Maps of Music

Primitive (1984)

Where the lyrics of Primitive take you, and where it was really made.

Primitive is the album that began a long decline for Neil Diamond, a slide that the article says ran until 2001.

Key places

Sunset Sound in Hollywood (1984)

Recording site Sunset Sound — Discogs lists Sunset Sound as a place where this album was mixed. The point is placed at building level, but the exact spot is not confirmed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Westlake Studios in Los Angeles (1984)

Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — Discogs lists Westlake Studios as a recording studio for this album. The point is placed at building level, but the exact spot is not confirmed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Lion Share Studios in Los Angeles (1984)

Recording site Lion Share — Discogs lists Lion Share Recording Studios as a recording studio for this album. The point is placed at building level, but the exact spot is not confirmed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Mix Room in Burbank (1984)

Recording site The Enterprise (Burbank) — Discogs lists The Mix Room as a recording studio for this album. Only the city center coordinate is available, so the building location is not confirmed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Primitive: 16th studio album by Neil Diamond
• Released in 1984 on Columbia Records
• Three singles: Turn Around, Sleep With Me Tonight, You Make It Feel Like Christmas
• Most songs written by Diamond alone; others credited to Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Tom Hensley, Alan Lindgren, Sam Cole and Doug Rhone
• Turn Around reached number 4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100
• Sleep With Me Tonight reached number 24 and You Make It Feel Like Christmas reached number 28 on the Adult Contemporary chart

Background

• The album opened a period of creative and commercial decline for Diamond
• That decline lasted, to one degree or another, until the 2001 album Three Chord Opera
• Later work included a collaboration with producer Rick Rubin and the releases 12 Songs (2005) and Home Before Dark (2008)
• After Primitive, Diamond did not reach the same level of sales, notoriety or fame as before
• He still had some success, periodic hits, television specials and film appearances

Recording

• Producers: Denny Diante on tracks 1, 7 and 8; Diamond on tracks 2–4 and 9–11; Richard Perry on tracks 5 and 6
• Richard Bennett credited as producer on track 4
• Recording studios listed on Discogs include Ocean Way Recording, The Mix Room, Westlake Studios, The Complex, Studio 55 and Lion Share Recording Studios
• Mixing credited to Sunset Sound, Ocean Way Recording and Studio 55 in Los Angeles
• Mastering by Mike Reese at The Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California

Cover

• Photography by Norman Seeff
• Art direction and design by David Kirschner, with additional design by Jan Weinberg

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• American singer-songwriter born January 24, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Jewish family.
• Began as a staff songwriter at Sunbeam Music Publishing and worked in the Brill Building in the 1960s.
• Wrote hits for others, including "I'm a Believer" and "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" recorded by the Monkees.
• Solo breakthrough with "Sweet Caroline" (1969), followed by "Cracklin' Rosie" and "Song Sung Blue", both No. 1 on the Hot 100.
• Live album Hot August Night (1972) recorded at the Greek Theater, Los Angeles.
• Starred in the 1980 remake The Jazz Singer and won a Razzie for Worst Actor.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
• Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and stopped touring in 2018.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Cash Box: described Turn Around as a swelling heart grabber with deft instrumentation to match its emotional lyrics
• Cash Box's comment concerns the single Turn Around rather than the whole album

Reappraisal

• The Wikipedia article describes the album as the start of a period of creative and commercial decline for Diamond
• According to the article, that period lasted until the 2001 album Three Chord Opera
• The article notes that after Primitive Diamond did not reach the same level of sales, notoriety or fame as in earlier years

Records

• Turn Around: number 4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary singles chart and number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100
• Sleep With Me Tonight: number 24 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary singles chart
• You Make It Feel Like Christmas: number 28 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary singles chart
• Certified gold by the RIAA on October 5, 1984

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Discogs lists six recording studios: Ocean Way Recording, The Mix Room, Westlake Studios, The Complex, Studio 55 and Lion Share Recording Studios.
• Mastering was done by Mike Reese at The Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California.
• Michel Colombier handled keyboards and horn and string arrangements on tracks 1, 7 and 8.
• Denny Diante produced tracks 1, 7 and 8, while Richard Perry produced tracks 5 and 6.
• Discogs gives the catalogue number as CK 39199 on the spine and CD, and 39199 on the insert.

Sources: www.discogs.com

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