Classic Pop Icons

Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” is Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons. “Sweet Caroline” was released on single in May 1969, backed with “Dig In”. It would also appear on later pressings of Diamond’s fourth album “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show” and on the UK edition of his fifth album “Touching You, Touching Me”.

Neil Diamond had spent several years hanging around the New York songwriting district, submitting songs for other artists to record, before he signed to Bang Records and broke through with his own hit, “Solitary Man” in 1966. This, and his subsequent hits on Bang Records, were produced by the legendary Brill Building songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. By the late 1960s, Diamond had become restless and wanted to move on from Bang Records in order to take more control over the direction of his career. He signed with UNI/MCA in 1968, but his first album with the label, “Velvet Gloves and Spit,” missed the album chart completely, and the three singles that it yielded (“Brooklyn Roads,” “Two-Bit Manchild,” and “Sunday Sun”) all failed to breach the Top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. Record company executives might have been getting nervous, but Diamond’s commercial fortunes were about to change in a big way. Early in 1969, the single “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show” peaked at a more impressive number 22 on the Hot 100, and then “Sweet Caroline” would become one of the great hits of the summer.

Although “Sweet Caroline” is probably Neil Diamond’s best known song and one of his biggest hits, it was written in super quick time and tackled in the studio in response to producer Tommy Cogbill’s concerns that the material they were working on didn’t contain any hits. In a 2007 interview, Diamond told the Associated Press that the inspiration for the song title came from a picture of John F Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline, which he had seen in a magazine while staying at a hotel in Memphis:

The musicians at the “Sweet Caroline” session seem to agree that they loved the song, but that Diamond himself was sceptical about it. In Roben Jones’ book “Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios,” pianist Bobby Wood says: “We knew that Sweet Caroline was a hit when we cut it [but] Diamond didn’t like it at all…and he didn’t want it to be a single.” Guitarist Reggie Young agrees, noting “We all loved that song. I don’t think Neil was really pleased with the arrangement”.

The book recollects a somewhat tense session, with Diamond and producer Tommy Cogbill not always seeing eye to eye and Diamond perhaps not entirely comfortable with the independent spirit of the Memphis session players. Wayne Carson recalls “Neil Diamond never fit in with the [Memphis] groove, he wanted to but he never could”.

The creative friction led Diamond to insist on the string and horn parts being overdubbed elsewhere, rather than relying on the talents of Mike Leech and Glen Spreen in Memphis. Spreen’s interpretation of this move is that Neil was a “control freak and wanted to do things his way”.

Whatever the creative disputes, the musicians collectively created one of the most timeless recordings of the 1960s. The introduction, conceived by Diamond, is one of the most famous in pop history, with horns repeating the simple melody, before Diamond’s distinctive vocals begin the story of the love affair with Caroline.

The sing-along quality of the chorus is a big factor in the popularity of “Sweet Caroline” and has made it a natural closing number for Diamond’s live shows. The trio of chords (Da/Da/Daa) that punctuate Diamond’s jubilant vocals after the “Sweet Caroline” and “I’ve been inclined” lines are another masterstroke in a superbly crafted arrangement. Part of the reason that the chorus works so well is the tension created by a build-up that is finely judged both musically and lyrically (“Hands, touching hands/Reaching out/Touching me, Touching you”).

“Sweet Caroline” (original) – Neil Diamond

Here’s Diamond opening a 1971 BBC television special with “Sweet Caroline”.

“Sweet Caroline” (live 1971) – Neil Diamond

Authorship

“Sweet Caroline” was written by Neil Diamond.

Recording date/location

“Sweet Caroline” was recorded late 1968/early 1969 at the American Sound Studio, located at 827 Thomas Street in Memphis, Tennessee.

The studio was in the middle of a three-year period which saw more than 100 records hit the charts from artists including Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and Dusty Springfield.

Musicians

The following musicians appeared on “Sweet Caroline”:

• Neil Diamond – vocals
• Reggie Young – guitar
• Bobby Wood – piano
• Bobby Emmons – Hammond B-3 organ
• Mike Leech – bass, glockenspiel
• Gene Chrisman – drums.

These musicians, known as the Memphis Boys, were the American Sound Studio house band.

The session was produced by Tommy Cogbill.

Chart performance

“Sweet Caroline” peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 10, 1969.

The single reached number eight on the UK singles chart in 1971.

Other notable versions

“Sweet Caroline” – Bobby Darin

Bobby Darin offered up an original and dramatic arrangement of “Sweet Caroline” when he covered it on television during “The Bobby Darin Show” in January 1973. The verses are introduced with a nicely crafted and somewhat solemn piano part, which helps create a real mood shift when he presents the high powered chorus. Darin clearly enjoyed the song.

“Sweet Caroline” – Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley made “Sweet Caroline” part of his stage act in 1970, and there were versions included on his album “On Stage” and in the concert movie “Elvis – That’s The Way It Is”. Both versions are taken at a slightly faster tempo than the original, which isn’t entirely positive, but Elvis really gets into the spirit of the song and is particularly strong on the celebratory chorus, which he introduces with enthusiastic and well delivered “whoa whoas”. Ronnie Tutt’s military style drumming also adds to the atmosphere.

“Sweet Caroline” – Frank Sinatra

In 2008, Neil Diamond told Spinner.com that Frank Sinatra’s cover of “Sweet Caroline” is his favourite:

Sinatra gets points for originality, but the treatment is an acquired taste and to these ears doesn’t suit the material. Sinatra is also obviously past his vocal prime.

There will be a new Song of the Week on December 17.

Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” is available on “The Very Best of Neil Diamond”.

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