Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes

"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the fourth single from his seventh studio album, Graceland (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. The song features guest vocals from the South African male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"
Single by Paul Simon
from the album Graceland
B-side"I Know What I Know"
ReleasedApril 1987 (1987-04)
GenreWorldbeat
Length5:45
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Paul Simon
Paul Simon singles chronology
"The Boy in the Bubble"
(1987)		 "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"
(1987)		 "Under African Skies"
(1987)

Background

"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" was written when Simon went to South Africa. While he was there, he gathered various music from locals. Upon returning to New York, Simon finished the album with the artists he brought back from South Africa. According to Simon's account in the Classic Albums documentary on the making of Graceland, with all the album's musicians with him in New York, he performed the song live on Saturday Night Live on May 10, 1986.[1] During the performance, Simon sang live to the backing instrumental track featured on the album while Ladysmith Black Mombazo mimed their parts.[2] Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing in Zulu on this track. Their refrain roughly translates to: "It's not usual but in our days we see those things happen. They are women, they can take care of themselves."[1] Simon recalled that Diamonds wasn't originally planned for inclusion on Graceland. After the Saturday Night Live show, his label, Warner Bros., decided to release the album in the fall instead of the original planned release that July. Simon and engineer Roy Halee then decided to include it on the album.

Personnel

Covers

The song has been covered by the Soweto String Quartet and features on their greatest hits collection.[3] English singer MIKA performed a live piano cover of the song on his BBC Radio 2 show The Art of Song in March 2016.[4] The song was also covered by Dead & Company on June 9, 2018 live in Raleigh, NC.

Charts
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 69
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[6] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 28
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 85
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 77

Notes

    References
    1. "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon Songfacts".
    2. http://vk.com/video-2009067_33437153
    3. "Soweto String Quartet - Collections - MUSIC - Musica". Archived from the original on 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2015-01-07.
    4. "MIKA: The Art of Song".
    5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
    6. "RPM: Adult Contemporary" (PDF). RPM. Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada. 47 (3). October 24, 1987. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
    7. "Ultratop.be – Paul Simon – Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
    8. "Dutchcharts.nl – Paul Simon – Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
    9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2015.

    Sources
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