Negotiations and Love Songs is a compilation album of songs by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, released in 1988 by Warner Bros. Records. It consists of songs released from 1971 to 1986. The title of the compilation is taken from a line in the song "Train in the Distance".

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	(B)
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Paul Simon, except "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes", co-written by Joseph Shabalala

Side one
No.	Title	Original release	Length
1.	"Mother and Child Reunion"	Paul Simon (1972)	2:48
2.	"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"	Paul Simon	2:41
3.	"Something So Right"	There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973)	4:28
4.	"St. Judy's Comet"	There Goes Rhymin' Simon	3:17
5.	"Loves Me Like a Rock"	There Goes Rhymin' Simon	3:18

Side two
No.	Title	Original release	Length
1.	"Kodachrome"	There Goes Rhymin' Simon	3:32
2.	"Have a Good Time"	Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)	3:23
3.	"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"	Still Crazy After All These Years	3:31
4.	"Still Crazy After All These Years"	Still Crazy After All These Years	3:24

Side three
No.	Title	Original release	Length
1.	"Late in the Evening"	One-Trick Pony (1980)	3:55
2.	"Slip Slidin' Away"	Greatest Hits, Etc. (1977)	4:43
3.	"Hearts and Bones"	Hearts and Bones (1983)	5:38
4.	"Train in the Distance"	Hearts and Bones	4:22

Side four
No.	Title	Original release	Length
1.	"Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War"	Hearts and Bones	3:43
2.	"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"	Graceland (1986)	5:46
3.	"You Can Call Me Al"	Graceland	4:39
4.	"Graceland"	Graceland	4:48

"Graceland" appears only on the LP edition of the album.

Personnel

Paul Simon – vocals, guitar (tracks 2–6, 11, 15), acoustic guitar (tracks 8, 12), background vocals (tracks 10, 16–17), electric guitar (track 14), six-string electric bass (track 16)

Additional musicians

Huk Brown – lead guitar (track 1)
Wallace Wilson – rhythm guitar (track 1)
Neville Hinds – organ (track 1)
Jackie Jackson – bass guitar (track 1)
Winston Grennan – drums (track 1)
Denzil Laing – percussion (track 1)
Larry Knechtel – piano (track 1)
Cissy Houston – singer (track 1)
Renelle Stafford – singer (track 1)
Deirdre Tuck – singer (track 1)
Von Eva Sims – singer (track 1)
David Spinoza – guitar (tracks 2–3)
Airto Moreira – percussion (tracks 2, 12–13)
Russel George – bass guitar (track 2)
Alexander Gafa – guitar (track 3)
Bob Cranshaw – electric bass (track 3)
Richard Davis – acoustic bass (track 3)
Grady Tate – drums (track 3)
Bobby James – keyboard (track 3)
Bobby Scott – piano (track 3)
Don Elliot – vibes (track 3)
Pete Carr – electric guitar (tracks 4, 6)
David Hood – bass guitar (tracks 4–6, 9)
Roger Hawkins – percussion (tracks 4–6, 9)
Barry Beckett – keyboard, vibes (tracks 4, 6), electric piano (track 9)
The Dixie Hummingbirds – vocal group (track 5)
Jimmy Johnson – electric guitar (track 6)
Bob James – electric piano (track 7)
Hugh McCracken – electric guitar (tracks 7–8, 10)
Joe Beck – electric guitar (track 7)
Tony Levin – bass guitar (tracks 7–8, 10)
Steve Gadd – drums (tracks 7–8, 10–12)
Ralph McDonald – percussion (tracks 7–8, 10–11, 16)
Phil Woods – saxophone solo (track 7)
Valerie Simpson – background vocals (tracks 7–8)
Ken Asher – organ (track 8)
John Tropea – electric guitar (track 8)
Pheobe Snow – vocal background (track 8)
Patti Austin – vocal background (track 8)
Mike Brecker – saxophone solo (track 9)
Eric Gale – electric guitar (track 10)
Anthony Jackson – percussion (track 11), contrabass guitar (track 12–14)
Richard Tee – piano (track 11), Fender Rhodes (track 12–14)
The Oak Ridge Boys – vocal group (track 11)
Dean Parks – hi-string guitar (tracks 12–13)
Michael Mainieri – vibes (tracks 12–13), marimba (track 12)
Marcus Miller – bass guitar (track 13)
Jeff Porcaro – drums (track 13)
Jess Levy – cello (track 13)
Peter Gordon – French horn (track 13)
Mark Rivera – alto sax (track 13)
Rob Sabino – piano (track 14)
Wells Christie – Synclavier (track 14)
The Harptones – background vocals (track 14)
Chikapa "Ray" Phiri – guitar (tracks 15–17)
Bakithi Kumalo – bass guitar (tracks 15–17)
Isaac Misthali – drums (tracks 15–16)
Youssou N'Dour – percussion (track 15)
Babacar Faye – percussion (track 15)
Assane Thiam – percussion (track 15)
Earl Gardner – trumpet (track 15)
Leonard Pickett – tenor sax (track 15)
Alex Foster – alto sax (track 15)
Ladysmith Black Mambazo – vocals (track 15)
Rob Mounsey – synthesizer (track 16)
Adrian Belew – guitar synthesizer (track 16)
Ronald E. Cuber – bass sax (track 16), baritone sax (track 16)
John Faddis – trumpet (track 16)
Ronald E. Brecker – trumpet (track 16)
Lewis Michael Soloff – trumpet (track 16)
Alan Rubin – trumpet (track 16)
David W. Bargeron – trombone (track 16)
Kim Allan Cissel – trombone (track 16)
Morris Goldberg – pennywhistle solo (track 16)
Vusi Khumalo – drums (track 17)
Makhaya Mahlangu – percussion (track 17)
Demola Adepoju – pedal steel guitar (track 17)
The Everly Brothers – vocals (track 17)

Technical

Paul Simon – co-producer (tracks 1–14), producer (tracks 15–17), co-arrangements (track 16)
Russ Titelman – co-producer (tracks 12–14)
Roy Halee – co-producer (tracks 1–2, 12–14), compilation assembler
Phil Ramone – co-producer (tracks 3, 5, 7–11)
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section – co-producer (4–6)
Quincy Jones – string arrangements (track 3)
Dave Mathews – horn arrangements (track 7)
Bob James – woodwind and string arrangements (track 9)
Dave Grusin – horn arrangements (track 10)
The Harptones – background vocal arrangements (track 14)
George Delerue – orchestration (track 14)
Chikapa "Ray" Phiri – co-arrangements (track 16)
Greg Calbi – mastering
Robert Mapplethorpe – front cover photo

Charts

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart	Position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart^[2]	27
New Zealand Albums Chart^[3]	5
UK Albums Chart^[4]	17
United States Billboard 200^[5]	110

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1988)	Position
UK Albums Chart^[6]	94

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)^[7]	Gold	100,000^*
New Zealand (RMNZ)^[8]	Platinum	15,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[9]	Platinum	300,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[10]	Platinum	1,000,000^{^}
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
^ "australian-charts.com Paul Simon – Negotiations and Love Songs: 1971 – 1986" (ASP). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
^ "charts.nz – Paul Simon – Negotiations and Love Songs: 1971 – 1986" (ASP). Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
^ "The Official Charts Company – Paul Simon – Negotiations and Love Songs: 1971 – 1986" (PHP). Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
^ Allmusic – Negotiations and Love Songs: 1971 – 1986 > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums
^ "Complete UK Year-End Album Charts". Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
^ "French album certifications – Paul Simon – Greatest Hits" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
^ "New Zealand album certifications – Paul Simon – Negotiations and Love Songs". Recorded Music NZ.
^ "British album certifications – Paul Simon – Negotiations and Love Songs". British Phonographic Industry.
^ "American album certifications – Paul Simon – Negotiations and Love Songs". Recording Industry Association of America.

v t e Paul Simon
Discography Songs recorded Songs written
Studio albums	The Paul Simon Songbook (1966) Paul Simon (1972) There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973) Still Crazy After All These Years (1975) One-Trick Pony (1980) Hearts and Bones (1983) Graceland (1986) The Rhythm of the Saints (1990) Songs from The Capeman (1997) You're the One (2000) Surprise (2006) So Beautiful or So What (2011) Stranger to Stranger (2016) In the Blue Light (2018) Seven Psalms (2023)
Live albums	Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin' Paul Simon's Concert in the Park
Compilations	Greatest Hits, Etc. Negotiations and Love Songs The Paul Simon Anthology Paul Simon 1964/1993 Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar Recorded as Jerry Landis The Essential Paul Simon This Better Be Good The Ultimate Collection
Film and theater	The Paul Simon Special (1977) One-Trick Pony (1980) Paul Simon in Concert (1981) The All-Star Gospel Session (1987) Graceland: The African Concert (1987) Paul Simon's Concert in the Park (1991) Born at the Right Time (1992) Classic Albums: Graceland (1997) The Capeman (theater, 1998) You're The One - In Concert (2000) Live at the Tower Theatre 2003 Paul Simon and Friends: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song (2009) So Beautiful or So What (Deluxe Limited Edition) (2011) Live in New York City (2012) Paul Simon's Graceland Journey: Under African Skies (2012) The Concert in Hyde Park (2017) In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon (2023)
Tours	One-Trick Pony Tour 1980 Never Ending Tour 1999 On Stage Together Tour
Related	Simon & Garfunkel Edie Brickell (wife) Harper Simon (son)