It was more than five decades ago that pop-and-rock balladeer Neil Diamond wrote a deeply personal track that was so evocative, it drew the attention of no less than Elvis Presley. The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll later turned it into a deep-cut classic that remains loved by music fans to this day.
The two legendary singers crossed paths through the deep cut “And The Grass Won’t Pay No Mind,” and that same year in 1969, Elvis just couldn’t resist recording his own legendary version of “Sweet Caroline.”
Presley’s meeting with Diamond created one of the most unique connections between two of popular music’s biggest powerhouses.
Diamond admitted that his song was written more to capture a specific feeling than to weave a standard narrative, but Presley saw the magic in its spontaneous energy and put his own unmistakable spin on it.
In a quote reprinted by a Facebook fan group of the singer, Diamond reportedly said of the track:
“This song was pure stream of consciousness, written more to capture a moment in time than to tell a story. I still like the way it feels to sing this song.”
The King of Rock recorded the song at American Studios in Memphis for the album “From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis,” which was released in November.
Ironically, the studio cancelled a scheduled Diamond recording session to accommodate the King. However, the two did not cross paths.
They were said to have met once when Diamond attended Presley’s Las Vegas show, where Elvis introduced him from the stage.
Diamond discussed that occasion in a later interview and remarked that Presley was gracious in his introduction.
“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?’” Diamond narrated.
“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,’” he added.
Diamond continued:
“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.”
That does not mean, though, that the Brooklyn-born balladeer did not wonder what could have happened if the two had formally collaborated.
He recalled:
“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.”
Diamond concluded:
“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.”
Additionally, Presley covered Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” during his live concerts in Las Vegas in 1970. His version was notably featured in his concert documentary “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.”
