Singer songwriter Harper Simon, who describes his music as “psychedelic country and rock”, has released a new video of his single, Berkeley Girl. It’s the tale of a woman from our fair city who has “the style of Paulette Goddard and a smile like Joan Fontaine”.
But, just as in the television show Parenthood, Berkeley gets displaced by southern California. According to Spinner, the video directed by Benjamin Kutsko was shot in Los Angeles’ Echo Park neighborhood. To be fair to Kutsko and Simon, the lyrics are about a “Berkeley girl” who “drives a Karmann Ghia through the streets of Silver Lake and the hills of Echo Park”.
The video features Jena Malone, the actress who has appeared in Pride and Prejudice, Bastard Out of Carolina, and The Soloist, as an ethereal earth girl who touches the singer’s heart.
Simon is the 37-year old son of singer Paul Simon and his first wife, Paula Peggy Harper (and you’ll hear plenty of echoes of Paul Simon’s early style in the song). He appeared on Sesame Street aged four singing Bingo with his father.
