Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building

Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building
Studio album by Neil Diamond
Released	31 August 1993
Recorded	1993
Studio	Conway Studios (Hollywood, California) Arch Angel Studios (Los Angeles, California) Air Lyndhurst Hall (London, England, UK)
Genre	Pop rock
Length	55:48
Label	Columbia
Producer	Peter Asher
Neil Diamond chronology
The Christmas Album (1992) Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building (1993) Live in America (1994)

Up On the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building, released in 1993 on Columbia Records, is a cover album and also the twenty-first studio album by Neil Diamond. It contains a duet with Dolly Parton, string arrangements by David Campbell, along with re-makes of tracks associated with the Brill Building, where Diamond had worked in the 1960s.

It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (duet with Dolly Parton)	Phil Spector, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil	4:31
2.	"Up on the Roof"	Gerry Goffin, Carole King	3:29
3.	"Love Potion Number Nine"	Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller	3:05
4.	"Will You Love Me Tomorrow"	Gerry Goffin, Carole King	3:29
5.	"Don't Be Cruel"	Otis Blackwell	3:46
6.	"Do Wah Diddy Diddy" (duet with Mary's Danish)	Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich	2:55
7.	"I (Who Have Nothing)"	Carlo Donida, Mogol, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller	4:05
8.	"Do You Know the Way to San José?"	Burt Bacharach, Hal David	3:03
9.	"Don't Make Me Over"	Burt Bacharach, Hal David	3:37
10.	"River Deep - Mountain High"	Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich	3:58
11.	"A Groovy Kind of Love"	Toni Wine, Carole Bayer Sager	2:52
12.	"Spanish Harlem"	Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector	3:43
13.	"Sweets for My Sweet"	Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman	2:53
14.	"Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen"	Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield	3:39
15.	"Ten Lonely Guys"	Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer, Stanley Kahan, Eddie Snyder, Neil Diamond	4:16
16.	"Save the Last Dance for Me"	Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman	2:27

Personnel

Musicians and vocals

• Neil Diamond – vocals
• Robbie Buchanan – keyboards (1, 2, 4, 7–9, 11–13, 16), acoustic piano (14, 15)
• Jim Cox – Wurlitzer electric piano (3, 5), Hammond B3 organ (10), bass (12)
• Bill Payne – acoustic piano (5, 14, 16)
• Bob Mann – guitars (1, 3–5, 7–15)
• Dean Parks – guitars (2, 7, 13, 16)
• David King – guitars (6)
• Louis Gutierrez – guitars (6)
• Doug Livingston – pedal steel guitar (14)
• Larry Klein – bass (1–3), additional bass (12)
• Bob Glaub – bass (4, 5, 7–16)
• Chris Wagner – bass (6)
• Carlos Vega – drums (1–3, 5, 10, 12–14)
• Russ Kunkel – drums (4, 7–9, 11, 15)
• James Bradley Jr. – drums (6)
• Peter Asher – percussion (1, 5, 11–13, 16), marimba (12)
• Michael Fisher – percussion (4, 8, 10, 11)
• M.B. Gordy – timpani (6), vibraphone (11)
• Bill Bergman – saxophones (3, 5, 10, 16), sax solo (3)
• Don Markese – clarinets (3, 5, 10, 16), flutes (3, 5, 10, 16), saxophones (3, 5, 10, 16)
• Lon Price – saxophones (3, 5, 10, 16)
• Brandon Fields – alto saxophone (4)
• Greg Smith – bass saxophone (13)
• Nick Lane – trombone (3, 5, 10, 16)
• Wayne Bergeron – trumpet (3, 5, 10, 16)
• Dennis Farias – trumpet (3, 5, 10, 16)
• Oscar Brashear – trumpet (12)
• Gavyn Wright – concertmaster
• Isobel Griffiths – musical contractor
• Dolly Parton – vocals (1)
• Rosemary Butler – backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 10, 16)
• Wendy Fraser – backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 10, 16)
• Portia Griffin – backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 10, 16)
• Raven Kane – backing vocals (1, 3, 10, 16), vocal contractor
• Andrea Robinson – backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 10, 16)
• Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 10, 13, 16)
• Maxine Waters Willard – backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 10, 16)
• Terry Wood – backing vocals (1, 3, 10, 16)
• Carmen Twillie – backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 10, 16)
• Valerie Carter – backing vocals (4, 11, 13)
• Kate Markowitz – backing vocals (4, 11, 13)
• Laura Satterfield – backing vocals (4, 5, 11)
• Donna Davidson – backing vocals (5)
• Stephanie Spruill – backing vocals (5)
• Julie Ritter – backing vocals (6)
• Gretchen Seager – backing vocals (6)
• Josef Powell – backing vocals (13)
• Oren Waters – backing vocals (13, 15)
• Randy Crenshaw – backing vocals (14, 15)
• Jon Joyce – backing vocals (14, 15)
• Gene Morford – backing vocals (14, 15)
• Jerry Whitman – backing vocals (14, 15)
• Roger Freeland – backing vocals (15)
• Donny Gerrard – backing vocals (15)
• John Hendricks – backing vocals (15)
• Steve Lively – backing vocals (15)
• Rick Logan – backing vocals (15)

Arrangements

• Peter Asher – rhythm arrangements (1–6, 8, 10–16), orchestral arrangements (2), BGV arrangements (5)
• The Neil Diamond Band – rhythm arrangements (1, 3–5, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16)
• David Campbell – orchestral arrangements (1–4, 8, 10–16), orchestra conductor (1, 3, 4, 7–16), BGV arrangements (1, 3, 4, 10–16), horn arrangements (3, 5, 16), rhythm arrangements (8), arrangements (9)
• Mary's Danish – rhythm arrangements (6)
• Alan Lindgren – arrangements (7)
• The Ten Lonely Guys – rhythm arrangements (15)

Production

• Peter Asher – producer
• Frank Wolf – recording, mixing
• Bernie Becker – additional engineer
• Jeff Foster – assistant engineer
• Nathaniel Kunkle – assistant engineer
• Gil Morales – assistant engineer
• Jeff Orchard – assistant engineer
• Marnie Riley – assistant engineer
• Brian Soucy – assistant engineer
• Brett Swain – assistant engineer
• George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
• Cathy Kerr – production assistant
• Ivy Skoff – production coordinator
• Sam Cole – project coordinator
• David Kirschner – art direction
• Jan Weinberg – design
• Barbara Lebow – additional design
• William Dely – illustration
• Eugene Adabari – cover photography
• David Attie – additional photography
• BMI Photo Archives – additional photography
• Impact Photos – additional photography
• Michael Ochs Photos – additional photography
• Neil Diamond – liner notes
• Tom Hensley – note editing

Charts

Chart (1993)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [1]	25
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [2]	77
UK Albums (OCC) [3]	28
US Billboard 200 [4]	28

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [5]	Silver	60,000^
United States (RIAA) [6]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Australiancharts.com – Neil Diamond – Up on the Roof - Songs from the Brill Building". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
2. "Dutchcharts.nl – Neil Diamond – Up on the Roof - Songs from the Brill Building" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
3. "Neil Diamond | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
4. "Neil Diamond Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
5. "British album certifications – Neil Diamond – Up on the Roof". British Phonographic Industry.
6. "American album certifications – Neil Diamond – Up on the Roof - Songs from the Brill Building". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

• All Music Guide entry