"Slip Slidin' Away" is a 1977 song written and recorded by

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

which appears on his compilation album '' Greatest Hits, Etc.'' It was one of two new songs to appear on the album, the other being "Stranded in a Limousine". Backing vocals on the song are provided by

The Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys are an American vocal quartet. The classic and most well-known lineup of the group, which performed together for over 40 years, consisted of William Lee Golden (baritone), Duane Allen (lead), Richard Sterban (bass), and Joe ...

. The song was originally recorded and considered for Simon's 1975 album ''

Still Crazy After All These Years ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' is the fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, released on October 17, 1975, by Columbia Records. Recorded and released in 1975, the album produced four U.S. Top 40 hits: " 50 Way ...

'', but Simon decided not to include the song on the finished album. A demo version appears on the 2004 re-issue of the album. The song was also included on ''

Negotiations and Love Songs ''Negotiations and Love Songs'' is a compilation album of songs by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, released in 1988 by Warner Bros. Records. It consists of songs released from 1971 to 1986. The title of the compilation is taken from a ...

'' (1988). ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' found the melody to be "catchy" and the lyrics to be "sensitive, thoughtful, melancholic and evocative." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that "the emotionally complex lyric works around the title, which serves as the song's memorable chorus line." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said that it "shows imon'sperception of adult problems and relationships to be undimmed." "Slip Slidin' Away" was released as a single in October 1977 and became a major hit, peaking at No. 5 on the

Billboard Pop Singles The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), on ...

chart. The song was regularly performed at both Simon's solo concerts and

Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number-one sing ...

concerts.

Personnel

– vocals, acoustic guitar *

Richard Tee Richard Edward Tee (born Richard Edward Ten Ryk; November 24, 1943 – July 21, 1993) was an American jazz fusion pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger, who had several hundred studio credits and played on such notable hits as " I'll B ...

–

Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...

* Anthony Jackson – bass guitar *

Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American jazz fusion drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and most highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction i ...

– drums *

Ralph MacDonald Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011) was an American percussionist, steelpan virtuoso, songwriter, musical arranger, and record producer. His compositions include " Where Is the Love", a Grammy Award winner for the due ...

–

temple block Temple blocks are a type of percussion instrument consisting of a set of woodblocks. It is descended from the muyu or wooden bell, an instrument originating from eastern Asia, where it is commonly used in religious ceremonies. Description It ...

triangle A triangle is a polygon with three corners and three sides, one of the basic shapes in geometry. The corners, also called ''vertices'', are zero-dimensional points while the sides connecting them, also called ''edges'', are one-dimension ...

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, thoug ...

shakers The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, more commonly known as the Shakers, are a Millenarianism, millenarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian sect founded in England and then organized in the Unit ...

– backing vocals

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1977 singles Songs written by Paul Simon Paul Simon songs Song recordings produced by Paul Simon Song recordings produced by Phil Ramone 1977 songs Columbia Records singles