| "Cherry, Cherry" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Single cover artwork for the 1973 live version | ||||
| Single by Neil Diamond | ||||
| from the album The Feel of Neil Diamond | ||||
| B-side | "I'll Come Running" | |||
| Released | July 1966 [1] | |||
| Recorded | February – March 1966 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:39 (studio single) [4] 3:56 (live single) [5] | |||
| Label | Bang | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Neil Diamond [6] | |||
| Producer(s) | Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich | |||
| Neil Diamond singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Cherry, Cherry" is a 1966 song written, composed, and recorded by American musician Neil Diamond.
The song was recorded in February - March 1966, and was originally intended as a demo, arranged by Artie Butler and produced by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. It was issued as a 45 single in 1966 where Greenwich came up with the chorus and can be heard as the prominent background voice, accompanied by Jeff Barry. Diamond has stated that the song was inspired by an early relationship with a significantly older woman. [7] Session guitarist Al Gorgoni (who later played on "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel and "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison) contributed to the song. Rolling Stone would later label "Cherry, Cherry" as "one of the greatest three-chord songs of all time". [8]
Billboard described the single as an "exciting production [which] features bass piano backing and choral support of Diamond's vocal work." [9] Cash Box said that it is a "lively, pulsating chorus-backed romancer with an infectious repeating riff" that is a "sure-fire blockbuster". [10] Record World called it "groovy", saying that "nifty piano and guitar backing will get teeny hoppers dancing." [11]
"Cherry, Cherry" was Diamond's first big hit, [1] [12] reaching No. 6 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart, [12] in October 1966, [1] and the Cash Box chart. In 1973, a live recording of "Cherry, Cherry" was issued as a 45 single from Diamond's live album Hot August Night (1972). The live version hit No. 24 on the Cash Box chart and No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [12] Billboard said that "the live sound and the bouncing arrangement makes it almost a different song" from the original studio version. [13]
Two versions of "Cherry, Cherry" have been released. The version familiar to most listeners was recorded in late January 1966 and released by Bang Records in mid-1966, and was recorded as a demo, with Butler on keyboards, and Barry and Greenwich on backing vocals and hand-claps. [14] The other version, with different lyrics and originally intended to be released as the single, was finally released by Diamond and Sony Music Entertainment in 1996 on the compilation album In My Lifetime.
The song is featured in the movie Saving Silverman , performed by the main characters’ Neil Diamond cover band, Diamonds in the Rough. It is also used in How to Make an American Quilt and during the introduction of the character Veronica Corningstone in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy . [16]
Characters Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) from the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory are also seen singing it in "The Scavenger Vortex" (S7, E3) at The Cheesecake Factory.
"I'm a Believer" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by the American band the Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966, and remained there for seven weeks becoming the last number-one hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling single for all of 1967. Billboard ranked the record as the number-five song for 1967. While originally published by Screen Gems-Columbia Music (BMI), it is now published by Stonebridge Music/EMI Foray Music (SESAC), with administration passed to Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group.
"Red Red Wine" is a song originally written, performed and recorded by American singer Neil Diamond in 1967 that appears on his second studio album, Just for You. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a person who finds that drinking red wine is the only way to forget his woes.
"River Deep – Mountain High" is a song by Ike & Tina Turner released on Philles Records as the title track to their 1966 studio album. Produced by Phil Spector and written by Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. Rolling Stone ranked "River Deep – Mountain High" No. 33 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. NME ranked it No. 37 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame added it to the list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Eleanor Louise Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Be My Baby", "Maybe I Know", "Then He Kissed Me", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "Christmas ", "Hanky Panky", "Chapel of Love", "Leader of the Pack", and "River Deep – Mountain High", among others.
"I've Been Loving You Too Long" (originally "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)") is a soul music ballad written by Otis Redding and Jerry Butler. Considered by music critics and writers to be one of Redding's finest performances and a soul classic, it is a slow, emotional piece with Redding's pleading vocals backed by producer Steve Cropper's arpeggiated guitar parts and a horn section.
"I Can Hear Music" is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector for American girl group the Ronettes in 1966. This version spent one week on the Billboard Pop chart at number 100. In early 1969, the Beach Boys released a cover version as a single from their album 20/20 (1969), peaking at number 24 in the US.
"Border Song" is a song by Elton John with music by John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. The song initially appeared on the 1970 album Elton John, and was released in the spring of 1970 as the LP's first single. After failing to chart in the UK, it was released in North America a few months later. It met with more success there, especially in Canada, where it peaked at No. 34. The appearance of "Border Song" on the Canadian charts was John's first chart appearance in any country.
"Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" is a song written by American musician Neil Diamond, whose recording of it on Bang Records reached number 10 on the US pop singles chart in 1967. The song enjoyed a second life when it appeared on the 1994 Pulp Fiction soundtrack, performed by rock band Urge Overkill. Other versions have been recorded by Cliff Richard (1968), Jackie Edwards (1968), the Biddu Orchestra (1978), and 16 Volt (1998).
"Remember (Walking in the Sand)", also known as "Remember", is a song written by George "Shadow" Morton. It originally was recorded by the girl group the Shangri-Las, who had a top five hit with it in 1964. A remake by Aerosmith in 1979 was a minor hit. There have been many other versions of the song as well.
Stones is the seventh studio album by Neil Diamond, recorded and released in 1971. It was one of the biggest hit recordings of his career. The conductors and arrangers were Lee Holdridge, Marty Paich and Larry Muhoberac.
"Going to a Go-Go" is a 1965 single recorded by the Miracles for Motown's Tamla label.
"Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)" is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector. It first became a popular top five hit single for the American girl group the Crystals in 1963. American teen idol Shaun Cassidy recorded the song in 1977 and his version hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. There have also been many other cover versions of this song, including one by the songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich themselves, performing as the Raindrops.
"Cracklin' Rosie" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond in 1970, with instrumental backing by Los Angeles session musicians from the Wrecking Crew, including Hal Blaine on drums, Larry Knechtel on keyboards, Joe Osborn on bass, Al Casey on guitar and Gene Estes on percussion – arranged by Don Randi. The song was included on Diamond's album Tap Root Manuscript. In October 1970 the song became Diamond's first American No. 1 hit within the Billboard Hot 100, and his third to sell a million copies. It was his breakthrough single on the UK Singles Chart, reaching No. 3 for four weeks in November and December. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 17 song of 1970. It also reached No. 2 in both the Australian Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart. Its best performance was in New Zealand, where it stayed at No. 1 for five weeks at the end of the year.
"Heartlight" is a song written by Neil Diamond, Carole Bayer Sager and her then-husband, Burt Bacharach, and recorded by Diamond in 1982. It is the first track on Diamond's 1982 album, also titled Heartlight, and reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his thirteenth top 10 hit on the chart. It also spent four weeks atop the adult contemporary chart in late 1982, and was the last of his eight #1s on that chart. Reportedly, it was inspired by the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Diamond allegedly settled with MCA/Universal for $25,000, due to its supposedly drawing on the material of the film.
"Solitary Man" is a song written by American musician Neil Diamond, who recorded the song for Bang Records in late January 1966. It has since been covered many times, notably by T. G. Sheppard, Gianni Morandi, Chris Isaak, Johnny Cash and HIM.
River Deep – Mountain High is a studio album by Ike & Tina Turner. It was originally released by London Records in the UK in 1966, and later A&M Records in the US in 1969. In 2017, Pitchfork ranked it at No. 40 on their list of the 200 Best Albums of the 1960s.
"A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" is a song written by Neil Diamond, recorded by the Monkees in 1967 and released as a single on the Colgems label. The lead vocal was Davy Jones' first on a Monkees single. The single reached No. 1 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart, while on the Billboard Hot 100 it reached No. 2, with "Somethin' Stupid" by Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra keeping it from the top spot.
On the Way to the Sky is the fourteenth studio album by Neil Diamond, released in 1981. It contains the hit "Yesterday's Songs", which reached number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100, title track which peaked at number 27 in the US and a third single, "Be Mine Tonight", which also reached the Top 40, peaking at number 35.
"I Am... I Said" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond. Released as a single on March 15, 1971, it was quite successful, at first slowly climbing the charts and then more quickly rising to number 4 on the U.S. pop singles chart by May 1971. It fared similarly across the Atlantic, reaching number 4 on the UK pop singles chart as well.
"Shilo" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond. It was originally recorded in 1967 for Bang Records. Though not one of Diamond's biggest hits, "Shilo" has become one of his best-known songs, and was a staple of his concert appearances. It was included on Diamond's 1972 Hot August Night live album as well as almost all of his compilation albums.
As a solo artist, he'd scored his big breakthrough with the 1966 garage-rock hookfest "Cherry Cherry"...
 | This 1970s single–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
