Sweet Caroline
Encyclopedia
"Sweet Caroline" is a pop song
written and performed by Neil Diamond
and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night
album. There are three distinct mixes of this song. The original mono 45 mix had a loud orchestra and glockenspiel
compared to the stereo version on the Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show
LP. The third version was a remix found only on the initial CD release of Neil Diamond's "His 12 Greatest Hits". This version has the orchestra mixed down very noticeably and has the background vocals mixed up. It has a longer fade as well. The song reached #4 on the Billboard chart and eventually went platinum
for sales of one million singles.
In the autumn of 1969, Diamond performed "Sweet Caroline" on several television shows. It later reached #8 on the UK singles chart in 1971. In a 2007 interview, Diamond revealed the inspiration for "Sweet Caroline" was President John F. Kennedy
's daughter, Caroline Kennedy
, who was eleven years old at the time. Diamond sang the song to her at her 50th birthday celebration in 2007.
As of July 2011, the song has sold 1,377,000 digital downloads
.
has played the song since at least 1997, and it has been played at every game in the middle of the eighth inning since 2002 by the influence of Amy Tobey, a production agent responsible for the audio played over the park's loudspeakers. "She had noticed 'Sweet Caroline' was used at other sporting events, and she decided to send the sweetness over the Fenway speakers." On opening night of the 2010 season at Fenway Park, the song was performed (albeit abridged) by Diamond himself. It is also played at sporting events at the University of Pittsburgh
.
The song is also played during television timeouts of Davidson College
men's basketball games and gained national attention during the school's 2008 run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
in documentaries about the radio station, such as The Story of Radio Caroline by former Radio Caroline DJ Ted Payne.
The song is mentioned in the song "Pop In G" by Oregon
based rock band Heatmiser
off their 1996 album Mic City Sons
.
The song is performed in Ted Demme
's 1996 film "Beautiful Girls".
The song was also used as the intro theme to Caroline Rhea
's daytime talk show
, with the audience often singing along.
In 2011, the song was parodied by The Fringemunks
to recap Fringe
episode 3.17, "Stowaway."
Pop Song
Pop Song is the first single by the Drugs. It was released in 2000 and earned the Drugs some positive press. It has been described as "addictive". A live version was released on The Only Way Is Up...
written and performed by Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night
Hot August Night
Hot August Night is a 1972 live double album by Neil Diamond. The album is a recording of a Diamond concert on Thursday August 24, 1972, one of ten sold out concerts that Diamond performed that month at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles...
album. There are three distinct mixes of this song. The original mono 45 mix had a loud orchestra and glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
compared to the stereo version on the Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show
Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show
Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show is the name of Neil Diamond's fourth studio album, released in 1969. Four months after the title cut became a #22 hit, Diamond recorded and released a new single, "Sweet Caroline", which reached #4...
LP. The third version was a remix found only on the initial CD release of Neil Diamond's "His 12 Greatest Hits". This version has the orchestra mixed down very noticeably and has the background vocals mixed up. It has a longer fade as well. The song reached #4 on the Billboard chart and eventually went platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
for sales of one million singles.
In the autumn of 1969, Diamond performed "Sweet Caroline" on several television shows. It later reached #8 on the UK singles chart in 1971. In a 2007 interview, Diamond revealed the inspiration for "Sweet Caroline" was President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's daughter, Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author and attorney. She is a member of the influential Kennedy family and the only surviving child of U.S. President John F...
, who was eleven years old at the time. Diamond sang the song to her at her 50th birthday celebration in 2007.
As of July 2011, the song has sold 1,377,000 digital downloads
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
.
At sporting events
"Sweet Caroline" is popular at sporting events. Boston's Fenway ParkFenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
has played the song since at least 1997, and it has been played at every game in the middle of the eighth inning since 2002 by the influence of Amy Tobey, a production agent responsible for the audio played over the park's loudspeakers. "She had noticed 'Sweet Caroline' was used at other sporting events, and she decided to send the sweetness over the Fenway speakers." On opening night of the 2010 season at Fenway Park, the song was performed (albeit abridged) by Diamond himself. It is also played at sporting events at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
.
The song is also played during television timeouts of Davidson College
Davidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
men's basketball games and gained national attention during the school's 2008 run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
Covers
- In his February 1970 shows at the International, Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
sang "Sweet Caroline." It was so popular, the song remained in his set list for many years. On the first released version from the On StageOn Stage (Elvis Presley album)On Stage is an Elvis Presley live album recorded between February 17 and 19, 1970 at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. It features the world-wide #1 single "The Wonder of You", which topped both the United States AC tracks chart and the British music chart. It was an immediate follow up...
album Presley introduced it, saying "A guy recorded a song last year. It's a beautiful song and the guy's name is Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
. I'd like to sing it for you now." Another live version from August 1970 was released in the movie Elvis: That's the Way It IsElvis: That's the Way it IsElvis: That's the Way It Is is a documentary movie directed by Denis Sanders about Elvis Presley that was released on November 11, 1970. The film documents Elvis' Summer Festival in Las Vegas during August 1970...
. On August 21, 1970, Presley sang the song live in concert at the Las Vegas International Hotel as Neil Diamond sat in the audience; Presley later introduced Diamond and fooled around with one line of Holly Holy. - Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
recorded a big band cover of "Sweet Caroline" for his 1974 LP Some Nice Things I've MissedSome Nice Things I've MissedSome Nice Things I’ve Missed is a 1974 album by the American singer Frank Sinatra.-Track listing:#"You Turned My World Around" – 2:50#"Sweet Caroline" – 2:44...
. - In September 2004, Jimmy BuffettJimmy BuffettJames William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
included "Sweet Caroline" in a medley with "Why Don't We Get DrunkWhy Don't We Get Drunk"Why Don't We Get Drunk" is a novelty song written and performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was a b-side to the first single from his 1973 album A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean...
" during both of his Fenway Park shows (September 10/12, 2004) stating, "Never again will those songs be played together in one medley at Fenway Park." - Dave Matthews BandDave Matthews BandDave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
followed suit and performed "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway Park on July 8, 2006 and again on March 24, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las VegasLas Vegas StripThe Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. - On season 7 of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, runner-up David ArchuletaDavid ArchuletaDavid Archuleta, is a former United States Air Force Airman of Okinawan stationary troops and is currently an American male kickboxer.-Biography:...
performed this song the night Neil Diamond mentored the contestants. - Bobby WomackBobby WomackRobert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
covered this song in his 1972 album Understanding - Tripod (band)Tripod (band)Tripod is an Australian musical comedy act, specialising in improv, parody and satire. As its name suggests, the band is a trio; it comprises Scod , Yon and Gatesy...
covered the song at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2002. - The third full length release from the punk band Me First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
, entitled "Have a Ball", released July 29, 1997, features a punk-rock cover of "Sweet Caroline". - In their 2009 World Tour, the American pop rock band the Jonas BrothersJonas BrothersThe Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
performed a cover of the song. - On an episode of the musical sitcom GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, the character of Noah Puckerman (Mark Salling) performs a cover of the song. - In 2010, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen HarperStephen HarperStephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
performed a cover of the song at the Conservative Party of CanadaConservative Party of CanadaThe Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Christmas party, in tribute to his wife LaureenLaureen HarperLaureen Ann Harper is the wife of Canada's 22nd Prime Minister Stephen Harper.-Life and career:The eldest of three, Teskey was born in Turner Valley, a rural town south-west of Calgary, Alberta. Her parents were ranchers and owned an electrical contracting company; the Teskeys divorced in 1991,...
.
In entertainment
The song was often played in tribute to the offshore radio station Radio CarolineRadio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
in documentaries about the radio station, such as The Story of Radio Caroline by former Radio Caroline DJ Ted Payne.
The song is mentioned in the song "Pop In G" by Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
based rock band Heatmiser
Heatmiser
The Music of Heatmiser is a six-song demo cassette, recorded on April 29 and 30, 1992, at Sound Impressions in Milwaukie, Oregon. It was made available only at shows or by mail order....
off their 1996 album Mic City Sons
Mic City Sons
Mic City Sons is the third and final album by Heatmiser, released in 1996 on Caroline Records. Pitchfork.com ranked the album at #48 on their "Top Albums of the 90s" list...
.
The song is performed in Ted Demme
Ted Demme
Edward K. "Ted" Demme was an American film director and producer.- Early life and career :Born in New York City, Demme grew up in Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York and attended South Side Senior High School. He graduated from SUNY-Cortland in 1985. His media career likely began with a...
's 1996 film "Beautiful Girls".
The song was also used as the intro theme to Caroline Rhea
Caroline Rhea
Caroline Gilchrist Rhea is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actress who was the original host of the reality television show The Biggest Loser on NBC until she was replaced by Alison Sweeney after the end of the third season...
's daytime talk show
The Caroline Rhea Show
The Caroline Rhea Show is an American syndicated variety/talk show that was regarded as the successor to The Rosie O'Donnell Show. It premiered in September 2002 and ran until June 2003 and was hosted by actress and comedienne Caroline Rhea, who was hand-picked by Rosie O'Donnell as her...
, with the audience often singing along.
In 2011, the song was parodied by The Fringemunks
The Fringemunks
The Fringemunks are a music group created by Seattle musician David Wu in 2008 consisting of three "cloned" anthropomorphic chipmunks: Feebo, Notchy and Pie. They are known mostly for recapping all episodes of Fox television series Fringe with song parodies...
to recap Fringe
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
episode 3.17, "Stowaway."