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You Don't Bring Me Flowers

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"You Don't Bring Me Flowers"
Single by Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond
from the album You Don't Bring Me Flowers and Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Vol. 2
A-side"You Don't Bring Me Flowers (Duet)"
B-side"You Don't Bring Me Flowers (Instrumental)"
ReleasedOctober 1978
StudioCherokee (Hollywood)
GenreEasy listening
Length3:25
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bob Gaudio
Barbra Streisand singles chronology
"Prisoner (Love Theme from Eyes of Laura Mars)"
(1978) 		"You Don't Bring Me Flowers"
(1978) 		"The Main Event/Fight"
(1979)
Neil Diamond singles chronology
"Desiree"
(1977) 		"You Don't Bring Me Flowers"
(1978) 		"Forever in Blue Jeans"
(1979)
Audio
"You Don't Bring Me Flowers" on YouTube

"You Don't Bring Me Flowers" is a song written by Neil Diamond with Alan and Marilyn Bergman for the daily TV sitcom All That Glitters.[1] The song was intended to be the theme song, but Norman Lear, the show's creator, changed the concept of the show and the song was no longer appropriate. Diamond then expanded the track from 45 seconds to 3:17, adding instrumental sections and an additional verse. The Bergmans contributed to the song's lyrics, which tell the story of two lovers who have drifted apart while they "go through the motions" and heartache of life together.[2]

In 1977, Diamond released the album I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight, which included the track "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" as a solo performance. Early in 1978, Barbra Streisand covered the song on her album Songbird. These recordings were spliced together by different radio stations, creating unofficial duets, the success of which led to the studio bringing them together for an official duet recording, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1978.

Duet version created

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The roots of the duet version, as chronicled in myriad Streisand and Diamond biographies, as well as Streisand's Just for the Record... box set, revolve around WAKY (AM) Louisville, KY program director, Gary Guthrie, who spliced the two solo tracks together as a going-away present to his wife, Becky, whom he was in the process of divorcing. Guthrie's spliced-together duet version first aired on WAKY on May 24, 1978.[3][4]

This was not Guthrie's first foray into combining recordings, however. When he was the program director at KTFM (FM), San Antonio, TX, he had spliced together verses from both the English and Spanish versions of Captain & Tennille's Love Will Keep Us Together and America's Sister Golden Hair in an effort to enhance the uniqueness of KTFM and its sister station KTSA (AM).

As the real-life story behind the song unfolded, it triggered a media buzz worldwide, from Good Morning America and People magazine to the BBC. Meanwhile, a different version was prepared by Chicago's WGN radio personality Roy Leonard and producer Peter Marino.[5][6] Streisand's album was placed on one turntable and Diamond's on another, and the recording was mixed 'live'. They began with Streisand singing and Diamond's vocal followed. Streisand and Diamond repeated the same lyrics back and forth to each other—there weren't any edits, and the recording was mixed in one take. The Roy Leonard Show version became so popular that years after Columbia Records released their official duet, listeners continued to call in requesting to hear the WGN version.

Radio personalities Jack Hood and Gene Kruszewski of WJR-AM/Detroit also created a duet version of the song, which was a local and regional hit and helped escalate the song's novelty.

Interest in the unofficial versions of the duet caused a clamor on the retail level, as the song was commercially unavailable as a duet. Guthrie sent CBS his version of the duet on July 27, and by August 3, both Streisand and Diamond had agreed to the release of a duet version. However, rather than issue any of the spliced-together versions, Columbia Records had Streisand and Diamond record a brand-new "official" studio version, which was released on October 17, 1978. The song reached number one on the Hot 100 chart for two non-consecutive weeks in December 1978,[7] producing the third number-one hit for both singers.[8] The single sold over one million copies, and eventually went Platinum.

Record World said that "the song is perfect for both vocalists."[9]

In 1979, Guthrie sued CBS for $5 million, claiming that he was improperly compensated for his role in making the song a hit.[3] The parties reached an out-of-court settlement. Acknowledgment and gratitude for Guthrie also came from CBS with a Gold record plaque, flowers from Diamond, and a telegram from Streisand.

Columbia also presented gold records to both Leonard and Marino, for creating the WGN version,and to Hood and Kruszewski for their WJR version. The solo versions had also drawn attention from other radio stations, resulting in other radio personalities receiving recognition for helping to increase the popularity of a “spliced” duet, further contributing to the decision to create an official duet.

The duo performed the song – announced – to close the 1980 Grammy Awards show,[10] a performance released on the 1994 album Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume I.[11] The story of how it happened was recalled by Alicia Keys on the CBS network television special, My Night at the Grammys, which aired on November 30, 2007. Keys said, “It might very well have been the first Grammy moment ... they [had] never performed the song “live” together, so on February 27, 1980, the lights dimmed at the Shrine Auditorium and Barbra and Neil took the stage to sing one of the classic television duets of all time.”

Diamond and Streisand had planned to star in a motion picture based on the song, but such plans were cancelled when Diamond starred in a remake of The Jazz Singer (1980).

Chart history

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[24] Platinum 100,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[25] Gold 75,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[26] Gold 10,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Gold 500,000^
United States (RIAA)[28] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius version

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Concurrent with the success of Diamond and Streisand's version of the song, country singers Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius released a country version of the song, which reached number ten on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in early 1979.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Alan and Marilyn Bergman on Songwriting: Part 1". Ascap.com. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  2. ^ "You Don't Bring Me Flowers". All Music Guide. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Records & Radio" (PDF). Americanradiohistory.com. 1979-06-15. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  4. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 21, 1978. p. 28. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  5. ^ Erhlich, Ken (2007). At The Grammys! Behind the Scenes at Music's Biggest Night. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-1423430735.
  6. ^ Jones, Chris (5 September 2014). "Roy Leonard, beloved WGN Radio personality, is dead at 83". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  7. ^ "December 2, 1978". Billboard Hot 100.
  8. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  9. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 28, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  10. ^ Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand (February 27, 1980). Barbra Streisand Neil Diamond - You Don't Bring Me Flowers (YouTube). Los Angeles. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  11. ^ "Grammy's Greatest Moments, Volume 1: Various Artists". Amazon.com. 1994. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
  12. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  13. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – You Don't Bring Me Flowers". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  14. ^ "Flavour of New Zealand - search rianz". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  15. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  16. ^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  17. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  18. ^ "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report. Retrieved January 8, 2022 – via Imgur.com.
  19. ^ "Top 200 Singles of '78 – Volume 30, No. 14, December 30 1978". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  20. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1978". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Kent Music Report No 288 – 31 December 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1979". Kent Music Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023 – via Imgur.com.
  22. ^ "1979 Top 200 Singles". RPM. Vol. 32, no. 13. Library and Archives Canada. December 22, 1979. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  23. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1979/Top 100 Songs of 1979". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  24. ^ Peter Conyngham (February 10, 1979). "Grease tops in Australia" (PDF). Music Week. p. 8. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  25. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond – You Don't Bring Me Flowers". Music Canada. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  26. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond – You Don't Bring Me Flowers". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  27. ^ "British single certifications – Neil Diamond/Barbara Streisand – You Don't Bring Me Flowers". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  28. ^ "American single certifications – Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond – You Don't Bring Me Flowers". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
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