Paul Simon for Hurricane Katrina victims. The pair performed together in April 2010 in New Orleans at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. After Simon and Garfunkel split in 1970, Simon began writing and recording solo material again. His album "Paul Simon" was released in January 1972, preceded by his first experiment with world music, the Jamaican-inspired "Mother and Child Reunion". The single was a hit, reaching both the American and British Top 5. The album received universal acclaim, with critics praising the variety of styles and the confessional lyrics, reaching No. 4 in the U.S. and No. 1 in the
Women and Captains First "something we could do something a bit weird with" and ended up choosing “Happy Talk” from his parents’ record collection. When A&M heard the finished recording they "smelled a hit", according to Sensible. Initially, he wouldn't let them release it as a single. "Well, until they lied that a well-known artist from a big label was doing their own version and I'd lose my guaranteed number 1. So I said yes." Released as the album's first single in June 1982, “Happy Talk” topped the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in July. The success of the single launched Sensible's solo