Studio Album · No. 3
Tap Root Manuscript Songwriting Credits by Neil Diamond
Produced by Tom Catalano, Neil Diamond · Engineered by Armin Steiner
Holds writing credit on 11 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 11 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Neil Diamond carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Tap Root Manuscript is Neil Diamond at his most self-authored. Every song is written and composed by Diamond except the closing cover of 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother,' which was written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell. The number-one hit 'Cracklin' Rosie' is a Diamond original, as is the entire seven-part 'African Trilogy' that fills side two, a suite he conceived and composed on his own. The composer column carries his legal name, Neil Leslie Diamond, on the originals, while the cover keeps its two outside writers. It is a clear case of a songwriter using a hit single as the doorway into a personal, large-scale concept work.
Tap Root Manuscript is the sixth studio album by Neil Diamond, released on October 15, 1970 on Uni Records. Side one holds a run of Diamond originals led by the chart-topping single 'Cracklin' Rosie,' alongside 'Free Life,' 'Coldwater Morning,' and the name-checking 'Done Too Soon,' and closes with a cover of 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother.' Side two is 'The African Trilogy,' a seven-part folk-ballet suite that Diamond wrote and composed himself, drawing on African rhythms and choral textures for pieces like 'Soolaimon' and 'Missa.' Produced by Tom Catalano and Diamond with arrangements from Lee Holdridge, Marty Paich, and Don Randi, the record reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. It ranks among Diamond's most ambitious statements as a self-author, pairing radio hits with a full conceptual suite.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Cracklin' Rosie
#1
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 2 |
Free Life
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 3 |
Coldwater Morning
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 4 |
Done Too Soon
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 5 |
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
#20
|
Bob RussellBobby Scott | Bob RussellBobby Scott | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Childsong
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 7 |
I Am the Lion
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Madrigal
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
Soolaimon
#30
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
Missa
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Nancy Adams (Vocal Arrangement) |
| 11 |
African Suite
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 12 |
Childsong (Reprise)
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Tom CatalanoNeil Diamond | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |