| "Holly Holy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Neil Diamond | ||||
| from the album Touching You, Touching Me | ||||
| B-side | "Hurtin' You Don't Come Easy" | |||
| Released | October 13, 1969 | |||
| Genre | Pop, soft rock | |||
| Length | 4:27 (single version) 4:40 (album version) | |||
| Label | Uni | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Neil Diamond | |||
| Producer(s) | Tom Catalano, Tommy Cogbill | |||
| Neil Diamond singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Holly Holy" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond with instrumental backing provided by the American Sound Studio house band in Memphis. Released as a single on October 13, 1969,[1] it was a successful follow up to "Sweet Caroline", reaching #6 on the U.S. pop singles chart by December.[2][3] The song also reached #5 on the Easy Listening chart.[4] It became a gold record and then eventually a platinum record.[1]
While it is a love song, it also has a spiritual focus.[5] Its storyline and style were influenced by gospel music.[1] The first lyrics are sung by Diamond alone. But in the second verse, a gospel choir is accompanying him as the song builds in intensity. Later lyrics echo a Bible story: "Touch a man who can't walk upright and that lame man, he's gonna fly."[6]
Record World predicted the song "will be as famous as its author and constant hitmaker."[7] It was Diamond's favorite of the songs he had written to that point.[3]
"Holly Holy" was later included on Diamond's November 1969 album Touching You, Touching Me.[1] It has been included in live versions on Diamond's Hot August Night (from 1972) and Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 (from 1992) as well as various compilations.
- ^ a b c d William Ruhlmann. "Neil Diamond: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1983). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: 1955 to present. Billboard Publications. ISBN 0-8230-7511-7. p. 88.
- ^ a b Jackson, Laura (2005). Neil Diamond: His Life, His Music, His Passion. ECW Press. ISBN 1-55022-707-6. pp. 65–66.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 72.
- ^ Neil McCormick (2008-03-05). "Neil Diamond: the hurt, the dirt, the shirts". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ YouTube.com "Neil Diamond - Holly Holy (w/lyrics)" Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 25, 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-04.