One-Trick Pony, Paul Simon's fifth solo studio album, was released in 1980. It was Simon's first album for Warner Bros. Records, and his first new studio album since 1975's Still CrazyAfter All These Years. His back catalog from Columbia Records would also move to Warner Bros. as a result of his signing with the label. Paul Simon's One-Trick Pony was released concurrently with the film of the same name, in which Simon also starred. Despite their similarities, the album and film are musically distinct: each features different versions of the same songs, as well as certain songs that appear exclusively on either the film or the album. The album is best known for the Grammy-nominated track "Late in the Evening" which was a hit for Simon in 1980, peaking at No. 6 in the United States. The title track was also released as a single and became a U.S. Top 40 hit. Both songs were also Top 20 hits on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart. Two of the tracks were recorded live at the Agora Theatre and Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio in September 1979. The rest are studio cuts. Several session musicians appearing on the album also appeared in the movie as the character Jonah's backing band: Eric Gale on lead guitar, Richard Tee on piano, Tony Levin on bass, and Steve Gadd on drums. Simon toured Europe and America in 1980 with this band in support of the album, with one concert from Philadelphia recorded on video and released on VHS under the title "Paul Simon in Concert", then subsequently on DVD under 2 different titles for the same concert footage. In 2004, One-Trick Pony was remastered and re-released by Warner Bros. Records. This reissue contains four bonus tracks, including "Soft Parachutes" and "Spiral Highway" both of which were featured in the film but were missing from the original album release. Also included in the re-release were the outtake of "All Because of You" and "Stranded in a Limousine", which originally appeared on the 1977 compilation Greatest Hits, Etc..
Album title
The title is a colloquial American expression meaning a person specializing in only one area, having only one talent, or of limited ability.
Track listing
All songs were written by Paul Simon. ;Side one ;Side two ;2004 re-release
Eric Gale – electric guitar, nylon string guitar on "How the Heart Approaches What it Yearns"
Richard Tee – Fender Rhodes, piano on "God Bless the Absentee" and "Stranded in a Limousine", tambourine, background vocals and co-lead vocal on "Ace in the Hole"
Tony Levin – bass guitar on all songs except where noted
Steve Gadd – drums on all songs, percussion on "Stranded in a Limousine"
Patti Austin – vocals
Joe Beck – electric guitar on "Long Long Day"
Hiram Bullock – slide guitar on "That's Why God Made the Movies"
