Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
What happens when incredible music collides with impossible politics? In this episode of Tape Spaghetti, Scott and Blake dive into the tangled history of Paul Simon's Graceland, tracing how one bootleg cassette led to a Grammy-winning masterpiece... and an international controversy. When Simon laid his ears on some extremely jive hits from South Africa, it helped him break a wicked creative slump and create an all-timer album featuring some righteously amazing South African artists. Sounds groovy, right? Well, it mostly was. Except, by ignoring a United Nations boycott and recording in apartheid South Africa, Simon ended up in the crosshairs of some serious criticism. In a debate where every side believed they were doing the right thing, was Simon helping oppressed artists reach the world stage, or was he undermining a global effort to end decades of segregation? Forty years later, we're still not sure.
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Stringjoy is a boutique guitar string manufacturer located in Music City—Nashville, TN. Through innovative designs, first-rate materials, and labor-intensive winding techniques, we make it our mission to craft the finest strings in the world, bar none.
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What happens when incredible music collides with impossible politics? In this episode of Tape Spaghetti, Scott and Blake dive into the tangled history of Paul Simon's Graceland, tracing how one bootleg cassette led to a Grammy-winning masterpiece... and an international controversy. When Simon laid his ears on some extremely jive hits from South Africa, it helped him break a wicked creative slump and create an all-timer album featuring some righteously amazing South African artists. Sounds groovy, right? Well, it mostly was. Except, by ignoring a United Nations boycott and recording in apartheid South Africa, Simon ended up in the crosshairs of some serious criticism. In a debate where every side believed they were doing the right thing, was Simon helping oppressed artists reach the world stage, or was he undermining a global effort to end decades of segregation? Forty years later, we're still not sure.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: youtube.com/stringjoy?sub_confirmation=1
SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL LIST: manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=UemY8r&g=VmVi9a
WHAT'S OUR DEAL?
Stringjoy is a boutique guitar string manufacturer located in Music City—Nashville, TN. Through innovative designs, first-rate materials, and labor-intensive winding techniques, we make it our mission to craft the finest strings in the world, bar none.
FIND US AT...
Our Homebase: stringjoy.com
Instagram: instagram.com/stringjoy
TikTok: tiktok.com/@stringjoy
Facebook: facebook.com/stringjoy
Twitter: twitter.com/stringjoystaff
