Today’s classic song of the day is an early song from Neil Diamond, “Kentucky Woman.” This single was released in October of 1967 and quickly became a staple of Mr. Diamond’s live act. The song reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #12 on the Cash Box Top 100.
Mr. Diamond wrote “Kentucky Woman” when he was on a 32-city tour with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars. He was still an up-and-coming artist, known more as a songwriter than a performer, and he shared the stage with acts like Tommy Roe, Billy Joe Royal, and P.J. Proby. Here’s what Neil remembers of that time and how it all influenced this song:
“We attracted teenage girls almost exclusively and the house, usually a high school auditorium, was filled to the rafters with screaming females night after night. The song was written in the back of a limo as we approached the outskirts of Paducah, Kentucky.”
Musically, “Kentucky Woman” is mainly I, IV, and V chords, with a little ii minor thrown in on the bridge. It’s a simple strummer but that helps to propel the song.
“Kentucky Woman” was one of several singles released on Bert Berns’ Bang Records before Neil left for the Uni Records label. Neil’s other Bang hits included “Solitary Man,” “Cherry, Cherry,” “I Got the Feelin’ (Oh No No),” “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon,” “Thank the Lord for the Night Time,” “Red Red Wine,” “You Got to Me,” and “Shilo.”
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, Neil Diamond lip synching “Kentucky Woman” on some TV show in 1967. He was a dynamic performer, even then.
