Studio Album · No. 8

You Don't Bring Me Flowers Songwriting Credits by Neil Diamond

1978 Columbia Records 10 tracks 42 min

Produced by Bob Gaudio  ·  Engineered by Bill Schnee, Rick Ruggieri, Ron Hitchcock, Doug Sax

Columbia Records Pop RockSoft Rock
70%
Authorship
Songwriter

Holds writing credit on 7 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 7 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Neil Diamond carries a lyricist or composer credit.

70%
7 trackswritten by Neil Diamond 3 tracksoutside writers
Neil Diamond's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist70%
Composer70%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
10
Lyricists
1
Producers
1
No.1 Single
2 million
US Copies Sold
1978
Released
Data Insight

The album's authorship centers on its famous title track. 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers' was written by Neil Diamond with the husband-and-wife lyricists Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman, and Diamond is the self-author across most of the record, writing 'Remember Me,' 'Memphis Flyer,' 'Say Maybe,' and 'Diamond Girls' alone and co-writing 'Forever in Blue Jeans' with his guitarist Richard Bennett. A few tracks come from outside pens: 'The American Popular Song' by pianist Tom Hensley, 'You've Got Your Troubles' by the British team Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, and 'Mothers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons' by producer Bob Gaudio with Judy Parker. Diamond's legal name Neil Leslie Diamond fills the composer column wherever his common credit appears. The duet is the album's headline: Diamond and Barbra Streisand share lead vocals on the title cut, a number-one hit born from a radio DJ's mashup.

You Don't Bring Me Flowers is a 1978 studio album by Neil Diamond, released on Columbia Records on November 3, 1978 and produced by Bob Gaudio. Its title track became one of the defining records of Diamond's career, a duet with Barbra Streisand that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The duet grew out of an unofficial radio mashup: Louisville programmer Gary Guthrie spliced Diamond's solo version and Streisand's separate cover together, and the public response pushed Columbia to bring both stars into Cherokee Studios in Hollywood to cut a genuine new recording. Around that centerpiece the album mixes Diamond originals such as 'Forever in Blue Jeans,' co-written with his guitarist Richard Bennett, with a handful of outside songs and a Bob Gaudio composition. The record peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and was certified 2x Platinum in the United States, anchored by the chart-topping single that shares its name.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
The American Popular Song
Tom Hensley Tom Hensley Bob Gaudio Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Richard Bennett (Guitar)Tom Hensley (Piano, Keyboards)Alan Lindgren (Synthesizer, Piano)Reinie Press (Bass)Dennis St. John (Drums)
2
Forever in Blue Jeans #20
Neil DiamondRichard Bennett Neil Leslie DiamondRichard Bennett Bob Gaudio Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Richard Bennett (Guitar)Tom Hensley (Piano, Keyboards)Alan Lindgren (Synthesizer, Piano)Reinie Press (Bass)Dennis St. John (Drums)King Errisson (Percussion)
3
Remember Me
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Bob Gaudio Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Richard Bennett (Guitar)Tom Hensley (Piano, Keyboards)Alan Lindgren (Synthesizer, Piano)Reinie Press (Bass)Dennis St. John (Drums)
4
You've Got Your Troubles
Roger CookRoger Greenaway Roger CookRoger Greenaway Bob Gaudio Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Richard Bennett (Guitar)Tom Hensley (Piano, Keyboards)Alan Lindgren (Synthesizer, Piano)Reinie Press (Bass)Dennis St. John (Drums)
5
You Don't Bring Me Flowers #1
Neil DiamondAlan BergmanMarilyn Bergman Neil Leslie DiamondAlan BergmanMarilyn Bergman Bob Gaudio Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)Richard Bennett (Guitar)Tom Hensley (Piano, Keyboards)Alan Lindgren (Synthesizer, Piano)Reinie Press (Bass)Dennis St. John (Drums)
6
The Dancing Bumble Bee / Bumble Boogie
Neil DiamondJack Fina Neil Leslie DiamondJack Fina Bob Gaudio Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Tom Hensley (Piano, Keyboards)Alan Lindgren (Synthesizer, Piano)Reinie Press (Bass)Dennis St. John (Drums)
7
Mothers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons
Bob GaudioJudy Parker Robert GaudioJudy Parker Bob Gaudio Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Richard Bennett (Guitar)Tom Hensley (Piano, Keyboards)Alan Lindgren (Synthesizer, Piano)Reinie Press (Bass)Dennis St. John (Drums)
8
Memphis Flyer
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Bob Gaudio Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Richard Bennett (Guitar)Tom Hensley (Piano, Keyboards)Alan Lindgren (Synthesizer, Piano)Reinie Press (Bass)Dennis St. John (Drums)
9
Say Maybe
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Bob Gaudio Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Richard Bennett (Guitar)Tom Hensley (Piano, Keyboards)Alan Lindgren (Synthesizer, Piano)Reinie Press (Bass)Dennis St. John (Drums)
10
Diamond Girls
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Bob Gaudio Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals)Richard Bennett (Guitar)Tom Hensley (Piano, Keyboards)Alan Lindgren (Synthesizer, Piano)Reinie Press (Bass)Dennis St. John (Drums)King Errisson (Percussion)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 17 contributors

More from Neil Diamond

Frequently Asked Questions You Don't Bring Me Flowers

Who wrote 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers'?
The song was written by Neil Diamond with Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman. Diamond built the music and the Bergmans, a married lyric-writing team, shaped the words.
Is 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers' a duet with Barbra Streisand?
Yes. The famous version on this album is a duet between Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand, and it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1978.
How did the Diamond and Streisand duet come about?
Diamond and Streisand had each recorded the song separately. Louisville radio programmer Gary Guthrie spliced their two versions into an unofficial duet, and its popularity led Columbia to bring both artists into the studio to record a real duet.
Who produced You Don't Bring Me Flowers?
The album was produced by Bob Gaudio, the former Four Seasons songwriter who also co-wrote the track 'Mothers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons.'
Did Neil Diamond write most of the album?
Yes. Diamond wrote or co-wrote the majority of the record, including 'Forever in Blue Jeans' with guitarist Richard Bennett and several solo songs, while a few tracks came from outside writers.
What were the singles from the album?
'You Don't Bring Me Flowers' hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and 'Forever in Blue Jeans' reached number 20 on the same chart in 1979.
How did the album perform commercially?
It peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and was certified 2x Platinum in the United States.

Sources