Watch Paul Simon David Crosby and Graham Nash deliver a beautiful acoustic performance of ‘Here Comes the Sun’
Madison Square Garden hosted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th-anniversary concerts in October 2009. The program included large arena pairings, among them U2 performing with Mick Jagger. A quieter collaboration arrived when Paul Simon took the microphone with an acoustic guitar and was joined by David Crosby and Graham Nash to perform “Here Comes the Sun.”
George Harrison wrote the song for The Beatles’ 1969 album “Abbey Road.” In contrast with the event’s louder, high-energy performances, Simon, Crosby and Nash presented it as a gentle acoustic number. Simon handled the lead, supported by the clear, delicate backing harmonies of Crosby and Nash. Their warm presence and vocal contributions complemented his part throughout the rendition.
The selection also carried personal history for Simon. He had sung the same song with Harrison in 1976, when the two musicians gave an acoustic duet on Saturday Night Live. Returning to it on another New York stage decades later created a full-circle occasion and served as Simon’s tribute to his old friend. Footage of that earlier television appearance documents the connection between the two performances.
Video of the 2009 collaboration has been preserved in a high-fidelity upload on the Show 10 Música & Vídeo channel. It appears to use material from the official concert release, enhanced through a 4K upscale and accompanied by 5.1 Surround Sound audio. Those technical features bring added clarity to the images and the trio’s blended voices.
Watch the full performance on page two