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Song Sung Blue (Song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Song Sung Blue” | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by Neil Diamond | |
| from the album Moods | |
| B-side | “Gitchy Goomy” |
| Released | May 1972 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 3:15 |
| Label | Uni |
| Songwriter(s) | Neil Diamond |
| Producer(s) | Tom Catalano |
| Neil Diamond singles chronology | |
| “Crunchy Granola Suite“ (1971)”Song Sung Blue“ (1972)”Play Me“ (1972) | |
| Background Singers: Sally Stevens, Susie Stevens, Alison Freebairn-Smith and Jennifer Hicklin | |
“Song Sung Blue” is a 1972 hit song written and recorded by Neil Diamond, inspired by the second movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto #21. It was released on Diamond’s album Moods, and later appeared on many of Diamond’s live and compilation albums. The song was a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States for one week, the week of July 1, and it spent twelve weeks in the Top 40. It also reached #14 on the UK Singles Chart.
“Song Sung Blue” was Diamond’s second #1 hit in the U.S., after 1970‘s “Cracklin’ Rosie“,
and to date his last solo #1 song (he had a #1 duet with Barbra Streisand in 1978, with “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers“).
In addition, “Song Sung Blue” spent seven weeks at #1 on the adult contemporary chart. The song has become one of Diamond’s standards, and he often performs it during concerts.
“Song Sung Blue” was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1973, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Both awards that year were won by Roberta Flack‘s rendition of Ewan MacColl‘s song, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face“.
Cash Box said of it that “the song gives the phrase ‘Everybody, sing!’ new meaning.” Record World said that it has “simply some of the best and most commercial soft sounds on the contemporary scene.”
Diamond described “Song Sung Blue” in the liner notes to his 1996 compilation album, In My Lifetime, as a “very basic message, unadorned. I didn’t even write a bridge to it. I never expected anyone to react to “Song Sung Blue” the way they did. I just like it, the message and the way a few words said so many things.”
Later uses
The song inspired the title of a 2008 documentary about a Neil Diamond impersonator who was married to a Patsy Cline impersonator.
Song Sung Blue (Film)
| Song Sung Blue | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Craig Brewer |
| Screenplay by | Craig Brewer |
| Based on | Song Sung Blue by Greg Kohs |
| Produced by | Craig Brewer John Davis John Fox |
| Starring | Hugh Jackman Kate Hudson Michael Imperioli Fisher Stevens Jim Belushi Ella Anderson King Princess Mustafa Shakir Hudson Hilbert Hensley |
| Production company | Davis Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Focus Features (United States) Universal Pictures (International) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Song Sung Blue is an upcoming American biographical musical drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Craig Brewer based on the 2008 documentary of the same name by Greg Kohs. It stars Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, and Hudson Hilbert Hensley.
- Promo clip 1
- Promo clip 2
- Promo clip 3
Cast
- Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina
- Kate Hudson as Claire Sardina
- Michael Imperioli
- Fisher Stevens
- Jim Belushi
- Ella Anderson
- King Princess
- Mustafa Shakir
- Erika Slezak
- Hudson Hilbert Hensley
- Sean Allan Krill
Production
In October 2024, it was announced that a musical drama film based on the 2008 documentary Song Sung Blue was in development at Focus Features with Craig Brewer writing, co-producing, and directing the film, with Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, and Hudson Hilbert Hensley rounding out the main cast.
Filming
Principal photography began on October 14, 2024 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. A house in Old Tappan, New Jersey was another significant film location. Filming wrapped on December 11.
Chart history
Weekly charts
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 5 |
| Belgium | 5 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary | 9 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 2 |
| Germany | 6 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 17 |
| Netherlands | 3 |
| New Zealand (Listener) | 1 |
| South Africa (Springbok) | 5 |
| UK | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1972) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Canada (RPM) | 19 |
| Switzerland | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 26 |
| U.S. Cash Box | 24 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Cover versions
- Andy Williams released a version in 1972 on his album, Alone Again (Naturally).
- Hot Butter released a version in 1972 on their album Hot Butter.
- Johnny Paycheck released a version in 1972 on his album Somebody Loves Me.
- Sacha Distel recorded the song in French as “Chanson Bleue”.
British new wave group Altered Images released a version in 1982 on the album Pinky Blue.
Bobby Darin performed the song in 1972 during his summer television show, and his version was included on the 2004 album, Aces Back to Back.
- Frank Sinatra also recorded a version on his Trilogy album (1980).
- The Nolan Sisters recorded a version which is on their 1978 20 Giant Hits album.
- The New Seekers
- Chet Atkins
- Ray Conniff
- The London Philharmonic Orchestra
- Franck Pourcel
- American pop singer Johnny Mathis release his Song Sung Blue album in 1972
Song Sung Blue (Album)
| Song Sung Blue | |
|---|---|
| |
| Studio album by Johnny Mathis | |
| Released | September 13, 1972 |
| Recorded | April 3, 1972 June 7, 1972 June 21, 1972 July 24, 1972 July 28, 1972 |
| Genre | AM popearly pop/rockvocal pop |
| Length | 37:37 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Producer | Jerry Fuller |
| Johnny Mathis chronology | |
| Johnny Mathis’ All-Time Greatest Hits (1972)Song Sung Blue (1972)Me and Mrs. Jones (1973) | |
Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Billboard | positive |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |   |
Song Sung Blue is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on September 13, 1972, by Columbia Records and featured his renditions of mostly recent chart hits.
The album made its first appearance on Billboard magazine’s Top LP’s & Tapes chart in the issue dated October 21, 1972, and remained there for 18 weeks, peaking at number 83. In the UK it was retitled Make It Easy on Yourself and reached number 49 on the album chart.
The song “Make It Easy on Yourself” was the first single from the album and “bubbled under” the Billboard Hot 100 to number 103 while making it as high as number 16 on the magazine’s Easy Listening chart. The song on the flip side, “Sometimes”, was written by Henry Mancini and his daughter Felice but was not included on the LP.
Reception
In their capsule review, Billboard enthusiastically announced that “this one is by far one of his best!” They also singled out certain tracks. “Along with ‘Song Sung Blue’ and ‘Play Me’, Mathis is in great voice on ‘Run to Me’, ‘Where Is the Love’, ‘How Can I Be Sure’, and ‘Alone Again (Naturally)’, and he’s truly at home with ‘Too Young’.”
Track listing
Side one
- “Play Me” (Neil Diamond) – 3:49
2. “Alone Again (Naturally)” (Gilbert O’Sullivan) – 4:20
3, “Where Is the Love” (Ralph MacDonald, William Salter) – 2:32
4. “Goodbye to Love” (John Bettis, Richard Carpenter) – 3:12
5, “Too Young” (Sylvia Dee, Sidney Lippman) – 3:16
Side two
- “Make It Easy on Yourself” (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 3:29
2. “Lean on Me” (Bill Withers) – 3:51
3. “How Can I Be Sure” (Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Brigati) – 3:42
4. “Run to Me” (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb) – 2:58
5. “Song Sung Blue” (Neil Diamond) – 3:12
6. “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” (Bob Russell, Bobby Scott) – 3:16
2017 CD bonus tracks
This album’s CD release as part of the 2017 box set The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection included two bonus tracks that were previously unavailable:
- “Morning Has Broken” (Eleanor Farjeon, Cat Stevens) – 3:40
Recording dates
From the liner notes for The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection:
- April 3, 1972 – “Make It Easy on Yourself”
- June 7, 1972 – “How Can I Be Sure”, “Morning Has Broken”, “Song Sung Blue”
- June 21, 1972 – “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”, “Too Young”, “Where Is the Love”
- July 24, 1972 – “Alone Again (Naturally)”, “I’m on the Outside Looking In”, “Lean on Me”
- July 28, 1972 – “Goodbye to Love”, “Play Me”, “Run to Me”
Song information
Neil Diamond‘s “Play Me” reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent two weeks at number three on the magazine’s Easy Listening chart. “Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan enjoyed six weeks at number one on both of those charts, got as high as number three in the UK, and earned Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. “Where Is the Love” had its biggest success as a duet by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway that spent a week in the top spot on the magazine’s Easy Listening and R&B charts, reached number five pop and number 29 UK, earned Gold certification from the RIAA, and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus.
“Goodbye to Love” was a number seven pop hit for The Carpenters that also reached number two Easy Listening and number nine in the UK. “Too Young” had the most success as a recording by Nat King Cole that spent five weeks at number one in Billboard magazine in 1951. “Make It Easy on Yourself” had its first chart success as a 1962 hit for Jerry Butler that reached number 20 pop and number 18 R&B. Another Gold record, “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers had its best showing on the pop chart with three weeks at number one compared to just one week at the top of the R&B chart and peak positions at number four Easy Listening and number 18 UK.
The first chart appearance of “How Can I Be Sure” was by The Young Rascals, who took the song to number four on the Billboard Hot 100. “Run to Me” by The Bee Gees made it to number 16 on that same chart as well as number six Easy Listening. Diamond’s Gold record “Song Sung Blue” was number one for seven weeks Easy Listening and one week on the pop chart in addition to reaching number 14 in the UK. He also had the best Easy Listening showing of “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother“, which he took to number four, but his peak position with the song at number 20 on the Hot 100 fell short of the number seven spot that The Hollies attained with their original recording of the song that was released in 1969 and had also been to number three in the UK by the time that Mathis released this album.
Personnel
- Johnny Mathis – vocals
- Jerry Fuller – producer
- D’Arneill Pershing – arranger
- Peter Romano – engineer
- Ed Caraeff – photos
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