You Don't Bring Me Flowers
Encyclopedia
"You Don't Bring Me Flowers" is a song that hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100
chart in 1978
. It is a song about two lovers who have drifted apart while they "go through the motions" and heartache of life together.
The song was written by Alan Bergman
and Marilyn Bergman
for the ill-fated TV show All That Glitters. The song was intended to be a theme song, but Norman Lear
changed the concept of the show so that the song no longer fit. Eventually, Neil Diamond
and several collaborators came upon the song (then only 45 seconds long) and expanded it with instrumental sections. The Bergmans expanded the song to full length with an additional verse, and the composition took form.
In 1977, Diamond released the album I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight
, which included the track "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" as a solo performance. Early in 1978, Barbra Streisand
covered the song on her album Songbird
.
The roots of the song, as chronicled in the myriad Streisand and Diamond biographies as well as Streisand's Just for the Record box set, revolves around WAKY-AM/Louisville KY program director, Gary Guthrie, who spliced the two solo tracks together as a going away present to his wife, whom he had just divorced. As the real life fairytale behind the song unfolded, it triggered a media buzz worldwide from Good Morning America
and People
magazine to the BBC. Interest in the duet caused such a clamor on the retail level that Columbia Records was compelled to bring Streisand and Diamond into the studio to record an "official" version in October 1978. The song reached number one on the Hot 100 chart for two non-consecutive weeks in December 1978, producing the third number-one hit for both singers. Acknowledgment and gratitude for Guthrie came from CBS with a Gold record plaque, flowers from Diamond, a telegram from Streisand, while the duo's fans were treated with an incomparable performance of the song during the 1980 Grammy Awards show, a performance released on the 1994 album Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume I.
Radio personalities Jack Hood and Gene Kruszewski of WJR
-AM/Detroit also cut a duet version of the song which was a local and regional hit and helped escalate the song’s novelty. Columbia Records granted gold records to Hood and Kruszewski in recognition of their efforts.
Diamond and Streisand had planned to star in a motion picture based on the song, but such plans were canceled when Diamond starred in a remake of The Jazz Singer
.
and Helen Cornelius
released a country version of the song which reached number ten on the Billboard Hot Country Singles
chart in early 1979.
In 1980, a cover version of the song was recorded by expatriate
American singer Dean Reed
and Hungarian vocalist Kati Kovács
.
In 1982, Julie Andrews
covered the song for her country music inspired-album, Love Me Tender, though it was only included on the international version of the album.
In 1993, UK TV presenter Noel Edmonds
was tricked into singing the whole song on his show, Noel's House Party
. Noel Edmonds had earlier recorded a duet of the song sung by fellow DJs John Peel
and Tony Blackburn
for use on his BBC Radio 1 show in 1979.
In 1996, the song was also sung by rappers Ice T
and an embarrassed Tupac Shakur
during a Saturday Night Live
show. It was also covered in spoken-word form by pianist Liberace
.
On an episode of The Steve Harvey Show
, Steve and Lydia performed the song during a teacher/student talent show at the school (with Lydia donning a Barbra Streisand wig).
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in 1978
1978 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1978.-January–April:*January 14 – The Sex Pistols play their final show at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom....
. It is a song about two lovers who have drifted apart while they "go through the motions" and heartache of life together.
The song was written by Alan Bergman
Alan Bergman
Alan Bergman is an American lyricist and songwriter.-Life & career:Born in Brooklyn, New York, he studied at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UCLA. His involvement in the entertainment industry began in the early 1950s as a director of children's television shows...
and Marilyn Bergman
Marilyn Bergman
Marilyn Bergman is a composer, songwriter and author.She was born Marilyn Keith in Brooklyn, New York and studied psychology and English at New York University...
for the ill-fated TV show All That Glitters. The song was intended to be a theme song, but Norman Lear
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
changed the concept of the show so that the song no longer fit. Eventually, 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 several collaborators came upon the song (then only 45 seconds long) and expanded it with instrumental sections. The Bergmans expanded the song to full length with an additional verse, and the composition took form.
In 1977, Diamond released the album I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight
I'm Glad You're Here With Me Tonight
I'm Glad You're Here With Me Tonight is a Neil Diamond album released by Columbia Records in 1977. It includes a solo version of the song "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"...
, which included the track "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" as a solo performance. Early in 1978, Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
covered the song on her album Songbird
Songbird (Barbra Streisand album)
Songbird is a studio album by Barbra Streisand, released in 1978. The album includes Streisand's solo version of "You Don't Bring Me Flowers". She also subsequently recorded this song as a duet with Neil Diamond and this version topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two non-consecutive weeks in...
.
The roots of the song, as chronicled in the myriad Streisand and Diamond biographies as well as Streisand's Just for the Record box set, revolves around WAKY-AM/Louisville KY program director, Gary Guthrie, who spliced the two solo tracks together as a going away present to his wife, whom he had just divorced. As the real life fairytale behind the song unfolded, it triggered a media buzz worldwide from Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
and People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine to the BBC. Interest in the duet caused such a clamor on the retail level that Columbia Records was compelled to bring Streisand and Diamond into the studio to record an "official" version in October 1978. The song reached number one on the Hot 100 chart for two non-consecutive weeks in December 1978, producing the third number-one hit for both singers. Acknowledgment and gratitude for Guthrie came from CBS with a Gold record plaque, flowers from Diamond, a telegram from Streisand, while the duo's fans were treated with an incomparable performance of the song during the 1980 Grammy Awards show, a performance released on the 1994 album Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume I.
Radio personalities Jack Hood and Gene Kruszewski of WJR
WJR
WJR is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It broadcasts a news/talk format. It is a class A clear channel station whose broadcasts can be heard throughout most of the Midwest, eastern United States and Canada at night, making it one of the most powerful radio stations in the...
-AM/Detroit also cut a duet version of the song which was a local and regional hit and helped escalate the song’s novelty. Columbia Records granted gold records to Hood and Kruszewski in recognition of their efforts.
Diamond and Streisand had planned to star in a motion picture based on the song, but such plans were canceled when Diamond starred in a remake of The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer (1980 film)
The Jazz Singer is a 1980 American musical remake of the 1927 classic The Jazz Singer. It starred Neil Diamond, Sir Laurence Olivier, and Lucie Arnaz and was co-directed by Richard Fleischer and Sidney J...
.
Other versions
Concurrent with the success of Diamond and Streisand's version of the song, country singers Jim Ed BrownJim Ed Brown
Jim Ed Brown is an American country music singer who achieved fame in the 1950s with his two sisters as a member of The Browns. He later had a successful solo career from 1965 to 1974, followed by a string of major duet hits with Helen Cornelius through 1981...
and Helen Cornelius
Helen Cornelius
Helen Cornelius is an American country singer-songwriter and actress, best remembered for a series of hit duets with Jim Ed Brown, many of which reached the U.S...
released a country version of the song which reached number ten on the Billboard Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart in early 1979.
In 1980, a cover version of the song was recorded by expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
American singer Dean Reed
Dean Reed
Dean Cyril Reed was an American actor, singer and songwriter who lived a great part of his adult life in South America and then in communist East Germany.-Life and career:...
and Hungarian vocalist Kati Kovács
Kati Kovács
Kati Kovács is a Hungarian singer and actress.She became first famous nationally in 1965 when she won the seminal TV talent show in Hungary “Who Knows What?”...
.
In 1982, Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
covered the song for her country music inspired-album, Love Me Tender, though it was only included on the international version of the album.
In 1993, UK TV presenter Noel Edmonds
Noel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
was tricked into singing the whole song on his show, Noel's House Party
Noel's House Party
Noel's House Party was a BBC television light entertainment show hosted by Noel Edmonds that was broadcast live on Saturday evenings throughout the 1990s. It was set in a large house in the fictional village of Crinkley Bottom, leading to much innuendo. The show was broadcast during the...
. Noel Edmonds had earlier recorded a duet of the song sung by fellow DJs John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
and Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn is an English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity.....
for use on his BBC Radio 1 show in 1979.
In 1996, the song was also sung by rappers Ice T
Ice T
Tracy Marrow , better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American musician and actor.He was born in Newark, New Jersey and moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school he served in the United States Army for four years...
and an embarrassed Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
during a Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
show. It was also covered in spoken-word form by pianist Liberace
Liberace
Wladziu Valentino Liberace , best known simply as Liberace, was a famous American pianist and vocalist.In a career that spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, motion pictures, television and endorsements, Liberace became world-renowned...
.
On an episode of The Steve Harvey Show
The Steve Harvey Show
The Steve Harvey Show is an American sitcom that aired for six seasons from August 25, 1996 to February 17, 2002 on The WB Television Network. It was created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan.-Synopsis:...
, Steve and Lydia performed the song during a teacher/student talent show at the school (with Lydia donning a Barbra Streisand wig).