Sounds of Silence is the second studio album by
Simon & Garfunkel, released on January 17, 1966. The album's title is a slight modification of the title of the duo's first major hit, "
The Sound of Silence", which originally was released as "The Sounds of Silence". The song had earlier been released in an acoustic version on the album
Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., and later on the soundtrack to the movie
The Graduate. Without the knowledge of
Paul Simon or
Art Garfunkel, electric guitars, bass and drums were
overdubbed by
Columbia Records staff
producer Tom Wilson on June 15, 1965. This new version was released as a single in September 1965, and opens the album.