The Concert in Central Park concert in Central Park had been proposed by Parks Commissioner Gordon Davis and promoter Ron Delsener. Television channel HBO agreed to carry the concert, and worked with Delsener to decide on Simon and Garfunkel as the appropriate act for this event. Besides hit songs from their years as a duo, their set-list included material from their solo careers, and covers. The show consisted of 21 songs, though two were not used in the live album. Among the songs performed were the classics "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", and "The Boxer"; the event concluded with a reprise of Simon's song,
The Concert in Central Park the crowd, "Let's have our own fireworks!" Many spectators sparked lighters. The duo then introduced the members of the backing band and gave a final encore, a reprise of "Late in the Evening". Encore Encore A recording of the concert was released five months later, on February 16, 1982. The audio tracks were processed in postproduction, but "Rolling Stone" magazine wrote that they were not completely polished, and preserved the roar and the fuzziness of live rock music heard through a loudspeaker. Two songs were not included on the album: the interrupted "Late Great Johnny Ace", and the encore reprise