully-headed-three-major-studios-2365494.html|work=Obituaries|publisher=The Independent|access-date=August 13, 2012|date=October 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Patrick Humphries|title=Bookends: The Simon and Garfunkel Story|year=1982|publisher=Proteus Books|isbn=978-0-86276-063-2|page=65}}</ref> The resulting frictions exacerbated existing tensions in the duo's relationship;<ref name="Ebel52" /> Simon wrote in his memoir: "I think if Artie had become a big movie star he would have left. Instead of just being the guy who sang Paul Simon songs, he could be Art Garfunkel, a big star all by himself … This made me think about how I could still be the guy who wrote songs and sing them. I didn't need Artie."<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=November 11, 2024 |title='I was a fool': Art Garfunkel describes tearful reunion with Paul Simon |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/11/i-was-a-fool-art-garfunkel-describes-tearful-reunion-with-paul-simon |access-date=November 11, 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Following the end of filming in October, the first performance of what was planned to be the last Simon & Garfunkel tour took place in [[Ames, Iowa]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Roswitha Ebel | title= Paul Simon: seine Musik, sein Leben |trans-title=Paul Simon: His Music, His Life |publisher=epubli | date= 2004 | isbn= 978-3-937729-00-8 | language= de | pages=64, 673}}</ref> The US leg ended in the sold-out [[Carnegie Hall]] on November 27.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.paul-simon.info/PHP/listconcerts.php?tour=18 |title=Paul Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled waters tour |publisher=Paul-simon.info |access-date=July 16, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Roswitha Ebel | title= Paul Simon: seine Musik, sein Leben |trans-title=Paul Simon: His Music, His Life |publisher=epubli | date= 2004 | isbn= 978-3-937729-00-8 | language= de | page=65}}</ref> Meanwhile, the duo, working with director [[Charles Grodin]], produced an hourlong [[CBS]] special, ''Songs of America'', a mixture of scenes featuring notable political events and leaders concerning the US, such as the [[Vietnam War]], [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], [[John F. Kennedy]]'s funeral procession, [[Cesar Chavez]] and the [[Poor People's March]]. It was broadcast only once, due to tension at the network regarding its content.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/paulsimonlife0000elio|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/paulsimonlife0000elio/page/107 107]|date=2010|author=Marc Eliot|title=Paul Simon: A Life|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn= 978-0-470-43363-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Roswitha Ebel | title= Paul Simon: seine Musik, sein Leben |trans-title=Paul Simon: His Music, His Life |publisher=epubli | date= 2004 | isbn= 978-3-937729-00-8| language= de | pages=63–64}}</ref> The BBC said that "one million viewers responded by turning the dial and watching the figure skating on [[NBC]] instead."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200122-the-forgotten-political-roots-of-bridge-over-troubled-water|title = The forgotten political roots of Bridge over Troubled Water}}</ref>

''[[Bridge over Troubled Water]]'', Simon & Garfunkel's final studio album, was released in January 1970 and charted in over 11 countries, topping the charts in 10, including the ''Billboard'' Top LP's chart in the US and the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref name="Charting">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/bridge-over-troubled-water-mw0000191730/awards |title=Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel : Awards |publisher=Rovi Corporation|work=Allmusic |access-date=July 16, 2012}}</ref><ref name="ukchart2">{{cite web|title=The Official Charts Company – Album chart for 19/11/2011 |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/archive/official-albums-chart/ |access-date=February 4, 2012}}</ref> It was the best-selling album in 1970, 1971 and 1972 and was at that time [[List of best-selling albums|the best-selling album of all time]].<ref name="Ebel68">{{cite book |author=Roswitha Ebel | title= Paul Simon: seine Musik, sein Leben |trans-title=Paul Simon: His Music, His Life |publisher=epubli | date= 2004 | isbn= 978-3-937729-00-8| language= de | page=68}}</ref> It was also [[CBS Records International|CBS Records]]' best-selling album before the release of [[Michael Jackson]]'s ''[[Thriller (Michael Jackson album)|Thriller]]'' in 1982.<ref>R. Serge Denisoff (1988). ''Inside MTV'', Transaction Publishers, p.&nbsp;117</ref> The album topped the ''Billboard'' charts for 10 weeks and stayed in the charts for 85 weeks.<ref name="Ebel68" /> In the United Kingdom, the album topped the charts for 35 weeks, and spent 285 weeks in the top 100, from 1970 to 1975.<ref name="Ebel68" /> It has since sold over 25 million copies worldwide.<ref name="UK retail sales">{{cite web| url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/assets/files/top%2040%20albums.pdf| title=BPI Highest Retail Sales| publisher=British Phonographic Industry| access-date=December 26, 2009| archive-date=March 3, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191500/http://www.bpi.co.uk/assets/files/top%2040%20albums.pdf| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Bridge over Troubled Water 25 million copies">{{cite news |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/music/news/article.cfm?c_id=264&objectid=10564668 |title=Simon and Garfunkel heading to NZ |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=April 2, 2009|access-date=April 18, 2009}}</ref> "[[Bridge over Troubled Water (song)|Bridge over Troubled Water]]", the lead single, reached number one in five countries and became the duo's biggest seller.<ref name="rs" /> The song has been covered by over 50 artists,<ref>{{cite book|author=Chris Charlesworth|author-link=Chris Charlesworth|year=1997|title=The Complete Guide to the Music of Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel|page=49|publisher= Omnibus Press}}</ref> including [[Elvis Presley]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[Aretha Franklin]], [[Jim Nabors]], [[Charlotte Church]], [[Maynard Ferguson]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[Roy Orbison]], [[Michael W. Smith]], [[Josh Groban]], and [[The Mormon Tabernacle Choir]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/paulsimonlife0000elio|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/paulsimonlife0000elio/page/103 103]|date=2010|author=Marc Eliot|title=Paul Simon: A Life|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn= 978-0-470-43363-8}}</ref> "[[Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel song)|Cecilia]]", the follow-up, reached number four in the US, and "[[El Cóndor Pasa (song)|El Condor Pasa]]" hit number 18.<ref name="rs" /> A brief British tour followed the album release, and the duo's last concert as Simon & Garfunkel took place at [[West Side Tennis Club|Forest Hills Stadium]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/paulsimonlife0000elio|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/paulsimonlife0000elio/page/112 112]|date=2010|author=Marc Eliot|title=Paul Simon: A Life|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn= 978-0-470-43363-8}}</ref> In 1971, the album won six awards at the [[13th Annual Grammy Awards]], including [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]].<ref name=awards />