Soundtrack · No. 2
The Jazz Singer Songwriting Credits by Neil Diamond
Produced by Bob Gaudio · Engineered by Andy Bloch
Holds writing credit on 14 of 14 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 14 / 14 documented
Scored across the 14 tracks with documented writers, by whether Neil Diamond carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 14 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
The Jazz Singer is a Neil Diamond authored soundtrack rather than a compilation of outside songs. He wrote 'America' and 'You Baby' and 'Jerusalem' on his own, co-wrote 'Love on the Rocks,' 'On the Robert E. Lee,' 'Summerlove,' 'Hey Louise,' and 'Songs of Life' with French songwriter Gilbert Becaud, whose legal name was Francois Gilbert Leopold Silly, co-wrote 'Hello Again' with his keyboardist Alan Lindgren, 'Amazed and Confused' with guitarist Richard Bennett, and 'Acapulco' with guitarist Doug Rhone. The liturgical pieces 'Adon Olom' and 'Kol Nidre' are traditional Jewish material adapted by Diamond with Uri Frenkel. In the composer column Diamond appears under his legal name Neil Leslie Diamond and Becaud under Francois Gilbert Leopold Silly, the two writers whose stage names differ from their legal names.
The Jazz Singer is the soundtrack album by Neil Diamond, released in November 1980 as the companion to the film of the same name in which Diamond starred as cantor's son turned pop singer Jess Robin. It came out on Capitol Records rather than his usual Columbia because the film was made by EMI Films, whose parent company owned the label. Diamond wrote or co-wrote every original song on the record, working with collaborators including Gilbert Becaud, Alan Lindgren, Richard Bennett, and Doug Rhone, and framed the story with traditional Jewish liturgical material such as 'Adon Olom' and 'Kol Nidre.' It became the biggest-selling album of his career in the United States, selling more than five million copies and reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200, certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA. Three of its songs, 'Love on the Rocks,' 'Hello Again,' and 'America,' all became top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
Track Listing & Credits 14 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
America
#8
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
Adon Olom
|
TraditionalNeil DiamondUri Frenkel | TraditionalNeil Leslie DiamondUri Frenkel | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
You Baby
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Love on the Rocks
#2
|
Neil DiamondGilbert Becaud | Neil Leslie DiamondFrancois Gilbert Leopold Silly | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Amazed and Confused
|
Neil DiamondRichard Bennett | Neil Leslie DiamondRichard Bennett | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
On the Robert E. Lee
|
Neil DiamondGilbert Becaud | Neil Leslie DiamondFrancois Gilbert Leopold Silly | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
Summerlove
|
Neil DiamondGilbert Becaud | Neil Leslie DiamondFrancois Gilbert Leopold Silly | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Hello Again
#6
|
Neil DiamondAlan Lindgren | Neil Leslie DiamondAlan Lindgren | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
Acapulco
|
Neil DiamondDoug Rhone | Neil Leslie DiamondDoug Rhone | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
Hey Louise
|
Neil DiamondGilbert Becaud | Neil Leslie DiamondFrancois Gilbert Leopold Silly | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
Songs of Life
|
Neil DiamondGilbert Becaud | Neil Leslie DiamondFrancois Gilbert Leopold Silly | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 12 |
Jerusalem
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 13 |
Kol Nidre / My Name Is Yussel
|
TraditionalNeil DiamondUri Frenkel | TraditionalNeil Leslie DiamondUri Frenkel | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |
| 14 |
America (Reprise)
|
Neil Diamond | Neil Leslie Diamond | Bob Gaudio | Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals) |