Cherry, Cherry

"Cherry, Cherry" is a song written, composed, and recorded by Neil Diamond. The song was arranged by Artie Butler and produced by Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich. It was issued as a 45 single in 1966 and became Diamond's first big hit, reaching #6 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart, in October 1966, and the Cash Box magazine chart. Worldwide sales were said to have reached over one million copies. Ellie Greenwich came up with the chorus and can be heard as the prominent background voice.

In 1973 a live recording of "Cherry, Cherry" was issued as a 45 single from the Neil Diamond live album Hot August Night. The live version hit #24 on the Cash Box magazine chart and #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Rolling Stone would later label "Cherry, Cherry" as "one of the greatest three-chord songs of all time."

Session guitarist Al Gorgoni (who later played on "The Sound of Silence" and "Brown Eyed Girl") contributed to the song.

Two versions of "Cherry, Cherry" have been released. The version familiar to most listeners was released by Bang Records in 1966. The other version, with different lyrics and originally intended to be released as the single, was finally released by Diamond and Sony in 1996 on the compilation album 'In My Lifetime'.