"Play Me" | ||||
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Single by Neil Diamond | ||||
from the album Moods | ||||
B-side | "Porcupine Pie" | |||
Released | August 1972 [1] | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Label | Uni 55346 [2] | |||
Songwriter(s) | Neil Diamond | |||
Producer(s) | Tom Catalano | |||
Neil Diamond singles chronology | ||||
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"Play Me" is a 1972 song by Neil Diamond from his album Moods . The song, the first single from Moods, [3] was recorded in February 1972 in Los Angeles. [4] It was released as a single in May 1972 and peaked at #11 in the United States [1] in September of that year. [5] It was listed by Billboard as #27 of his best 30 songs. [6]
The "catchy pop-rock" [7] song is a medium-tempo waltz performed in 3/4 time at a standard tempo of 102 bpm. [8] Play Me features broken chords played on the acoustic guitar, courtesy of Diamond's long-time collaborator Richard Bennett. [8] While Bennett had played on a few songs on Diamond's 1971 album Stones , Moods was his first full collaboration with him, establishing Bennett as one of Diamond's essential players, playing on every Diamond album until 1987 and touring with him for 17 years. [9]
Singer/songwriter Mary Lee Kortes, while performing it in 2000 in New York, suggested that she had lost her virginity to the song. [10] Nancy Sinatra said, "'Play Me' is my favorite [Neil Diamond] song, because it is sexy." [11]
It is widely praised by critics and musicians as well; it is among the top-ten favorite songs of American writer and critic David Wild. Wild was especially fond of the lines "You are the sun, I am the moon, / You are the words, I am the tune, / Play me," [8] and other writers have cited the lines as well. [12] Diamond himself has referred to those lines, for instance in an apology to a 2008 Columbus, Ohio, audience, for performing with a raspy voice while suffering from acute laryngitis. [13] Billboard described it as a "potent cut." [14] Cash Box described it as "a ballad about he, she and the music" and considered it to be "delicious". [15] Record World called it a "sweet and smooth ballad, seemingly born to be covered". [16]
The song also has its detractors, and "Play Me" is not the only Diamond song criticized by some for its lyrics. Janice Kennedy said the song was "an exercise in fingernail-on-blackboard painfulness: 'Song she sang to me, song she brang to me.'" [17] American humorist Dave Barry also cited those lines, claiming that they made him like the song. [18] Martin Pearson also criticised that line, commenting "Ugh! It's "brought", you horrible little American!"
This song has also created significant debates in academic circles regarding the development of language and meaning within language, especially within the context of popular American songwriting. "If "moose" pluralizes to "moose", but "goose" pluralizes to "geese", then why can't the word "brang" be used as the past participle of "bring" instead of "brought"?. Who says that "brought" is sacrosanct in that case?" argued singer-songwriter David Persons at a symposium on songwriting and creative writing held at Stephen F. Austin University. [19] "There really are no rules in the practical sense in creative uses of English, and I am always thankful that I am a native English speaker, as it has so many irregularities and non-rules that it must be near impossible to learn as a second language. New words develop from new meanings and linguistic demands, and Neil Diamond's writing has made several significant contributions to that development throughout his career as he has added his own personal mark of genius to The Great American Songbook. In this case the rule has to be "Neil Diamond wrote it, I heard it and that settles it, Brang is in fact a word." [19]
Weekly charts
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Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts: "Cracklin' Rosie", "Song Sung Blue", "Longfellow Serenade", "I've Been This Way Before", "If You Know What I Mean", "Desirée", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", "America", "Yesterday's Songs", and "Heartlight". Thirty-eight songs by Diamond have reached the top 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, including "Sweet Caroline". He has also acted in films, making his screen debut in the 1980 musical drama film The Jazz Singer.
"Always on My Mind" is a ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James, first recorded by Brenda Lee and first released by Gwen McCrae in March 1972. Lee's version was released three months later in June 1972. The song has been a crossover hit, charting in both the country and western and pop categories. Elvis Presley's recording was the first commercially successful version of the song.
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Moods is the eighth studio album by Neil Diamond, released by Uni Records in 1972. It contained the second of his No.1 songs, "Song Sung Blue", and was something of a follow-up in style to the highly experimental Tap Root Manuscript. The album entered Billboard on July 15, where it reached No. 5 in early September.
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You Don't Bring Me Flowers is Neil Diamond's twelfth studio album. It was released in 1978 to capitalize on the success of the title song of the same name, a duet with Barbra Streisand, which had originally appeared as a solo recording on Diamond's previous album, I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight.
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"Holly Holy" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond with instrumental backing provided by the American Sound Studio house band in Memphis. Released as a single on October 13, 1969, it was a successful follow-on to "Sweet Caroline", reaching #6 on the U.S. pop singles chart by December. The song also reached #5 on the Easy Listening chart. It became a gold record and then eventually a platinum record.
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