1970 Neil Diamond – Tap Root Manuscript
Tap Root Manuscript is the sixth studio album recorded by Neil Diamond, released in October 1970. It was one of the most experimental albums he ever recorded, featuring rock music fused with prominent African sounds and instruments. The album was a commercial success, going Gold in three months, eventually certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album’s success was powered primarily by “Cracklin’ Rosie”, his first number 1 single, with help from Diamond’s cover of “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”, which rose to number 20. The latter song had been a major hit for the Hollies the previous year.
While the first side of the LP contained five pop rock songs, Side Two was a conceptual suite of related songs expressing an African theme, titled “The African Trilogy”. Within this suite was the song “Soolaimon”, which rose to number 30 in the US. The 19-minute suite saw African folk styles twined with blues and gospel elements to create what Diamond called “a folk ballet”. This effort predates many Western pop artists’ interest in world music, for instance Peter Gabriel’s 1980 founding of World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD), and the African-influenced album Graceland by Paul Simon in 1986. Tap Root Manuscript was one of the most novel experimental recording projects of its time, and the Uni label, to which Diamond was then under contract, initially was not sure whether it would be commercially viable.
Tracks
1 Cracklin’ Rosie (Neil Diamond) 03:00
2 Free Life (Neil Diamond) 03:10
3 Coldwater Morning (Neil Diamond) 03:21
4 Done Too Soon (Neil Diamond) 02:41
5 He Ain’t Heavy… He’s My Brother (Bob Russell; Bobby Scott) 04:11
6 Childsong (Neil Diamond) 02:10
7 I Am The Lion (Neil Diamond) 02:07
8 Madrigál (Neil Diamond) 01:53
9 Soolaimon (Neil Diamond) 04:32
10 Missa (Neil Diamond) 02:05
11 African Suite (Neil Diamond) 04:28
12 Childsong (Reprise) (Neil Diamond) 02:06
Biography
Musicians
Musician | Al Casey |
Musician | Andy Kostelas |
Musician | Artie Butler |
Musician | Bud Brisbois |
Musician | David Cohen |
Musician | Dick Hyde |
Musician | Don Menza |
Musician | Don Peake |
Musician | Earl Palmer |
Musician | Emil Radocchia |
Musician | Gary Coleman |
Musician | Gene Estes |
Musician | George Roberts |
Musician | Hal Blaine |
Musician | Harry Betts |
Musician | Harvey Newmark |
Musician | Henry Sigismonti |
Musician | Jay Migliori |
Musician | Joe Osborn |
Musician | Larry Bunker |
Musician | Larry Knechtel |
Musician | Larry Muhoberac |
Musician | Lee Shamburger |
Musician | Louie Shelton |
Musician | Neil Levang |
Musician | Ollie Mitchell |
Musician | Paul Hubinon |
Musician | Randy Sterling |
Musician | Ray Pohlman |
Musician | Red Rhodes |
Musician | Roger Bobo |
Musician | Ronald Langinger |
Musician | Roy Caton |
Musician | Sandra Crouch |
Musician | Shirley Marcus |
Musician | Tom Scott |
Musician | Tony Terran |
Background Vocals | Alexander Hale |
Background Vocals | Aubrey Porter |
Background Vocals | Bill Lee |
Background Vocals | Billie Barnum |
Background Vocals | Christopher Hale |
Background Vocals | Clydie King |
Background Vocals | Dean Porter |
Background Vocals | Don Wyatt |
Background Vocals | Douglas Schwartz |
Background Vocals | Dwayne Moody |
Background Vocals | Ed Wallace |
Background Vocals | Ekundayo Paris |
Background Vocals | Evelyn Meyer |
Background Vocals | Fred Burton |
Background Vocals | George Bledsoe |
Background Vocals | Graynston Hale |
Background Vocals | Gwen Johnson |
Background Vocals | Hidle Brown Barnum |
Background Vocals | Jean Sewell |
Background Vocals | Jesse Kirkland |
Background Vocals | Joe Greene |
Background Vocals | John Woodson |
Background Vocals | Kevin Parker |
Background Vocals | Louis Maurice Johnson |
Background Vocals | Mabel Bishop |
Background Vocals | Marjorie Cranford |
Background Vocals | Matthews Muhoberac |
Background Vocals | Merry Clayton |
Background Vocals | Molly Halloran |
Background Vocals | Nancy Adams |
Background Vocals | Oma Drake |
Background Vocals | Phillip Whigham |
Background Vocals | Rick Porter |
Background Vocals | Sean Engerman |
Background Vocals | Sherlie Matthews |
Background Vocals | Sherrel Atwood |
Background Vocals | Stacie Johnson |
Vocals | Neil Diamond |
Other Musicians
Strings – Harry Bluestone, Sidney Sharp, Assa Drori, Benjamin Barrett, David Burk, Erno Neufeld, Gareth Nuttycombe, George Poole, Henry Roth, Israel Baker, Jack Shulman, James Arkatov, James Getzoff, Jan Kelley, Jesse Ehrlich, Joseph Estren, Joseph Saxon, Lou Klass, Myron Sandler, Nathan Ross, Nathaniel Rosen, Paul Bergstrom, Paul Shure, Ray Kelley
Liner Notes
Producer – Neil Diamond, Tom Catalano
Arranged By – Don Randi (Track 1)
Arranged By – Lee Holdridge (Tracks 3, 5)
Arranged By – Marty Paich (Track 12)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Nancy Adams (Track 10)
Engineer – Armin Steiner
Art Direction, Design Concept – John C. LePrevost
Calligraphy – Jon Zarr Haber
Design – Virginia Clark
Photography – Larry Barione, Jim Metropole
Copyright Universal City Records