On August 25, 2026, the 45th anniversary of the release of “Scissors Cut” will be commemorated. Art Garfunkel released his fifth solo album on August 25, 1981, through Columbia Records. The album was recorded between October 1980 and May 1981 in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

“Scissors Cut” followed “Fate for Breakfast” and features ten tracks written by different songwriters. Jimmy Webb wrote “Scissors Cut,” while “A Heart in New York” was written by Gallagher & Lyle, “Up in the World” by Clifford T. Ward, and “So Easy to Begin” by Jules Shear. The album also includes “Bright Eyes,” a song that had already gained international recognition through the film “Watership Down.”

Jimmy Webb’s composition “Scissors Cut” combines a reflective atmosphere with Art Garfunkel’s clear, warm, and unmistakable voice. The title track also represents the album’s musical direction, bringing together different compositions through Art Garfunkel’s voice to create a cohesive work.

“A Heart in New York” has a particularly strong connection to Art Garfunkel’s personal history. Written by Gallagher & Lyle, the song places at its center the city where Art Garfunkel grew up and which remained an important part of his life in the years that followed. New York therefore provides a direct personal connection within the album.

The various releases of “Scissors Cut” also have an interesting distinction. The British edition of the album contains “The Romance” instead of “Bright Eyes.” As a result, the British edition has a different track listing from the American release. At first glance, this might make the two tracks appear to have become separated. In fact, they remain connected: “The Romance” was released as a single, with “Bright Eyes” appearing on the B-side. In this way, both tracks also remain part of the British release history of “Scissors Cut,” although in different forms.

Paul Simon can be heard briefly as a background vocalist on “In Cars.” His contribution remains a small musical side note within the album. Near the end of the track, Art Garfunkel also sings lines from “Scarborough Fair,” a song already connected to the shared musical history of Simon & Garfunkel.

“Scissors Cut” was produced by Art Garfunkel and Roy Halee, with the exception of “Bright Eyes,” which was produced by Mike Batt. Roy Halee had already worked on important recordings by Simon & Garfunkel and had also been involved in earlier stages of Art Garfunkel’s solo career.

The album takes on a personal dimension through its dedication to Laurie Bird. Art Garfunkel’s longtime partner died in June 1979 while he was in Europe filming “Bad Timing.” Her death deeply affected him. Speaking about the loss at the time, Art Garfunkel said, “Laurie was the greatest thing I ever knew in my life, now I’ve lost it.” Even in 1988, he spoke openly about how difficult her death had been for him: “I took her death terribly and remained moody over it through much of the 80s.”

These statements also belong to a period of his life that continued to evolve. In 1988, Art Garfunkel met his future wife. The memory of Laurie Bird remained part of his personal history, while his life was also moving in new directions. That memory is directly visible on “Scissors Cut”: the album is dedicated to Laurie Bird, and part of a photograph of her appears on the back cover.

At the center of “Scissors Cut,” however, is Art Garfunkel’s work as a solo artist in his own right. His unmistakable voice connects the different compositions and offers a glimpse into an important period of his musical development in the early 1980s.

The recordings were made over several months and at different locations. The musical foundations were recorded in New York, additional recording took place in Los Angeles, and the vocal parts were recorded in Miami. The final mixing was once again completed in New York. In this way, “Scissors Cut” took shape through several stages of production and brought together different musical locations.

“Scissors Cut” therefore represents a distinctive period in Art Garfunkel’s solo career, when musical variety, personal memories, and his unmistakable voice came together in an independent, cohesive album. Even 45 years after its release, the individual tracks each tell their own stories while also forming a shared musical portrait of that time.