Classic Bike Ramblings BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER A "bridge" is so many things to so many different people. To a dentist its used to "bridge" over missing teeth. To a Master of a ship its where their ship is navigated from in fair weather or foul. To many of us the "flying bridge" is the best spot on our boats. The "Starship Enterprise" has one. In cards its a double handed game for four in two partnerships, where skill is at a premium. To a pool player it makes a tough shot somewhat easier and my 47 loyal readers in the music world it can be a part of a guitar or part of the song itself. But to most a "bridge" links two impassable points, be it the mainland to an island, crossing a deep gorge or over a river. And to many it's the way to the next place of being or a way to make amends to another often trying to "bridge the gap" or an impasse between one another, a way to help those in mental despair or in real need. And that brings us, my good readers, to a song that includes a bridge. A song that began as a little two verse "hymn" but grew in power. A song written while our country was involved in the Vietnam War, turbulent times and racial divide. It's a song we all know, its used in times of sorrow, in times of memorial and in times of soul searching. Its writer, its musicians, and its record label all knew they had an epic album and a very special single at completion. For so many the tune is not just a song but a meaningful and almost religious event. And speaking of events, my two-wheeled friends, there's an event that I am always part of and this year it begins on Sat. May 12th. and that is the Five Bridge Poker Run. On that day you will cross the five main bridges that so many of us use in our daily commutes and busy lives. But so many I thought do not know their history, or why these everyday bridges we cross are named what they are and why? And if you listen to the 60's and 70's channels like I do, you have heard this epic "bridge" song more than once. And you never change it, do you my good listeners? Here my history loving people, is a tale woven together of music, of stone and concrete and of the idea of helping friends in need unconditionally and unselfishly, of being there for those you care about and those you love and a story of the structures that take us over our own troubled waters and on to those friends, family and the events that become our lives. Paul Fredrick Simon (Oct. 13th, 1941) winner of 13 Grammys and one of music's greatest writers and Arthur Ira Garfunkel (Nov. 5th, 1941) winner of 6 Grammys and one of music's purest and most beautiful voices, together they would sing and write for an epic decade in history and together they would become "one" and craft a song that would reach the troops in Vietnam, the common man and the entire world who all seemed very troubled. They would meet at age eleven, go to Junior and High School together and begin writing songs in 1955. They would appear on the music scene in 1957 when the two of them formed the group Tom & Jerry. Both rose to fame
in 1965 on the power of the first of their two biggest number one songs (Sound of Silence). Known for their close tight harmonies and soaring vocals they would become the biggest duo of all time. They were a very interesting pair togather Art at 6 feet even and Paul at 5'3" one a pure singer the other multi-talented. But they had a turbulent and often a rocky relationship together almost like related brothers. In 1970 they would make their biggest, some say best, and yes my friends their last album. It would be delayed in completion and in release for many months due to artistic differences and disagreements, Art's new filmaking career was also to blame. It would take an astounding 800 hours and two years to create and as a result this amazing duo would breakup at the zenith of their success in 1970. A fellow named Walter Fuller in the year 1910 would find himself as the head of three local companies owned by Mr. F.A. Davis. George S. Gandy Sr. was the president of said companies. Walter would prepare a grand map that would include a proposed bridge that would go from Ninth Street North across to Tampa. Gandy and Fuller would partner and incorporate the companies to help in its design and construction. The West bridge approach would be changed to use Fourth Street North as its feeder. Bureaucratic wrangling and the fact that World War I was still going on in 1918 would cause the project to stall and financing was canceled . Gandy would buy out Walters interests and was determined to build his bridge, alone if necessary. In 1922 Gandy sold enough stock to finance the bridge which would cost $1,932,000. Construction began in September of 1922 and it would formally open on November 20th. 1924. At a distance of 2.5 miles the steel and concrete bridge would be the world's longest automobile toll bridge at that time, it was also equipped with tracks to carry street cars but never did. A double steel bascule drawbridge had a clearance for vessel traffic of 75 feet and was electrically operated. The original toll scale, my good readers, seems a bit "dated". Motorcycles (.25) Bicycles (.10) Double Team of Horses (.75) Single Team (.50) Loose Driven Cattle or Horses (.20 a head) Auto with Driver (.75) and ten cents for each additional passenger. 30,000 people and 7,500 cars would cross the Gandy Bridge on the Sunday after its grand opening proving Gandy right of the need for this bridge. Like the Courtney Campbell it was seized by the government for the war effort on December 23, 1945. A federal jury would award the Gandy Company $2,483,642 in compensation. The Gandy Bridge reduced the drive between Tampa and Saint Petersburg from 43 miles to 19 miles. The original bridge was demolished in 1975 although there were efforts to save it for public recreational use. It would be in 1956 that a second Gandy Bridge would be constructed with a 43 foot high fixed span for use with westbound traffic. The third span replacing the original from 1924 would be opened for service on Oct. 20, 1975 and was built without street lighting (which would be added in 1996 ). It would be February of 1997 when the fourth Gandy Bridge would carry westbound traffic. With the 1975 bridge carrying
the Eastbound traffic, the 1956 bridge would be turned into what became the "Friendship Trail". It would open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic on December 11, 1999 and operated until Nov.6, 2008 when it was closed due to structural problems and is slated for demolition unless the private money can be found for repair. The Gandy Bridge has been a gathering spot for motorcycles and car groups for illegal speed trials and "doing the ton" for many years although a large police presence has curbed this practice. Not only has the trouble been on the bridge my friends it truly has been a bridge over troubled water as over a dozen ships, tugs and barges have struck the spans from 1970 to the present. The album named for the epic single it contained would reach number one in many countries and receive a 8 x platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. It would be one of the few albums to ever reach number one on both the U.S. and U.K. charts at the same time. This last album would be the highest selling studio album the two greats would make. The single of the same name would be released on Jan. 26, 1970 and just a month later it would reach number one and remain there for six weeks. Paul Simon would write this song in the summer of 1969 while Art Garfunkel was filming the movie "Catch 22" in Europe. Simon said the song was inspired in part by the Claude Jeter and the Swan Silvertones 1958 tune "Mary Don't You Weep" which held the line "I'll Be Your Bridge Over Deep Water if You Trust In Me". Simon knew it was a song for the piano and a song for Art Garfunkel to sing as a solo although he would stand in the wings later bitterly saying "That's my song, man". This song was destined to live or die on Art's voice and his interpretation of Paul's calming words. It would soar in part because of the two's strained relationship and impending breakup as this was truly the duo's swan song. This single tune exposed many of the underlying tensions and strong feelings of friendship that made the duo what they were but were destroying them as well. Paul Simon has often expressed regret over insisting that Art sing the epic song as a solo, as it truly became Art's song and regulated Paul to a background status. Ironically Art did not want to sing the solo lead vocal on the epic song at first, saying he did not think it was "right" for him and felt all along that Simon should have done it. But Garfunkel did something right my 52 loyal readers as it is listed as number 47 of the 500 greatest songs of all time by "Rolling Stone" magazine. Ben T. Davis, the owner of a local dredging company, would be commissioned in the 1920's to build a more direct route between Clearwater & Tampa over Old Tampa Bay . The Davis Causeway as it would first be known would start being built in 1927 with one of the original bridge spans being destroyed by a hurricane. Built at a cost of $900,000 it would open to traffic on June 28, 1934 with a 25 cent toll for autos in place. Like the
Gandy Bridge, it would be seized by the US Government in 1944 as part of the war effort paying its owner $1.1 million dollars in compensation with its ownership being handed over to the State Of Florida. It would be in 1948 that it would be renamed for Mr. Courtney W. Campbell, a Clearwater Beach resident and lawyer, he was also a member of the U.S. House Of Representatives and would serve on the Florida State Road Board from 1942-1947. A Second Lieutenant in World War I he would be the driving force to upgrade and beautify the bridge that bore his name and in 2005 the Causeway would be named an official scenic highway by the State of Florida. Today the bridge carries over 60,000 cars a day and on the east end is a public beach still named after Mr. Ben T. Davis. The song originally had only two verses. Art and the producer thought the song was "thin" and needed a bigger sound at the end and another verse, Simon had written this song quickly and easily in the beginning saying "it just came to him". Paul agreed to this extra verse as follows."Sail on silver girl......Sail on by...... Your time has come to shine........ All your dreams are on the way....... See how they shine ...... If you need a friend......I'm sailing right behind" and then into the chorus. It was written about his girlfriend and later wife Peggy Harper. Art would say after one of its first performances at Madison Square Gardens, "it was almost biblical", Simon would say "It was one of the most shocking moments in my songwriting career. I remember thinking that this is considerably better than I usually write". The Bayside Bridge is the newest bridge we use in the Tampa Bay area and was built to alleviate the congestion on another troubled road in our area US Highway 19. Completed in 1993, it was designed to be a toll road but the "Penny for Pinellas Tax" made it unnecessary. It was originally to be named the 49th Street Bridge and was built at a cost of $71 million dollars. Crossing the west end of Old Tampa Bay, it carries 70,000 cars a day between 49th Street & McMullen Booth Road. The six lane span is 15,900 feet long and has a vertical clearance of 42 feet. They say copying and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and an acknowledgment of greatness and in the few years after its release "Bridge" would be covered by everyone. In fact over 350 major artitsts would record this epic, four minute and fifty five second song. It wouldn't take "The King" Elvis Presley long to see its potential in his hands. He would record it in Nashville, Tenn. on June 5, 1970 only five months after Simon & Garfunkel released it. He would include it on his album " That's the Way It Is" and would immediately add it to his Las Vegas set list and his documentary released that year. It is said that Paul Simon attended one of the first Elvis shows and said that this version opened his eyes to how else the song could be done after seeing Presley's interpretation of his writing. Elvis would use this song all the way up to his last live performance in Indianapolis, IN on June 26, 1977. Many thought his studio performance of this tune to be his best vocal work ever, although Paul Simon had wished he would have given it a more gospel flair. But Aretha Franklin would give it that style
in 1972. And she would win a Grammy that year in part due to this recording (it would also reach #1 on the charts for her.) But my good friends, it's a true "who's who list" of legends and greats who have taken on this amazing song over the past four decades. The list includes: Roberta Flack, Johnny Cash, Whitney Houston, Annie Lennox, Elton John , Willie Nelson, Jon Bon Jovi, Bobby Darin, Luther Vandross, Lee Ann Rimes, Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, Roy Orbison, The Supremes and so many more who have thought so much of this tune so as to record it ... amazing company my friends. It has been said there is something about this song that brings out the true musician in anyone who performs it. Next on our list is a bridge that has cornered a few nicknames such as "Howard Frankenstein" or "The Star Strangled Spanner". Yes, my good readers I am speaking of the bridge that is part of Interstate Road 275, the Howard Frankland Bridge and named once again for the man who proposed it. The 43 foot tall bridge would open in 1960 as a narrow four lane bridge, with a very short narrow center barrier and no emergency pull off lanes. It soon proved to be a deadly and very backed up bridge due to breakdowns and accidents. In 1962 a center concrete barrier was installed to cut down on injuries and deaths (ten in the first two years). The planning for a new bridge began in 1978 but was re-thought after the Sunshine Skyway disaster in 1980. In 1988 a new four lane span began construction. The 54 million dollar southbound span would open in 1990 with the older 1960 span rehabilitated, improved and reopened in 1992. The 15,900 foot long bridge carries 135,000 plus cars a day between Saint Petersburg and Tampa. Its namesake William Howard Frankland (Nov. 26, 1901- Dec. 1980) was the son of a horse & buggy seller who arrived in Tampa in 1925 from Jackson Tenn. He became a banker, a member of the Florida State Railway Board and founded Pioneer Tire and Rubber Products Inc. Frankland proposed the new bridge as he felt the land between Gandy and Courtney Campbell was ripe for development and my good readers he was so right. He would die at age 79 a resident of Tampa in 1980. Art Garfunkel's first two attempts to record the vocal tracks didn't work out. But in the end Garfunkel's voice tailored the song into the story it is now. He still sings it at age 70 today but now he and Paul Simon (yes, they have reunited often since the 1970 breakup) alternate the verses, perhaps how they both envisioned it 42 years ago. Years of smoking during a decade long depression (over his girlfriend's suicide in his Manhattan apartment) would cause Art's soaring voice to lower somewhat
in range but what a range he had on this song, he could go from a baritone to a tenor and on to an amazing falsetto. Larry Knechtel (he would help form the band Bread) would also be a big but unknown part of this amazing song. He would spend four days working on the piano arrangement with Art working up the intermediate piano chords between the verses. The single won the Grammy for "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year" and "Best Contemparary Pop Song" in 1971, the album would sell 25 million copies and win the Grammy for 1) Album of the Year, 2) Best Engineered Recording and 3) Best Arrangement Accompianing Vocalist. And this, my 17 loyal readers, brings me to our very own "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and I am speaking of the 191 foot tall Sunshine Skyway. It has been knocked down, run into and jumped off of. It's a bridge that for too many "friends just can't be found" and no one was there for them. 181 people have jumped from the center span since 1954. Ten have survived including a Rottweiler named Shasta (whos owner died). The ship "Summit Venture" would collide with the Skyway in a storm at 7:30am on May 9, 1980 taking down 1,200 feet of the southbound span (built in 1971) and with it ten cars and a Greyhound bus, killing 35 people. Only four months before this tragedy the USCG Cutter "Blackthorn" was outbound from Tampa Bay after completing her dry dock refit, the tanker "Capricorn" was inbound. The 180 foot "Bouy Tender" would capsize 3/4 of a mile from the Skyway and in the collision between the two ships, 23 brave USCG men would lose their lives that night. The original bridge named for William E. Dean stood 150 ft to the road deck and would be constructed to replace the "Bee Line Ferry" that ran between Pinellas Point and Piney Point. Built by the Virginia Bridge Company it was a two lane steel cantilever structure finished in 1954 with a close "twin" completed in 1969 parallel but to the west of it and now with four total lanes it could become a part of the 275/75 Interstate Road system. The current 4.1 mile span began construction in 1982 and was opened for traffic 5 years later on April 20, 1987. The "Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge" cost $244 million dollars to complete and today carries over 60,000 vehicles with its toll for an automobile or motorcycle being one dollar. As with all the bridges in our area, it is constructed of steel and concrete and is catagorized as a continous pre-stressed concrete cable stayed bridge with its steel support cables encased in eighty four 9 inch steel tubes that terminate along the centerline of the bridge deck. The twin support towers are 481 feet tall and the 191 foot bridge deck is monitored and equipped with 6 crisis call boxes for those "who need a friend" and find themselves at that tipping point. Designed by the Figg & Mueller Engineering Group and built by the American Bridge Company the new design of the
bridge built to replace the old cantilever span would be inspired by then Florida Govenor/ Senator Bob Graham who would preside over the bridge's design and construction. The Skyway has appeared in numerous movies, TV shows and commercials, and why shouldn't it be my 36 loyal readers the "Travel Channel" rated our very own Sunshine Skyway #3 of the "Top 10 Bridges in the World". The original bridge main spans were demolished in 1991 and all that remains of the 1954 and 1971 bridges are the approaches that are now used as public fishing piers but due to age the old 1954 piers are being closed and are slated for demolition but the newer piers will still stand, and I am sure many fish are "troubled" by this fact. Ironically the album, one of the best of its decade, the biggest of Columbia Records and the biggest in the duo's history would only be this epic due to the pairs relationship with each other coming apart with Art feeling overshadowed by Paul's amazing writing (Garfunkel did not write at this time) but his high countertenor voice was crucial to their sound. Paul in turn felt held back by Art going off and doing movies and that he was helping give their music a "saccharine" feeling. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" would yield three other hits, "The Boxer", "Cecilia", and "El Condor Pasa" and a remake of "Bye, Bye Love". My friends this fantastic album was only intended to be a break for the duo not a last album but as we all know it became permanent. It's interesting to note that for a duo who's legacy is in their two part harmonies is the fact that their biggest number one single would in fact be a solo. They did reunite for one of my favorite songs and a top ten hit in 1975 "My Little Town" and they have come together here and there since. A 1981 concert in Central Park attracted a half million fans and produced a live recording. They went on the 2003 "Old Friends World Tour" which recieved great reviews and then
onto a concert in Rome in 2004 that drew 600,000 people and then a 2009 overseas leg of the "Old Friends Tour". There was to be a 2011 tour but Art's cigarette smoking had caused "Vocal Paresis (paralysis)" and it was postponed (Art has quit smoking again and the tour is being planned). They are still connected to each other much like the message of the song they created decades ago explains. Art would say "Well brothers can be very different. And it is like that in this respect in a family you can act out all different kinds of bullshit and know that you will always hang togather beyond it". And we all know of Paul's truly amazing solo career and musical abilities there is no doubting his place in the music world. Paul would go on record and say that the "best" version of this song is Garfunkels. Art would celebrate Paul's (and his) 70th birthday in N.Y. with both seeming to be "Old Friends". To me Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are truly like "Cake and Icing" making the issue of which is better or more important in their history a moot point. Well my 14 loyal readers, having grown up here I have been stuck on every bridge that I wrote of by breakdowns. I have battled eight foot seas on the bow at midnight under the Sunshine Skyway and Hurricane Charlies fury going under the Gandy, trust this Merchant Mariner our local waters truly do get very "troubled". But on all these occasions I have found a friend to help me get through and out of these tough times and rough voyages. So after reading this, sit down and listen to this timeless tune my friends, it has many meanings and many messages open to your own interpretation. I hope that when you see that fellow motorcyclist or any person in need by the side of the road, a friend on the other end of the phone in a panic or maybe it's just someone facing an obstacle that they can't overcome alone, do what you can for them and if you can be there for family even if your on different pages or better yet "just get on the same page" life is short and can end suddenly as the motorcyclist crowd surely knows. And I hope you go on the "5 Bridge Run" May 12th as you my friends know I don't "push" events in my writings, but the bridges in our area are amazing structures as is the immense amount of water we are surrounded by and as you cross them briefly think of the song which is alot like the "Biker Code" and of the third verse lyrics "Sail on Silver Girl" they very well could be your bikes not the grey hair that Paul's wife found in her hair brush. And you may find something in each line that unfolds in your thoughts "Your Time Has Come to Shine, All Your Dreams Are on the Way". Yes find your own meaning, make your own translations and come to your own conclusions of this song and try to do the right thing as often as you can and most of all my friends keep dreaming, it's so easy to become negative and selfish in these tough times of our new decade, believe me I know this fact all to well. And remember this if you're on our epic "5 Bridge" trek, its the lyric "Im Sailing Right Behind" for it seems in the motorcycle brotherhood you always have a friend right behind, or on your side especially when times are rough and when your down and out. And that my good friends should "Ease Your Mind". Robert "2 to go" De Moss