For some reason I think of Neil Diamond primarily as a 1970s artist. (Probably because that’s when I started listening to top 40 radio.) That ignores Mr. Diamond’s many, many hits in the 1960s and then on into the 1980s.
Case in point is today’s classic song of the day, “Thank the Lord for the Night Time.” Released in July of 1967, way before the ’70s began, this track peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Thank the Lord for the Night Time” was written by Mr. Diamond, of course; he had a decent career going as a songwriter for both himself and others (including “I’m a Believer” and “A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You” for the Monkees). This particular single was produced by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, who had kind of discovered Mr. Diamond a few years earlier and helped guide his early career.
The song is all about leaving one’s daytime worries behind to spend the night time with your baby:
Daytime turns me off, and I don’t mean maybe
Nine to five ain’t takin’ me where I’m bound
When it’s done, I run out to see my baby
We get groovin’ when the sun goes down
I thank the Lord for the nighttime
To forget the day
A day of up, uptight time
Baby, chase it away
I get a relaxation
And it’s a time to groove
I thank the Lord for the nighttime
I thank the Lord for you
For today’s daily bonus video of the day, here’s Neil Diamond lip synching “Thank the Lord for the Night Time” on some television program back in 1967. This young gentleman had a long and successful career ahead of him.
