Mother and Child Reunion
Encyclopedia
"Mother and Child Reunion" is a song by Paul Simon
on his album, Paul Simon
(1972), his first solo album after Bridge Over Troubled Water
. It was released as a single on February 5, 1972, reaching #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
charts, and was one of the earliest songs by a white musician to feature prominent elements of reggae
.
The song was inspired by Simon's grief over the death of his family's dog, while he has said that title has its origin in a chicken-and-egg dish called "Mother and Child Reunion" that Simon saw on a Chinese restaurant
's menu. James Benninghof writes that Simon predicts the title event, the "mother and child reunion," while the second verse describes the effect of what happened on "the strange and mournful day," but without making clear what it was.
The song was recorded in Jamaica
with singer Jimmy Cliff
's backing group. Guitarist Huks ("Hux") Brown and bass guitarist Jackie Jackson were also long-time members of reggae legends Toots & the Maytals
. Cissy Houston
, mother of singer Whitney Houston
, sang background vocals on this song.
sang this song in the 1985 animated television special A Chipmunk Reunion
when they were on a search for their biological mother.
"Mother and Child Reunion" was featured on The Simpsons
19th season episode "Mona Leaves-a
" in which Homer's mother, Mona Simpson, dies, and also on the episode "My Mother the Carjacker
" from season 15, during a montage of Mona catching up on Homer's missed childhood.
It was used in the fourth episode of the American version of Life on Mars
, as well as the second season episode of The Sopranos
, "Do Not Resuscitate
".
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
on his album, Paul Simon
Paul Simon (album)
Paul Simon is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon as a solo artist. . It was released in January 1972, nearly two years after he split up with longtime musical partner Art Garfunkel...
(1972), his first solo album after Bridge Over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge Over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by Simon & Garfunkel. Released on January 26, 1970 on both Quadraphonic and Stereo formats, it reached No. 1 on Billboard Music Charts pop albums list...
. It was released as a single on February 5, 1972, reaching #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts, and was one of the earliest songs by a white musician to feature prominent elements of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
.
The song was inspired by Simon's grief over the death of his family's dog, while he has said that title has its origin in a chicken-and-egg dish called "Mother and Child Reunion" that Simon saw on a Chinese restaurant
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
's menu. James Benninghof writes that Simon predicts the title event, the "mother and child reunion," while the second verse describes the effect of what happened on "the strange and mournful day," but without making clear what it was.
The song was recorded in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
with singer Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
's backing group. Guitarist Huks ("Hux") Brown and bass guitarist Jackie Jackson were also long-time members of reggae legends Toots & the Maytals
Toots & the Maytals
Toots and the Maytals, originally called simply The Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group and one of the best known ska and reggae vocal groups. According to Sandra Brennan at Allmusic, "The Maytals were key figures in reggae music...
. Cissy Houston
Cissy Houston
Emily "Cissy" Houston is a Grammy Award–winning American soul and gospel singer. She led a very successful career as a backup singer for such artists as Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Wishbone Ash and Aretha Franklin, and is now primarily a solo artist...
, mother of singer Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, sang background vocals on this song.
Personnel
- Lead Vocal: Paul Simon
- Drums: Winston Grennan
- Lead guitar: Hux Brown
- Organ: Neville Hinds
- Bass guitar: Jackie Jackson
- EP: Larry Knechtel
- Percussion: Denzil Laing
- Rhythm guitar: Wallace Wilson
- Backup singers: Cissy Houston, Von Eva Sims, Renelle Stafford, Deirdre Tuck
In media
Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
sang this song in the 1985 animated television special A Chipmunk Reunion
A Chipmunk Reunion
A Chipmunk Reunion is a 1985 animated special produced by Bagdasarian Productions, in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises, and is spun off of NBC's popular animated series, Alvin & the Chipmunks, starring The Chipmunks and The Chipettes....
when they were on a search for their biological mother.
"Mother and Child Reunion" was featured on The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
19th season episode "Mona Leaves-a
Mona Leaves-a
"Mona Leaves-a" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season, and was first broadcast on May 11, 2008. The episode features the death of Homer's mother, Mona Simpson. Homer is reunited with his mother, Mona, but isn't willing to forgive her for all the times she left him as a child...
" in which Homer's mother, Mona Simpson, dies, and also on the episode "My Mother the Carjacker
My Mother the Carjacker
"My Mother the Carjacker" is the second episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season and first aired on November 9, 2003. Homer receives a cryptic message in the newspaper informing him to come to a certain place at midnight, and soon discovers that the person who wrote the message is his mother, Mona...
" from season 15, during a montage of Mona catching up on Homer's missed childhood.
It was used in the fourth episode of the American version of Life on Mars
Life on Mars (U.S. TV series)
Life on Mars was a science fiction crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series of the same name produced by the BBC...
, as well as the second season episode of The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, "Do Not Resuscitate
Do Not Resuscitate (The Sopranos episode)
"Do Not Resuscitate" is the fifteenth episode of the HBO original series "The Sopranos" and the second of the show's second season. It was written by Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess and Frank Renzulli, directed by Martin Bruestle and originally aired on Sunday, January 23, 2000.-Starring:* James...
".
Charts
| Chart (1972) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 5 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 6 |
| German Singles Chart | 23 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 15 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart | 5 |
| US Hot 100 Singles Chart | 4 |
Further reading
- Lacitis, Erik (October 7, 1986). "Dig It: 254 Nonstop Hits! (This Offer is Not Available in Many Stores)," The Seattle TimesThe Seattle TimesThe Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
.