Music by Neil Diamond, Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager

Moved and motivated by Stephen Spielberg’s 1982 classic movie, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, Neil Diamond’s fifteenth studio album, Heartlight, was released in August of 1982. Heartlight included a string of adult contemporary goodies with the archetypal, sophisticated pop sound of the eighties. The record was co-written and co-produced by the veteran singing star with the great Burt Bacharach and supreme lyricist and Bacharach’s then-wife, Carole Bayer Sager. Heartlight resulted in another platinum seller for Diamond.

The title-track of Heartlight was a big #5 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 and #1 on the Easy Listening chart. David Foster played electric piano on that beautiful ballad. Foster was also a co-writer along with Diamond on the rocking “I’m Alive” that was destined to be Diamond’s last Top 40 hit. Reviews of both songs can be found in the archives.

The Hitman played keyboards on another tender ballad, “I’m Guilty,” that’s the pick for this Song of the Week review.

Co-written by the Brooklyn-born singer/songwriter with Bacharach and Bayer Sager, “I’m Guilty” was a lesser-known gem that presented an arrangement that echoed the magic of the Bacharach hit sound of the previous decades. It also sported a fantastic orchestration, trademark female harmony vocals and top-notch instrumental parts courtesy of Foster. He opened and ended the track with the Foster signature silky touch on the Fender Rhodes while guitarist supreme, Dean Parks, and talented sax man, David Boruff, hit just the right chords. Here and throughout Heartlight, Diamond and Bacharach made a home run crafting their elegant adult contemporary material. Diamond’s confidential baritone delivered a classy vocal performance and the overall result was  like a warm, musical breeze.

To close this review we share a few words that the Hitman kindly sent us and that speak volumes of his love for Bacharach. “There is no one I respect or admire more than Burt Bacharach. He is one of the ALLTIME great composers of our time, actually of anytime.
His ability to write complicated, beautiful melodies that also the average person can sing and enjoy makes him even more special. And EVERY single note is hand crafted by the man himself, NOTHING falls thru the cracks or happens by accident. He is pure genius.”

Listen

• Fender Rhodes: David Foster
• Piano: Burt Bacharach
• Guitar: Dean Parks
• Drums: Jim Keltner
• Bass: Reinie Press
• Alto Saxophone: David Boruff
• Background Vocals: Stephanie Spruill, Julia Tillman Waters, Maxine Willard Waters, Clydene Jackson, Richard Page
• Arranged & Conducted by Burt Bacharach
• Produced by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager & Neil Diamond

Lyrics

Whenever I get down
I look to someone else
I need your love to bring me ’round
And so I must confess
I’m guilty
Of believing you to be
The better part of me
I never thought to look around
In times when more is less
I’m guilty
Guilty of lovin’ you
‘Cause I need you
Yes and I want you
You know you always bring me through
I’m guilty
And if you want to know
You really let me down
But I won’t never let you go
There’s something in my heart keeps sayin’
There’s something in my heart that’s sayin’
You’re guilty of lovin’ too
And you need me
Yes and you want me
And I won’t never let you down
There’s something in my heart keeps sayin’
There’s something in my heart that’s sayin’
You’re guilty of lovin’ too
I’m guilty

Between the end of the Eighties and the start of the Nineties, David Foster had a couple of years where he was absent from the top of the charts. During that time, Foster focused on movie soundtracks like Stealing Home and One Good Cop, released a couple of solo projects, produced Japanese artist Seiko Matsuda and produced new talent like Celine Dion’s debut cd for the English market.

The most important production of those years was Neil Diamond’s The Best Years Of Our Lives  cd. This outstanding work saw the light of day in December 1988. The Best Years Of Our Lives was a well-balanced pop/rock collection split between ballads and more up-tempo numbers. Diamond and Foster co-wrote a good portion of the album including the Adult Contemporary hit ballad, “This Time.” Another single off The Best Years Of Our Lives was the title-track that reached #7 on the same chart.

Written by Diamond, “The Best Years Of Our Lives” is the song in the spotlight for this week.

This catchy rocker opened the album sporting a powerful beat and loud guitars to support the superstar’s convincing vocal. This song sounds a tad influenced by the classic rock of Bruce Springsteen with an instrumental performance that was right on target. Delivered by guitar gods Steve Lukather and Mike Landau, they fueled the right amount of energy into the track. There were also some rousing female vocal harmonies on the song performed by famous Australian singing sensation, Renée Geyer. It’s always interesting to listen to a Foster production that’s a bit out of his comfort zone. However, the end result here was still typically Foster with his refined and impeccable sounds. Its parent album, even though certified gold, went only to #46 on Billboard’s Top 200. Obviously, the album fell short of Foster’s expectations.

Yet, time has been kind to The Best Years Of Our Lives. This work was almost unanimously considered one of Diamond’s most solid releases of that era.

To round out this review, here are a few words that the Hitman kindly sent:

“Listening to this song is really a trip down memory lane. It sounds like Lukather on the guitar solo and I think it’s me on the B3 organ, but I can’t be 100% sure. I really thought we had nailed a great album, but it didn’t do very well although I really loved working with Neil. Here’s a funny story: I was in Neil’s band for 3 months around 1975 or 76, but I got fired before we even did one gig because the musical director didn’t like me. Then, about a decade later, I was asked to produce him and that was quite a nice satisfaction.”

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Neil Diamond
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Guitars: Dean Parks, Steve Lukather & Mike Landau
• Bass: Reinie Press & Mike Brignardello
• Drums: Tris Imboden & Carlos Vega
• Horns: Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, Larry Williams, Bill Reichenbach & Dan Higgins
• Synthesizer Programming: Rhett Lawrence, Rick Bowen & Kevin Maloney
• Backing Vocals: Renée Geyer

• Horns Arranged by Jerry Hey & David Foster
• Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Lyrics

Hey, listen to the working man
And can you hear the dream
That resides in his soul?
And when you hear that poor man singin’
Can you hear a story
That cries to be told?
Wanna hear you say “oh yeah”
I need to hear you say “oh yeah”
It’s time to stand up and be counted
These are the days of our beginnings
This ain’t the time for the faint of heart
No don’t wanna lose
The chance we are given
These are the best years of our lives
The very best years of our lives
Oh yeah, hear the song of womankind
Carried ’til she ached
Now she’s takin’ her stand
Says she’s got the right to be
Right beside and equal with ev’ry man
Wanna hear you say “oh yeah”
Need to hear you say “oh yeah”
It’s time to stand up and be counted
These are the days of our beginnings
This ain’t the time for the faint of heart
No don’t wanna lose
The chance we’re given
These are the best years of our lives
The very best years of our lives
Say “oh yeah”
(Organ solo)
(Guitar solo)
Say it now, and just say it right
If you truly believe it,
You’ll be saying it right.
So say “oh yeah”
Gotta say “oh yeah”
It’s time to stand up and be counted
Better days are just beginning.
There ain’t no place to run and hide to
Don’t throw away
The chance we’re given.
These are the best years of our lives
The very best years of our lives

Say “oh yeah”
“Oh yeah”
Say “oh yeah”
Say “oh yeah”
These are the best years of our lives

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

written by Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance

Recorded in 1985, Neil Diamond’s Headed For The Future saw the adult pop superstar try to update his sound with a string of collaborations with the cream of the crop of pop writers and producers in those years. The recording sessions were supervised by heavyweights including Burt Bacharach, David Foster, Maurice White and Stevie Wonder.

Among the writers were Diamond with the aforementioned top music-makers plus noted tunesmiths including Carole Bayer Sager, Bryan Adams, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Kipner and Bobby Caldwell. The more traditional pop stuff by Bacharach and Foster followed adult contemporary lines of Diamond’s previous efforts while White and Wonder tried a different, r&b-influenced approach with mixed results. Foster produced two tracks; “The Man You Need” and “It Should Have Been Me.” A review of “The Man You Need,” co-written by Foster with the veteran singer, can be found in the archives.

This week, the attention goes to “It Should Have Been Me.” This charming power ballad was co-written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. The song sports the classic, ear-candy Foster arrangement that owned the pop charts in the eighties. The tune’s trademark progression was based on the Hitman’s various keyboards and some tasteful rock guitars to embellish the atmosphere. This melodic gem offers a stirring refrain where Diamond’s familiar voice was joined by the pristine vocal harmonies of Bill Champlin and Jason Scheff of Chicago fame. Diamond handles the bittersweet lyrics with his usual bravura and the result was a track of pure bliss for his fans and adult contemporary music lovers. Adams wrote the song, at Foster’s request, for Spanish international superstar Julio Iglesias, but the tune was eventually resurrected on Diamond’s album though neither “The Man You Need” nor “It Should Have Been Me” were picked as singles. The two songs had chart potential that would have made them hits. The powers-that-be went with the title-track that barely reached the Top Ten on the Adult Contemporary chart and hit the wall at #53 on Billboard’s Hot 100.  Headed For The Future reached #20 on Billboard’s Top 200 in 1986 and was certified gold. The following year, “It Should Have Been Me” was covered by Carly Simon under Adams ’ production for her Coming Around Again album. This rendition, although helmed by one of the song’s writers, lacked a bit of the lustrous grandeur that Foster always guaranteed on his productions.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/It-should-have-been-me-Neil-Diamond.mp3|titles=It Should Have Been Me|artists=Neil Diamond]

Lead Vocals: Neil Diamond
Drums Overdubs: Tris Imboden
Bass: Jason Scheff
Keyboards: David Foster
Guitar: Dann Huff & Michael Landau
Programming: David Boruff
Backing Vocals: Bill Champlin & Jason Scheff

Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Lyrics

I think of you now and then
Cause I remember when
Love was new and you were mine
My love

So why should we pretend
We were lovers but now we’re friends
Don’t want to say good-bye to you again
My love

It should have been me
That’s holding you instead of someone else
I needed you but never let it show
It should have been me
That’s loving you
Through all the lonely nights
I knew that I should have never let you go
My love

What we once had is gone
No tears, no right, no wrong
We could never be the same again
My love

The more we see the less we know
You still believe our love could grow
Don’t want to say good-bye to you again
My love

It should have been me
That’s holding you instead of someone else
I needed you but never let it show
It should have been me
That’s loving you
Through all the lonely nights
I knew that I should have never let you go
My love

How will I survive
With another broken heart
On my own again
Just a lonely man
Looking for a place to start

It should have been me
That’s holding you instead of someone else
I needed you but never let it show
It should have been me
That’s loving you
Through all the lonely nights
I knew that I should have never let you go
My love

My love

The Song of the Week is “Take Care Of Me,” co-written by David Foster with the legendary Neil Diamond. This energetic rock tune is part of Diamond’s 1988 album, The Best Years Of Our Lives.” Produced by Foster, The Best Years Of Our Lives is a solid adult pop/rock collection that features the many sides of Diamond’s music spectrum plus the bonus of the Hitman’s inventive, ear candy arrangements and musical direction.

There are perfectly crafted ballads like the gorgeous “This Time” that is co-written by Foster and Jeremy Lubbock that became a Top Ten Adult Contemporary hit. A past review of “This Time” can be found in the archives. A surprisingly good cover of Tracy Chapman’s hit, “Baby Can I Hold You,” is also included on the album. In the reviewer’s opinion, this gold-certified album has aged pretty well as is testified by the mid-tempo “Hard Time For Lovers” and the powerful, inspiring title-track.
The best part of “Take Care Of Me” is the Foster inspired arrangement and high tech production giving the song a welcome rough edge. Diamond is in very fine voice throughout the album and on this number is supported on backing vocals by the great Bill Champlin and Richard Page. Add to the picture the spectacular musicianship by the usual suspects of Foster on keyboards, Michael Landau and Steve Lukather on guitars and the late Carlos Vega on drums who let this rocker flow. “Take Care Of Me” has an energetic beat and catchy refrain that is a solid testament to the overall quality of The Best Years Of Our Lives. This noteworthy production is the final chapter of Foster’s successful pop/rock phase throughout the eighties. The Canadian super-producer begins another string of fantastic pop/adult contemporary triumphs in the coming decade.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Neil-Diamond-Take-Care-of-Me.mp3|titles=Take Care Of Me|artists=Neil Diamond]

Lead Vocals : Neil Diamond
Keyboards: David Foster
Bass: Reinie Press
Drums: Carlos Vega
Guitars: Michael Landau & Steve Lukather
Background Vocals: Bill Champlin, Richard Page & Tamara Champlin

Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Lyrics

The first time
Caught you stayin’ out late
With some bad boys

The first time
And you got mad
When I asked you to explain it.

Say it isn’t so,
I need you to say it isn’t so
And I’ll believe it
Say it isn’t so
Just say it isn’t so
And that I’m dreamin’

You said “Take care of me”
You begged me now
“Take care of me”
And I believed it
“Take care of me”
It’s me or nothin’ girl
“Take care of me”

The next time,
I was out by myself at the movie
That was the last time
Found you there
With some fast talkin’ smoothie

Say it isn’t so
I need you to say
That I don’t see what I’m seein’
Say it isn’t so
Just say it isn’t true,
That you would cheat me

You said “Take care of me”
You kept on beggin’ me
“Take care of me”
And I believed it, yeah
“Take care of me”
Now it’s your turn to take care of me

Don’t beg me one more time
“Take care of me”
You said it now
“Take care of me”
That you needed me
“Take care of me”
And I believed your lies
“Take care of me”

You know that now you’ve got to….
“Take care of me”
You gonna miss me honey
You gonna know it too
Forget the high times

You said “Take care of me”
Take care of me
Take care of me
Take care of me
You did me dirty
You treated me bad
Look what I am today, baby….