Brooklyn born Neil Leslie Diamond began his singing career with the folk group, the Roadrunners, between 1954 and 1956. As a senior at New York University, studying medicine, Diamond was offered a songwriting position with a publishing company, for fifty dollars a week.
In 1962, Neil Diamond has signed a record deal with Columbia Records, but failed to produce any results. So, it was back to writing songs for Diamond, whose first success came when Jay and the Americans recorded his song "Sunday and Me." They went Top 20 on the Billboard charts with it.
Other artists who have recorded the Neil Diamond compositions include Elvis Presley, Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere and the Raiders fame), Lulu, and Deep Purple. He also wrote for the Monkees TV show. Although "I'm a believer" and "a little 'Me, A Little Bit You" was recorded by The Monkees, these songs were written by Diamond to record himself.
Diamond signed with Bang Records in 1966 and its first single, "Solitary Man" not to break into the Top 40. However, it was released back in 1970 and went to 21 of the weekly charts. Her next single, "Cherry Cherry" gave his first diamond successful and was able to have a Top 40 hit every year between 1966-1983.
Ironically, the biggest hit diamond of all time is a duet with another native of Brooklyn, Barbra Streisand. Both had recorded the diamond composition of "You Do not Bring Me Flowers" in separate albums. Two DJs from Detroit, Jack Hood and Gene Krusewski, noted the similarities in the recordings and mix the two versions. The popularity of the song has aroused Diamond and Streisand to go into the studio and record together.
Here's a look at twenty greatest hits of Neil Diamond, according to the weekly Top 40 of the Billboard charts.
1. Do not Bring Me Flowers - 1978 - labeled as Barbra and Neil. In their early years, Diamond and Streisand sang in a school choir together.
2. Cracklin 'Rosie - 1970 - written on a Canadian whiskey and was the first single number one Neil.
3. Song sung blue - in 1972 - one of three number one singles for him.
4. Love On The Rocks - 1981 - one of three single of the film "The Jazz Singer" starring Diamond.
5. Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never looked so good) - 1969 - Diamond says it took him an hour to write this song, inspired when he saw a picture of Caroline Kennedy on the cover of Life magazine.
6. I Am ... I said - 1971
7. Heartlight - 1982 - inspired the 1982 movie "ET -. The Extraterrestrial"
8. Longfellow Serenade - 1974 - from the album "Serenade ".
9. Holly Santa - 1969
10. Hello Again - 1981 - also from "The Jazz Singer".
11. Cherry, Cherry - 1966 - his first Top 10 single. A live version of this song from the album "Hot August Night" was released as a single and managed to reach # 31 in the weekly charts.
12. America - 1981 - the third Top 10 single from "The Jazz Singer".
13. Girl, you'll be a woman soon - 1967
14. Yesterday's Songs - 1982
15. If you know what I mean - 1976
16. Play Me - 1972
17. I thank the Lord for the night - 1967 - legendary songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich can be heard singing backup on this song.
18. Stones - 1971
19. Desiree - 1978
20. I Got The Feelin '(Oh No No) - 1966 - a song also covered by Cliff Richard.
Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand had plans for a film version of "You Do not Bring Me Flowers", but Diamond did the remake of Al Jolson classic "the Jazz Singer" in 1980, for which the music composed diamond. Neil Diamond continues to tour and record, including his third of holiday music, "A Cherry Cherry Christmas Album", which was released in 09. In September 2010, Diamond was nominated for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame .
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