Introduction: Several people have been tossing around ideas for how to list the rare and variant recordings by Neil Diamond for quite a while. In order to save time, and to present only the most interesting possibilities, we have compiled this list with the assumption that most people already have the "general-release" CDs, and won't be looking for recordings that are identical to those. "General release" CDs are in-print CDs that can be bought in stores nowadays.
Therefore, we are concentrating on songs that have never appeared on CD at all, or songs that are audible variants of what's commonly available, or obscure alternate versions of the songs. The primary sources for these are: LPs, promos, 45's, out-of-print CDs, or foreign releases containing unique performances. Variations created by simple editing or mono versions with no discernible mix differences from the stereo versions, are generally not listed here.
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| You Are My Love At Last | Song not available on CD at all- recorded as "Neil and Jack" | Duel 508 (45) |
| I'm Afraid | Song not available on CD at all- recorded as "Neil and Jack" | Duel 517 (45) |
| Til You've Tried Love | Song not available on CD at all- recorded as "Neil and Jack" | Duel 517 (45) |
| Ten Lonely Guys | Song not available on CD at all | Roots Of S.O.B. Vol.2 [RLP-2] (LP) |
| I've Never Been The Same | Song not available on CD at all | Chartbusters [H 30023] (LP) |
| Notes:
Neil's 1996 boxed set In My Lifetime contains a treasure trove of
early demos and incredibly rare early recordings, and is a must-have for
any serious Neil collector. It is missing several of the Neil and Jack
songs, however, so those songs are currently only available on the collector's
market.
"Ten Lonely Guys" was re-recorded in 1993 for the album- Up On the Roof. This is not the same version as the pre-Bang one mentioned here. |
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| Solitary Man (ver 2) | Original Bang stereo mix of version 2. | BS, JFY reissue, NDGH reissue, DOIT, DG |
| Red Rubber Ball | Song not available on CD at all | FON |
| La Bamba | Song not available on CD at all | FON |
| Do It | Original mono version without overdubbing | BANG519, FON |
| Do It | added stereo instrumentation post-production, short edit | DOIT |
| Do It | added instruments post-production, extra repeat section spliced in to extend length. Pitch is slow. | BANG580 |
| Do It | Same as DOIT, but missing bongos, short edit | FKEC |
| Hanky Panky | Song not available on CD at all | FON, NDGH |
| Monday Monday | Song not available on CD at all | FON, BS, DG |
| New Orleans | Song not available on CD at all | FON,NDGH,DG |
| Someday Baby | Song not available on CD at all | FON, DOIT, DG |
| I Got the Feelin’ (Oh No No) | Original Bang stereo mix | FON, NDGH, BS, DG, |
| I’ll Come Running | Song not available on CD at all | FON, DOIT, BS, DG |
| Love to Love | Song not available on CD at all | FON, DOIT,DG |
| Cherry Cherry | Original Bang stereo mix | FON, JFY,NDGH, BS, DG |
| Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon | Original Bang stereo mix | JFY, NDGH, BS, DG |
| Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon | Bang mono mix, longer fadeout | JFY |
| The Long Way Home | Song not available on CD at all | JFY, DOIT, DG |
| Red Red Wine | Original Bang stereo mix | JFY, NDGH, BS, DOIT, DG |
| Red Red Wine | mono 45 version, Backing choir added | BANG556 |
| You’ll Forget | Song not available on CD at all | JFY, DOIT, DG |
| I'm a Believer | Original Bang stereo mix | JFY, BS, DOIT, |
| I'm a Believer | added instrumentation post-production | BANG586, DG |
| Shilo (ver 1) | Original Bang stereo mix | JFY, |
| Shilo (ver 2) | Entirely different version of song. 45 version includes ticking at intro and double tracked vocals during "I understand..." at the end. Drum mix different than LP version. | BANG575 |
| Shilo (ver 2B) | Instrumental ending, instead of spliced-in verse ending. | FKEC |
| Kentucky Woman | True stereo version. The only appearance to date. | FKEC |
| Shot Down | Song not available on CD at all | DOIT, DG |
| Crooked Street | Song not available on CD at all | DOIT, DG |
| The Time is Now | Song not available on CD at all | BANG551, BANG578 |
| Notes: Abbreviations for Bang albums are the same here as the ones used in the article Neil Diamond On Bang Records. 3 songs have been dropped from this list, because the stereo versions are easily available on Classics-The Early Years, and sound identical to the 60's stereo Bang mixes. | ||
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| Brooklyn Roads | Mono 45 version. Percussive effect of slapping guitar mixed louder | Uni 55065 (45) |
| Holiday Inn Blues | Mono 45 version- alternate take, more uptempo, double-tracked vocal | Uni 55065 (45) |
| Broad Old Woman | Mono, Non-LP B Side. Length runs 4:44. | Uni 55075 (45) |
| Broad Old Woman | Cassette version runs only 3:10. Edited differently- at the beginning, Neil asks the time and is told 6:30AM; He says they only have 6 minutes to finish; A voice says TEN. None of these parts are on the 45 version. This is the only true stereo recording available. | UNI/GRT 529-73030 (cassette) |
| Two Bit Manchild | Mono 45 version- Several seconds longer during fade | Uni 55075 (45) |
| Sunday Sun | Mono 45 version. Drumming mixed louder, string section on "dream about some dreams". Shorter edit. | Uni 55084 (45) |
| Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show | Mono 45 version. Neil's vocal is double-tracked on 2nd verse @ 1:10, bells added on "Take my hand in yours" @ 2:32, several seconds longer than LP version. Tambourine rattling mixed in at 3:21. | Uni 55109 (45) |
| Sweet Caroline | Mixed differently than any of the stereo versions. The cymbal tapping reverbs in the background create a neat echo effect. Orchestra part at approx. 00:46 (right as he sings "hands...") is loud on the 45, but subdued on the right channel of the BLTSS LP mix and totally erased from the 12GH CD version. Glockenspiel at ending is mixed higher on the 45 than the stereo versions | Uni 55136 (45) |
| Sweet Caroline | Stereo remix- instruments placed differently across stereo spectrum, female backing vocals mixed higher, echo on Neil's vocal added, length extended by about 10 seconds. | 12GH
[SD-16612] (Half-speed LP)
12GH [MCAD-37252] (CD) |
| Holly Holy | Mono 45 version. Backing vocals mixed higher than stereo LP version. Louder tympani at end. Edited- doesn't have "Holly holy rain..." at the end | Uni 55175 (45) |
| Holly Holy | Stereo remix/alternate vocal take. Drum track removed. Piano/tambourine heavy mix. Instruments placed differently across stereo spectrum. "God I fly" @ 3:42 mixed out. | 12GH
[SD-16612] (Half-speed LP)
12GH [MCAD-37252] (CD) |
| Until It's Time for You to Go | Mono 45 version- at ending of song, guitar finishes on a single note, instead of trickling off. | Uni 55204 (45) |
| Soolaimon | Mono 45 version- does not have the drumbeat seque into "Missa" from 4:14-4:24, so the song runs full-length here, while LP and CD hits compilations must fade at 4:14 before the "Missa" drumbeats start. | Uni 55224 (45) |
| Soolaimon | Weird version treated with a noise-gate that removed echo on drums. | 12GH [MCA 2106] (LP) |
| Cracklin' Rosie | Extra intro: spoken "Cracklin' Rosie", tapping drumsticks and a countdown. | Glory Road [MCAD-10502] (CD) |
| Song Sung Blue | Mono 45 version, Bass mixed higher. Guitar mixed louder on 4 descending notes after "You simply got no choice" @ 01:33 | Uni
55326 (45)
MCA-60116 (45) |
| Song Sung Blue | 45 version mixed to stereo (it only took 20 years to do this!) but bass is muted, guitar mixed louder on 4 descending notes after "You simply got no choice" @ 01:33. Instruments placed differently across stereo spectrum, compared to old Moods LP version. | Glory Road [MCAD-10502] (CD) |
| Gitchy Goomy | Mono 45 version. Bass mixed higher. Simpler instrumentation- missing steel guitar parts. | Uni
55326 (45)
MCA-60116 (45) |
| Cherry Cherry (live) | 45 version- edited- instrumental bridge removed. Guitar overdub in the middle of the song. More lively-sounding stereo mix- background vocalists on different channels. | MCA 40017 (45) |
| Notes:
Most Uni/MCA variants are 45 versions, usually in mono, and have not made
any LP or CD appearances. Re-issue 45's often do not use the original mono
45 mixes- most had been remastered with stereo LP versions after Uni was
superseded by its parent label, MCA.
His 12 Greatest Hits had contained several music variants across the multiple re-releases. MCA-2106 had "Soolaimon" treated with a noise gate, which altered the sound considerably. SD-16612 is a half-speed mastered audiophile release from Direct Disc/MCA, which contained alternate mixes of "Sweet Caroline" and "Holly Holy". MCAD-37252 of the same title used the same master tape as the half speed disc, so it contained the same variants, but is now out of print. "Holly Holy" remix is currently available on the import CD set The Ultimate Collection |
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| I've Been This Way Before | Quadraphonic mix. See bottom of page for addittional info on quad variants. | Serenade Quad [PCQ 32919] (LP) |
| Rosemary's Wine | Quadraphonic mix- extra steel guitar added to mix. | Serenade Quad [PCQ 32919] (LP) |
| Lady Magdelene | Quadraphonic mix- different lyrics- "The man in-between stands within the two" @2:57 | Serenade Quad [PCQ 32919] (LP) |
| The Last Picasso | Quadraphonic mix | Serenade Quad [PCQ 32919] (LP) |
| The Last Picasso | 45 version- edited, with different lyrics- "But have I told you, if I remember to say that without you this life of plenty" @ 00:28 | Col 10138 (45) |
| Longfellow Serenade | Quadraphonic mix | Serenade Quad [PCQ 32919] (LP) |
| Yes I Will | Quadraphonic mix- extra bridge sung in middle of the song over the instrumental | Serenade Quad [PCQ 32919] (LP) |
| Reggae Strut | Quadraphonic mix- adlibs on fade out are different | Serenade Quad [PCQ 32919] (LP) |
| The Gift of Song | Quadraphonic mix- words "I will bring the gift of song" replaced by "I will bring the songs of life" @01:47 | Serenade Quad [PCQ 32919] (LP) |
| The Last Picasso (live) | Song not migrated to CD release | LATG [Col 2-34404] (LP) |
| Longfellow Serenade (live) | Song not migrated to CD release | LATG [Col 2-34404] (LP) |
| Let Me Take You in My Arms Again | Japan 45 version- entirely different version, using country-music type arrangement. | CBS/Sony 06SP 180 (45) |
| You Don't Bring Me Flowers | Instrumental, Non-LP B Side | Col 10840 (45) |
| September Morn | Contains a very small piece (5 seconds) of an alternate vocal take on "...how it was befooooorrrrre" @ 1:25. Then the section 01:38-02:23 (1 repeat of chorus and instrumental) is removed. Afterwards, song resumes with standard take. | Col AE7-1193 (45 promo) |
| America | The song starts without any trace of the orchestra fading out and that gives it a different feel to the intro. | Capitol 4994 (45) |
| You Don't Know Me | Non-LP B Side | Col 03219 (45) |
| I Dreamed a Dream | Non-LP B Side, studio version | Col 07614 (45) |
| Sweet Caroline reprise (live) | Song not migrated to CD release | HAN2 [Col 2-40990] (LP) |
| Hard Times For Lovers | Duet version with Kim Carnes | Maxi-CD single [Col 657811 2] (CD from Australia and Austria) |
| Notes: "Let Me Take You In My Arms Again" and "Hard Times for Lovers" are recordings done separately from the sessions that yielded the original recordings. These are available only as imports. | ||
Related Pages:
Neil
Diamond On Bang Records
Neil
Diamond In Quad
Honey
Drippin' Times Discography
Credits:
The information on this list compiled
by:
Steve Bogdanoff (Steve GB)
Klaus Brueck (Klaus from Germany)
Ralph Bukofzer
ChrisP
Iris Gerhardt
Regina Litman
K.F. Louie (ZMOQ)
IlseTaggesell (Ilse from Germany)
Found another Neil Diamond variation?
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