Additional shows announced for Neil Diamond tour
Fri, Aug 1st 2008 3:37 pm EST (TicketNews) By Jane Cohen & Bob Grossweiner
Good times never seemed so good for Neil Diamond, whose four-decade long career is being proven on the concert trail once again.
Diamond's concerts have always been a hot ticket, and now his 2008 North American tour, which launched July 19, is proving to be no different. After selling out multiple shows at several large venues, the singer-songwriter is adding more dates to his itinerary.
Overwhelming fan demand has led to a third show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on October 4, following his sold-out October 1 and October 2 shows. Tickets for the third show go on sale on August 11.
Other cities have added shows, too. A second show was added in Philadelphia, extending Diamond's stay in the Keystone State from August 9-10. Including the August 15 and 16 shows added to his New York Madison Square Garden gigs, Diamond is now playing a total of four Garden shows: August 12, 14, 15 and 16.
The tour features a mix of Diamond classics such as “Sweet Caroline,” “I’m A Believer,” and “Cherry, Cherry,” as well as new songs from his critically acclaimed album, “Home Before Dark.”
His second collaboration with legendary producer Rick Rubin, the album dropped on May 6 and debuted at No. 1, making it Diamond’s first-ever chart topping debut. Among the album’s highlights include the lead single “Pretty Amazing Grace” and a duet with the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines entitled “Another Day (That Time Forgot).”
Neil Diamond plays New York: tickets still available
Neil Diamond has added an additional show to his New York section of his tour this summer. It will be another Hot August Night, here in New York City, as one of our favourite sons returns to perform his magic. His tour across North America begins on July 19th in St. Paul, MN and takes him to 37-cities. In New York City, his shows are playing at the Madison Square Gardens, Tuesday 12 August, Thursday 14 August, Friday 15 and Saturday 16 August. Great tickets are still available from www.concert-ticketdeals.com but they are selling fast.
Neil Diamond Tickets New York, Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 7:00 PM – View tickets here!
Neil Diamond Tickets New York, Thursday, Aug 14, 2008 at 7:00 PM – View tickets here!
Neil Diamond Tickets New York, Friday, Aug 15, 2008 at 7:00 PM – View tickets here!
Neil Diamond Tickets New York, Saturday Aug 16, 2008 at 8:00 PM - View tickets here!
Neil Diamond Tickets Albany, New York, Wed, August 20, 8:00PM - View tickets here!
Neil is certainly one of the most popular songwriters and performers of the modern era. With hits from the 1960s to the 1980s, and still recording albums, he has a loyal army of Diamond fans that reminisce with him.
He opened his European leg of the tour on 25 May 2008. His Rotterdam set list included:
One More Bite Of The Apple/Holly Holy (from Home Before Dark, 2008/
Touching Me, Touching You, 1969)
Street Life (from Beautiful Noise, 1976)
Beautiful Noise (from Beautiful Noise, 1976)
Lady Oh (from Beautiful Noise, 1976)
If You Know What I Mean (from Beautiful Noise, 1976)
Cherry Cherry (from The Feel Of Neil Diamond, 1966)
Thank The Lord For The Nighttime (from Just For You, 1967)
Hello Again (from The Jazz Singer, 1980)
Love On The Rocks (from The Jazz Singer, 1980)
Home Before Dark (from Home Before Dark, 2008
Don't Go There (from Home Before Dark, 2008)
Pretty Amazing Grace (from Home Before Dark, 2008)
Crunchy Granola Suite (from Stones, 1971)
Done Too Soon (from Tap Root Manuscript, 1970)
Forever in Blue Jeans (from You Don't Bring Me Flowers, 1978)
Brooklyn Roads (from Velvet Gloves and Spit, 1968)
I Am I Said (from Stones, 1971)
Solitary Man (from The Feel Of Neil Diamond, 1966)
I'm A Believer (from Just For You, 1967)
You Don't Bring Me Flowers (from You Don't Bring Me Flowers, 1978)
Song Sung Blue (from Moods, 1972)
Man Of God (from 12 Songs, 2005)
Hell Yeah (from 12 Songs, 2005)
Sweet Caroline (from Brother Loves Traveling Salvation Show, 1969)
Cracklin' Rosie (from Tap Root Manuscript, 1970)
America (from The Jazz Singer, 1980)
Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show (from Brother Loves Traveling Salvation Show, 1969)
Neil Diamond – Who is that Sweet Caroline?
There has always been a lot of interest in the origins of one of the greatest love songs of the 1960s. To fans across the world, it is one of the emblematic songs of the 60s, a lively, catchy love song to a girl known simply as Sweet Caroline. Now, 40 years after its release, the singer and songwriter Neil Diamond has revealed the inspiration behind the song: the Caroline in question was Caroline Kennedy, now the only surviving child of President John F Kennedy.
Diamond, 66, revealed how he had never discussed the origins of the song with anyone, preferring to keep it a secret until the day he actually met Caroline face to face.
Diamond opened up, telling both the press and the song's subject about its origin, when he finally met the now Caroline Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, and performed the song for her 50th birthday.
He stated that the song was so important to him and one of his first really big hits, going onto to be a massive seller. “I have to thank her for the inspiration," he said. The song really made his mark and left the public in no two minds that Neil was a great songwriter and performer.
He told Associated Press that he was happy to have gotten it off his chest and to have expressed it to Ms Kennedy Schlossberg. “I thought she might be embarrassed, but she seemed to be struck by it and really, really happy."
The inspiration for the song came from a photograph of the then nine-year-old Kennedy the singer saw in a magazine while staying at a hotel in Memphis.
"It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony," Diamond said. "It was such an innocent, wonderful picture; I immediately felt there was a song in there."
A few years later, Diamond penned the song inspired by the photograph. It became a hit, reviving his flagging career and eventually selling more than 2 million copies and providing countless karaoke singers with a chance to shine.
Ever popular the song recently reappeared in the singles chart in the US, thanks in part to the fact that it is belted out during home games at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team.
"I think they consider it good luck," Diamond told the Associated Press, adding that the Red Sox have become his favourite baseball team.
Just for memories, here are the words to the great song – you can hum along to the melody…
Where it began
I cant begin to knowin
But then I know its growin strong
Was in the spring
And spring became the summer
Whod have believed youd come along
Hands, touchin hands
Reachin out
Touchin me
Touchin you
Sweet caroline
Good times never seemed so good
Ive been inclined
To believe they never would
But now i
Look at the night
And it dont seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two
And when I hurt
Hurtin runs off my shoulders
How can I hurt when Im with you
Warm, touchin warm
Reachin out
Touchin me
Touchin me
Sweet caroline
Good times never seemed so good
Ive been inclined
To believe they never would
Oh, no, no
Sweet caroline
Good times never seemed so good
Ive been inclined
I believed they never could
Sweet caroline
Neil Diamond returns to the Stage
It is hard to believe that there are many concert goers and music lovers who may not know the name of Neil Diamond! They may know Miley, Hilary, Kelly or the Jonas Brothers, but when you ask them what thier favourite Neil Diamond song is, they glaze over.
Neil Diamond has has been a pop music stalwart since the mid-1960s. His songs, compositions, and performances are legendary. He has had numerous hit songs such as "Kentucky Woman" (1967), "Song Sung Blue" (1974) and "Love on the Rocks" (1980).
In the early 1960s, he wrote the Monkees' 1967 hit "I'm a Believer" around the time he began his own recording career. On the strength of a string of hits, Diamond became one of the best selling performers of the 1970s.
His devoted fan base carried him through the 1980s and in the 1990s he was rediscovered by a new generation of retro-loving pop fans. He has released two soundtracks for the movies (Jonathan Livingston Seagull in 1973 and The Jazz Singer in 1980, with Diamond also starring in the latter film), several albums of live performances and many collections of his greatest hits. His 2005 album 12 Songs was hailed as a return to his early days of songwriting and was the basis for one of the top grossing tours of the year. His other songs include: "Cherry, Cherry" (1966); "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" (1967); "Red, Red Wine" (1968); "Sweet Caroline" (1969); "Cracklin' Rosie" (1970); "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (1978, a duet with Barbra Streisand); and "America" (1981).
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