CoronaVinyl Day 170 (D): Greatest Hits by Neil Diamond

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "D," and I give you the first Greatest Hits album put out by Neil Diamond.

I think it goes without saying that Neil Diamond is a national treasure and one of the greatest pop songwriters of all-time.  He's a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center Honors honoree, and the recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.  And if that wasn't enough, he was a member of NYU's NCAA champion fencing team in 1960.

Diamond was part of the uber-talented songwriting pool at the Brill Building in New York in the '60s, and he has written hit songs for himself and many others.  In 1968, he released his first of what is now dozens of greatest hits albums.  This features 12 songs released between 1966 and 1968 on Bang Records, and the songs were produced by fellow Brill Building songwriters, the legendary songwriting team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, who themselves wrote a slew -- but not a slough or a slue -- of huge hits, including five #1s on the Billboard Hot 100.

The songs on the album are all hit singles (or their B-sides).  The album isn't on Spotify, and I couldn't find it on YouTube either, so here is the track listing with chart position on the Billboard Hot 100 and commentary.  Also, I'll embed YouTube videos of my favorite song from each side.

Side 1

1.  "Cherry, Cherry" (#6) - This was Diamond's first Top 10 hit.

2.  "Oh No No" (#16) - This is also known as "I Got The Feelin' (Oh No No)."

3.  "New Orleans" (#51) - This is a cover of a Gary U.S. Bonds song.

4.  "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" (#10) - Diamond's second Top 10 song got a rebirth when Urge Overkill's 1992 faithful cover was included on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack in 1994, and itself hit #59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and charted in several other countries.

5.  "Do It" - This was the B-side to "Solitary Man"

6.  "You Got to Me" (#18)

Side 2

1.  "Solitary Man" (#55) - This was Diamond's first charting hit, reaching #55 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966.

2.  "Kentucky Woman" (#22) - Heavy metal pioneers Deep Purple covered this one in 1968, and their version reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100.

3.  "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" (#13)

4.  "Red Red Wine" (#62) - While this was only a minor hit for Diamond, in 1983, UB40's cover would go to #1 in the UK, and five years later, it was re-released in the U.S., where it would top the Billboard Hot 100. 

5.  "Hanky Panky" - This was the B-side to "New Orleans."  It was written by Barry & Greenwich and was a #1 song for Tommy James and The Shondells.  It starts with Diamond saying he doesn't want to sing the song, and "I don't care who wrote it."  Then people in the background yell "do it!," and he obliges.

6.  "The Boat I Row" - This was the B-side to "Oh No No," and it was covered by British singer Lulu, who took it to #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Canadian pop chart.

The songs on this album alone would represent a pretty solid career, but Diamond was just getting started.  He has continued to (successfully) make music for the 50+ years since then.  After this album was released, Diamond had:  (1) 18 Top 10 albums in the U.S. (including studio and live albums), including one #1 (2008's Home Before Dark); (2) including studio, live, and compilation albums, 24 platinum or multiplatinum albums in the U.S.; (3) 32 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including 11 Top 10s and three #1s.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "You Got to Me"

"You Got to Me" is kind of forgotten hit and gem in Diamond's vast catalog.  With a wailing harmonica throughout and an infectious melody, it's a great '60s pop rock song.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Thank the Lord for the Night Time"
This is a classic Diamond song in every sense, from the acoustic-electric guitar to the hand claps to the catchy choruses to the uptempo beat to the subtle piano to the soulful background vocals to Diamond's gravely voice.