from PRIMITIVE
Written by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager & Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond’s career was one of the longest and most successful in modern pop music. Between the late seventies and the early eighties, Diamond reigned as the king of American adult pop. During that timeframe, Diamond scored an astounding string of hits with adult contemporary staples like his duet of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” with Barbra Streisand, “September Morn,” “Love On The Rocks” and “Heartlight.”
His major strengths were the unique power of his confident baritone and the superior quality of his songwriting. Diamond also carefully picked the best names in the biz to collaborate on his records and among them were Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. Together, Bacharach and Bayer Sager co-wrote and partially produced with the singer the bulk of Diamond’s 1982 hit album, Heartlight, and kept the collaboration going by co-writing a couple more songs for the subsequent 1984 release,Primitive. David Foster appeared on those two projects, playing keyboards and lending a hand with some of the arrangements. On Heartlight, Foster played piano on the title track and fender Rhodes on “I’m Guilty.” The Hitman also co-wrote and co-produced the rocker “I’m Alive” that became another Top 40 hit.
Foster’s keyboards embellished “Sleep With Me Tonight” and “Crazy” on Primitive. Although a bit troubled during the recording process with a first version rejected by Columbia Records, Primitive was another catchy collection of well-dosed adult pop material. The two aforementioned songs, again co-written by the superstar with Bacharach and Bayer Sager and produced by Richard Perry, were delicious pop compositions with huge chart potential. “Sleep With Me Tonight” was a trademark killer ballad that got covered a couple of years later by Patti Labelle under Bacharach’s production.
The up-tempo “Crazy” is the more interesting of the two, especially for its unusual mid-tempo pop/dance feel and clever arrangement. For these reasons, “Crazy” is the Song of the Week.
Foster played fender Rhodes on the track and was credited as playing, arranging and conducting the synthesizer parts. There’s a good chance that Foster was responsible for the ear-candy power of “Crazy.” Diamond’s performance was energetic and nicely supported by the golden vocal harmonies of Mr. Mister’s Richard Page and Steve George. Primitive reached #35 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart and it was eventually certified gold. It was also successful in the UK where it went to #7.
If interested, past reviews of “Heartlight” and “I’m Alive” can be read and heard in the archives.
Listen
[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Neil-Diamond-Crazy.mp3|titles=Crazy|artists=Neil Diamond]
Lead Vocals: Neil Diamond
Fender Rhodes & Synthesizer: David Foster
Drums: John Robinson
Bass: Neil Stubenhaus
Guitar: Dennis Herring & George Doering
Percussion: Lenny Castro
Backing Vocals: Richard Page & Steve George
Arranged by Burt Bacharach
Synthesizer Arranged & Conducted by David Foster
Produced by Richard Perry
Lyrics
Lately, I can’t sleep at night
I can’t turn off my mind
You’ve got me goin’ in circles
When you’re not around me
I just keep thinking
What my life would be without you
Isn’t it crazy
Like I’m on a string
Make me dance and sing
And when you feel like some lovin’
You turn on my music
You give me hope and then you’re gone
I feel so helpless
Isn’t it crazy
Totally crazy
You touch my hand
And make my temperature rise
You get me goin’
With that look in your eyes
Holding on,
I’m holding on
Your love keeps killing me I go willingly
Crazy
And baby I love you
Like nobody loves you
I only wish that loving you was not so easy
Isn’t it crazy
Totally crazy
You touch my hand
And make my temperature rise
You get me goin’
With that look in your eyes
Holding on,
I’m holding on
Your love is killing me
I go willingly crazy
Crazy over you
Look what love can do
Can make you act like a baby
Isn’t it crazy
Why do I go on
It’s out of control now
Isn’t it crazy