Holly Holy

Infobox Single
Name = Holly Holy


Artist = Neil Diamond
from Album =
B-side = "Hurtin' You Don't Come Easy"
Released = October 1969
Format = 7" 45 RPM
Genre = Pop/Rock
Length =
Label = Uni Records
Writer = Neil Diamond
Producer =
Chart position =
Last single = "Sweet Caroline" (1969)
This single = "Holly Holy"
(1969)
Next single = "Shilo" (1970) "Holly Holy" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond. Released as a single in October 1969,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] it was quite successful as the follow-on to "Sweet Caroline", rising to number 6 on the U.S. pop singles chart by December.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.] It became a gold record and then eventually platinum.

A work with a spiritual focus, [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] "Holly Holy" was influenced by gospel music and was Diamond's favorites of the songs he had written to that point.cite book | last=Jackson | first=Laura | authorlink=Laura Jackson | title=Neil Diamond: His Life, His Music, His Passion | publisher=ECW Press | year=2005 | isbn=1550227076 pp. 65–66.] It begins quietly with acoustic guitar against a bass line, with the sparse lyric stretched with elongated vowels. Gradually the arrangement builds up with a tempo shift in the bridge and a backing choir against strings lasting throughout.

"Holly Holy" was later included on Diamond's November 1969 album "Touching You, Touching Me". It has been included in live versions on Diamond's "Hot August Night" (from 1972) and "" (from 1992), as well as in various compilations.

A treatment of "Holly Holy" by Jr. Walker & the All Stars was a modest R&B hit in 1971.

"Holly Holy" was cover in 1998 by UB40.

"Holly Holy" was a key soundtrack song in "Holy Smoke!" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144715/soundtrack]

References