Vintage Neil Diamond Performances From 2008 Hit His YouTube Channel
The clips include his chart-topping 1970 classic and crowdpleaser ‘Cracklin’ Rosie.’
A number of performances from a vintage Neil Diamond show at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2008 have been shared on his official YouTube channel. They include his 1970 classic and crowdpleaser “Cracklin’ Rosie.”
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The song, taken from his Tap Root Manuscript album of that year, became the beloved writer-performer’s first No.1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The 45 on the Uni label replaced Diana Ross’ “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” at the chart summit in October 1970 before being succeeded by the Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There.”
Diamond played no fewer than four nights at Madison Square Garden in August 2008 during his extensive world tour that year, which also included two shows at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Before starting the North American leg, his European dates had included the “Legends” slot, as it has come to be known, on the Sunday afternoon of the UK’s Glastonbury Festival.
The Diamond channel has simultaneously put up videos of his performances from that New York residency of two more of his timeless hits, “I Am…I Said,” from 1971’s Stones album, and the 1979 anthem “Forever In Blue Jeans,” from his 12th studio album You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.
Those three clips, alongside the many others that are available in audio on the channel, were part of Hot August Night/NYC, which came out in DVD and CD editions in 2009. The 2LP format released by UMe in 2014 remains available via the uDiscover Music store.
A one-hour special featuring songs from the DVD was broadcast by CBS on the first release of the album, which became the latest in a series of live sets also including 1972’s Hot August Night and 1987’s Hot August Night II. The special drew US viewing figures of 13 million.
