Solitary Man

Infobox Single
Name = Solitary Man


B-side = "Do It"
Artist = Neil Diamond
Released = April 4, 1966
Format = 7-inch
Genre = Pop/Rock
Producer = Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich
Writer = Neil Diamond | Label = Bang Records
Length =
Last single =
This single = "Solitary Man"
(1966)
Next single = "Cherry, Cherry" (1966)

"Solitary Man" is a 1966 song written and recorded by Neil Diamond, that has been a hit for him and others across five decades.

History

Released in April 1966, "Solitary Man" was Diamond's debut single as a recording artist (he had already had some success as a songwriter for others), put out on Bang Records.cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gifixqe5ld6e~T1 | title=Neil Diamond: Biography | author=William Ruhlmann | publisher=Allmusic | accessdate=2008-04-30] By July it had become a minor hit in places, rising to #55 on the U.S. pop singles chart. It would then be included on Diamond's first album, "The Feel of Neil Diamond", released in August.

While nominally about young romantic failure, parts of the lyric:

:"Don't know that I will,:"But until, I can find me:"...:"I'll be, what I am —:"A solitary man ...:"Solitary man.

have been closely identified with Diamond himself, as evinced by a 2008 profile in "The Daily Telegraph": "This is the Solitary Man depicted on his first hit in 1966: the literate, thoughtful and melodically adventurous composer of songs that cover a vast array of moods and emotions ..." [cite news | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/05/03/bmdiamond103.xml | title=Neil Diamond: the hurt, the dirt, the shirts | author=Neil McCormick | publisher="The Daily Telegraph" | date=2008-03-05 | accessdate=2008-05-02] Indeed, Diamond himself would bemusedly tell interviewers in the 2000s, "After four years of Freudian analysis I realised I had written 'Solitary Man' about myself." [cite news | url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article702596.ece | title=I’ll be what I am. A solitary man | author=Pete Paphides | publisher="The Times" | date=2006-04-07 | accessdate=2008-05-08]

"Solitary Man"'s dynamic melody matched with this melancholic universality would make the song an attractive target for later interpretations.

After Diamond had renewed commercial success with Uni Records at the end of the decade, Bang Records re-released "Solitary Man" as a single and it reached #21 on the U.S. pop charts in summer 1970.cite book | last=Whitburn | first=Joel | authorlink=Joel Whitburn | title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: 1955 to present | publisher=Billboard Publications | year=1983 | isbn=0-8230-7511-7 p. 88.]

A 2005 "Rolling Stone" retrospective would write, "'Solitary Man' remains the most brilliantly efficient song in the Diamond collection. There's not a wasted word or chord in this two-and-a-half minute anthem of heartbreak and self-affirmation, which introduced the melancholy loner persona that he's repeatedly returned to throughout his career." [cite news | url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/neildiamond/articles/story/8730821/neil_diamonds_jewels | title=Neil Diamonds' Jewels | author=Dan Epstein | publisher="Rolling Stone" | date=2005-11-03 | accessdate=2008-05-08]

Gianni Morandi's cover

In 1966, the famous Italian singer Gianni Morandi made his version with the title "Se perdo anche te " ("If I lose you too"). Author of the Italian text was Franco Migliacci, who was Morandi's producer at that time and wrote eight years before the words of the sensational International hit "Nel blu,dipinto di blu" or "Volare", by Domenico Modugno. Here it is a digest of the text of "Se perdo anche te ""Non piangerò mai sul denaro che spendo: Ne riavrò forse più Ma piango l'amore di un'unica donna Che non ho forse più. Accendilo tu questo sole che è spento ! L'amore,lo sai,scioglie i cuori di ghiaccio. Che sarà di me se perdo anche te ? ". ("I shall never cry for money I spend: may be I'll have it again more, but I cry the love of an only woman that may be I have no more. Switch you on this sun that's out ! You know, love melts the ice hearts. What will be about me if I lose you too ? ").This song was arranged by Ennio Morricone, who conducted at that time so many tunes published by the Italian RCA Victor, and was the B-Side of "C'era un ragazzo che come me amava i Beatles e i Rolling Stones " ("There was a boy who loved like me Beatles and Rolling Stones"), a song against the Vietnam war.

Chris Isaak's cover

Infobox Single
Name = Solitary Man


Cover size =
Border =
Caption =
Artist = Chris Isaak
Album = San Francisco Days
A-side =
B-side =
Released = 1993
Format =
Recorded =
Genre = Rock
Length =
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Writer =
Producer =
Audio sample? =
Certification =
Last single = "San Francisco Days"
(1993)
This single = "Solitary Man"
(1993)
Next single = "Somebody's Crying"
(1995)
Misc =

Chris Isaak covered "Solitary Man" as the last track for his 1993 album "San Francisco Days". The music video for the song is directed by Larry Clark.

Johnny Cash's cover

Infobox Single |
Name = American III: Solitary Man
Type = Album
Artist = Johnny Cash


Released = October 17, 2000
Recorded =
Genre = Country
Length = 42:15
Label = American Recordings
Producer = John Carter Cash, Rick Rubin
Reviews =
* Allmusic rating-5|3 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:xxcibkk9aakv link]
Last album = "Love, God and Murder"
(2000)
This album = "American III: Solitary Man"
(2000)
Next album = "The Essential Johnny Cash"
(2002)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = American series
Type = Studio album
Last album = "Unchained"
(1996)
This album = "American III: Solitary Man"
(2000)
Next album = ""
(2002)

Johnny Cash used "Solitary Man" for the title track of his 3rd "" album in 2000) and he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance with it.-

HIM's cover

Infobox Single
Name = Solitary Man


Artist = HIM
from Album =
And Love Said No - The Greatest Hits 1997-2004
Released = March, 2004
Format = CD single
Recorded = 2004
Genre = Alternative rock
Producer = HIM
Reviews =
Last single = "The Sacrament"
(2003)
This single = "Solitary Man"
(2004)
Next single = "And Love Said No"
(2004) |In 2004, the Finnish band HIM covered "Solitary Man" for their first compilation album "And Love Said No - The Greatest Hits 1997-2004". It was released as a single and a music video, produced by Bam Margera, was created.

Track listing

Finnish and European version

#"Solitary Man"
#"Please Don't Let It Go" (Live)
#"Join Me in Death" (Live)

UK version

;Vol. 1 DVD single
#"Solitary Man" (video)
#"Right Here in My Arms" (video)
#Making of "Buried Alive by Love"
#Pandora's slideshow
#"Your Sweet 666" (Audio-Live 2003)

;Vol. 2 CD single
#"Solitary Man"
#"Please Don't Let it Go" (Punk Rock version - Live 2003)

;Vol. 3 7" Vinyl
#"Solitary Man"

Charts positions

References