Hot August Night [40th Anniversay Edition]

Personnel: Neil Diamond (vocals, guitar); Emory Gordy, Jr. (guitar, vibraphone); Richard Bennett, Danny Nicholson (guitar); Hyman Goodman, Jay Rosen, John deVoogdt, David Turner, Tibor Zelig, Samuel Boghossian, Myron Sandler, Sven Reher, Linn Subotnick, Marilyn Baker, Philip Goldberg, Jesse Ehrlich, Giacinto Nardulli, Salvatore Crimi, Henry Ferber, Beldassare Ferlazzo, Wilbert Nuttycombe, Shari Zippert, Walter Wiemeyer, Richard Kaufman (strings); Alan Lindgren (keyboards); Reine Press (bass); Dennis St. John (drums); Jefferson Kewley (percussion).
Recorded live at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, California on August 24, 1972. Includes liner notes Karen Shearer.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: Neil Diamond (vocals, guitar); Emory Gordy, Jr. (guitar, vibraphone); Richard Bennett, Danny Nicholson (guitar); Alan Lindgren (keyboard); Reine Press (bass); Dennis St. John (drums); Jefferson Kewley (percussion).
String section includes: Hyman Goodman, Jay Rosen, John deVoogdt, David Turner, Tibor Zelig, Samuel Boghossian, Myron Sandler, Sven Reher, Linn Subotnick, Marilyn Baker, Philip Goldberg, Jesse Ehrlich, Giacinto Nardulli, Salvatore Crimi, Henry Ferber, Beldassare Ferlazzo, Wilbert Nuttycombe, Shari Zippert, Walter Wiemeyer, Richard Kaufman.
Recorded live at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, California on August 24, 1972. Originally released on MCA Records (6896). Includes liner notes by Karen Shearer.
All songs written by Neil Diamond.
Personnel: Neil Diamond (guitar); Emory Gordy Jr., Danny Nicholson, Richard Bennett (guitar); Nathan Gershman, John DeVoogdt, Wilbert Nuttycombe, Shari Zippert, Ronald Folsom, Don Bagley, Raymond Kelley, Hyman Goodman, Walter Wiemeyer, Jerome Kessler, Myron Sandler, Paulo Alencar, Sven Reher, Walter Rower, Baldassare Ferlazzo, Henry Ferber, Tibor Zelig, Linn Subotnick, Alice Ober, Jess Bourgeois, Philip Candreva, Giacinto Nardulli, Robert Lipsett, Timothy Barr, Jay Rosen, David Turner , Salvatore Crimi, Philip Goldberg, Sidney Sharp, William Henderson , Marilyn Baker, Richard Kaufman, Ralph Schaeffer, Jesse Ehrlich, Samuel Boghossian, Haim Shtrum (strings); Alan Lindgren (keyboards); Dennis St. John (drums); Jefferson Kewley (percussion).
Liner Note Authors: Steve Baltin; Karen Shearer.
Photographers: Ed Caraeff; Tom Bert.
In addition to his excellent skills as a songwriter, Neil Diamond is also known for his bold, often theatrical performance style. One glance at the cover of HOT AUGUST NIGHT--Diamond clothed in denim and Native American jewelry, with his hands hovering over his body, and an expression suggesting a trance of intensity--and the listener knows he or she is in for some serious performing. The pop icon delivers as expected; HOT AUGUST NIGHT, recorded in 1972 at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, documents the epic showmanship of a Neil Diamond concert.
Listeners will certainly get their money's worth. Diamond's best-loved songs stuff the two-disc, 25-track set list--the ubiquitous "Sweet Caroline," the infectious "Song Sung Blue," et al, plus versions of "Red Red Wine" and "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon," which he wrote, but were also hits for others. An energetic backing band and a full string section complement the singer's impassioned performances, and an encore medley of "Soolaimon" and "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" brings the show to a fiery close. HOT AUGUST NIGHT remains one of Diamond's best-selling albums. Give it a listen and see why.