Artist:Neil Diamond f/Barbra Streisand
Song:You Don't Bring Me Flowers
Album:The Essential Neil Diamond
You Don't Bring Me Flowers topped the charts in 1978. It was Neil Diamond's biggest hit when he recorded for Columbia Records. Diamond wrote the song with Alan and Marilyn Bergman as the theme for Norman Lear's sitcom All That Glitters. When Lear decided not to use the song, Diamond recorded You Don't Bring Me Flowers on his 1977 album I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight. Then Barbra Streisand covered the song on her 1978 album Songbird. Louisville, KY radio station WAKY program director Gary Guthrie spliced the two recordings together as a farewell gift to his wife who he was divorcing. When this mashup was played on the air, listeners went nuts. This story was covered by Good Morning America, People Magazine and the BBC. Other radio stations did their own mashups and it became so popular that Diamond and Barbra recorded a duet version which topped the Billboard Hot 100. The duet appeared on Diamond's 1978 album You Don't Bring Me Flowers. It did not appear on a Barbra Streisand album. The aftermath was that Guthrie sued CBS as he felt he wasn't properly compensated for making the song a hit. This was settled out of court. CBS sent Guthrie a gold record plaque and Diamond sent him flowers. Barbra thanked Guthrie by telegram. Of course Diamond and Barbra performed You Don't Bring Me Flowers on the 1980 Grammy Awards broadcast. There were even plans to turn You Don't Bring Me Flowers into a film. But this was canceled after Diamond's 1980 film The Jazz Singer bombed. It was certainly the high point of Diamond's run at Columbia. You can get You Don't Bring Me Flowers on The Essential Neil Diamond or The Essential Barbra Streisand. Both are available as budget CDs. Here's Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand performing You Don't Bring Me Flowers as it aired on Casey Kasem's American Top 40. The footage is from the Grammys but the recording is Guthrie's mashup.
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