Neil Diamond talks about Elvis Presley


By: Elvis Australia
Source: ABC
January 5, 2013

Neil Diamond 2012.
Neil Diamond 2012.
Neil Diamond : 'Elvis Presley used to live next door and I remember how his little girl and my son would talk to each other through the link fence'.

Interview with Neil Diamond

Andrew Denton : I know Elvis covered 'Sweet Caroline' on stage.

Did you ever get the chance to see it?

Neil Diamond : I never saw Elvis perform 'Sweet Caroline'. I did see him perform live in Vegas, I had never seen him before. You know, he was Elvis Presley and I was awed. He was an amazing, amazing live performer.

He was electric and he was wonderful and halfway through his show, he introduced me. I was in the audience and he introduced me and it's like worshipping a god and that god is saying, 'Oh, stand up. I like this person. World, why don't you meet him?' My God. So I stood up and the audience started to cheer and they started to say, 'Get up on stage. You know, sing together'. No, I couldn't possibly. It's - and he saw I was uncomfortable with it. He said, 'Well, he's on holiday now, so leave him alone. Let him enjoy the show'. And they did.

Andrew Denton : Does a part of you regret that you didn't take that opportunity to hop up and sing with Elvis?

Neil Diamond : You know I thought about it over the years, what would I do, what songs would we do, and it's not a good idea to come up and sing with another performer when it's their show and it's their band, I do know that. And I'm glad I didn't because I don't think it would have been a good idea to touch that, you know, the hem of the god. He was amazing. He was warm and very generous to me, and I think it's best left at that.

Elvis recorded two Neil Diamond songs, 'Sweet Caroline' live in concert - the recording was included on the 1970 'On Stage' album - as well as 'And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind' at American Sound Studios in 1969, [For which Neil's scheduled sessions were cancelled to fit Elvis in] the song was included on  'Back In Memphis'.

Elvis Presley Video Neil Diamoond Remembers Elvis

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Interview with Neil Diamond by Andrew Denton : August 16, 2004.

Buy Back In Memphis FTD 2 CD Special Edition [And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind]
Buy On Stage FTD 2 CD Special Edition ['Sweet Caroline]

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