Studio Album · No. 1
The Feel of Neil Diamond Songwriting Credits by Neil Diamond
Produced by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich
Holds writing credit on 7 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 7 / 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
The debut splits evenly between Neil Diamond originals and outside covers. He wrote seven of the twelve tracks himself: 'Solitary Man,' 'Do It,' 'Someday Baby,' 'Oh No No,' 'I'll Come Running,' 'Love to Love,' and the hit 'Cherry, Cherry,' an early sign of the self-contained songwriter he would become. The remaining five are covers he did not write: 'Red Rubber Ball' by Bruce Woodley and Paul Simon, 'La Bamba' by Ritchie Valens, 'Hanky Panky' by his own producers Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, 'Monday, Monday' by John Phillips, and 'New Orleans' by Frank Guida and Joseph Royster. The composer column carries his legal name, Neil Leslie Diamond, on the songs he authored.
The Feel of Neil Diamond is the debut studio album by Neil Diamond, released in August 1966 on Bert Berns' Bang Records. It captures Diamond at the moment he broke through as a performer after years writing hits for other acts in the Brill Building, and it pairs six of his own compositions with six covers of then-current pop and rock and roll songs. The originals include 'Solitary Man,' the moody self-portrait that gave him his first chart entry, and 'Cherry, Cherry,' the loose, guitar-driven single that became his first top ten hit. Production came from the songwriting and hit-making team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, with arrangements by Artie Butler. The album reached number 137 on the Billboard 200 and set the template for the songwriter who would soon dominate the charts on his own terms.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Solitary Man
#55
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 2 |
Red Rubber Ball
|
Bruce WoodleyPaul Simon | Bruce WoodleyPaul Simon | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 3 |
La Bamba
|
Ritchie Valens | Ritchie Valens | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 4 |
Do It
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 5 |
Hanky Panky
|
Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 6 |
Monday, Monday
|
John Phillips | John Phillips | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 7 |
New Orleans
|
Frank GuidaJoseph Royster | Frank GuidaJoseph Royster | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 8 |
Someday Baby
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 9 |
Oh No No
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 10 |
I'll Come Running
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 11 |
Love to Love
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 12 |
Cherry, Cherry
#6
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Jeff BarryEllie Greenwich | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |