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Jonathan Livingston Seagull (soundtrack)

(Redirected from Be (Neil Diamond song))

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is the soundtrack album to the 1973 American film Jonathan Livingston Seagull, recorded by singer-songwriter Neil Diamond and produced by Tom Catalano. The album marked Diamond's return to Columbia Records, and grossed more than the film itself. It is Diamond's ninth studio album, and his first album after his successful 1972 live album Hot August Night. It won the 1974 Grammy as Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special.[3]

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Soundtrack album by
Neil Diamond
ReleasedOctober 19, 1973
Recorded1973
GenreFilm soundtrack
Length43:29
LabelColumbia
ProducerTom Catalano
Neil Diamond chronology
Rainbow
(1972) 		Jonathan Livingston Seagull
(1973) 		His 12 Greatest Hits
(1974)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Rolling Stone(mixed)[1]

Irvine Herald reviewer Willie Freckleton said that "Be" is "classical Diamond singing a very powerful ballad."[4]

Diamond often included a Jonathan Livingston Seagull Suite in his live performances, as he did in his 1976 Love at the Greek concert ("Be" – "Dear Father" – "Lonely Looking Sky" – "Sanctus" – "Skybird" – "Be [Encore]") and for his show in Las Vegas that same year.[5] A studio version of the suite (in this case, "Prologue" – "Lonely Looking Sky" – "Skybird" – "Dear Father [Rebuked]" – "Be") was presented on Diamond's 1996 box set In My Lifetime.

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleLine notesLength
1."Prologue"And here begins our story – the sky, the sea, the flock.3:19
2."Be"Introduction of Jonathan – his flight and fall.6:28
3."Flight of the Gull"Jonathan is carried to the heights of ambition, and to near catastrophe.2:23
4."Dear Father"Battered, and near death, Jonathan asks for reasons.5:12
5."Skybird"Returning home to show what he has learned, his acrobatics only serve to anger the flock elders. He is put on trial, and forever…outcast.1:12
6."Lonely Looking Sky"Alone and adrift.3:12
Side two
No.TitleLine notesLength
1."The Odyssey (Be – Lonely Looking Sky – Dear Father)"And so begins a journey, an odyssey, a test of the spirit.9:28
2."Anthem""Transcend, purify, glorious."3:03
3."Be"Jonathan returns to teach the flock.1:06
4."Skybird"The lesson2:18
5."Dear Father"Rebuked again by the elders, Jonathan attempts to rally the flock.1:14
6."Be"Recapitulation and farewell to Fletcher3:26

Charts and certifications

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Neil Diamond's subsequent album "Serenade" and "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" have earned combined 27 gold discs in Australia.[6] As of September 1976, the soundtrack was bigger success than the movie and it grossed 12 million dollars (movie grossed 2 million dollars)[7]

Sales and certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[23] Gold 20,000^
Belgium — 200,000[24]
Canada (Music Canada)[25] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[26] Platinum 300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[27] Gold 250,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[28] Gold 10,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[29] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[31] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

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  • Produced by Tom Catalano
  • Engineered by Armin Steiner
  • Executive Art Director: Ron Coro
  • Art Direction and Design: David Larkham, Michael Ross
  • Album Design and Photography: Ed Caraeff
  • Inside Cover Portrait Photo by Tom Burke

Orchestra

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  • Arranged and Conducted by Lee Holdridge
  • Musicians: Paulo Alencar, Phil Azelton, Israel Baker, Marilyn H. Baker, Paul Beaver, Myer Bello, Arnold Belnick, Richard Bennett, Dixie Blackstone, Hal Blaine, Harry Bluestone, Samuel Boghossian, Hoyt Bohannon, Owen Wilson Brady, Larry E. Carlton, Donald Christlieb, Gene Cipriano, Gary L. Coleman, Chase Craig, William Criss, Rollice Dale, Isabelle Dashkoff, Vincent N. DeRosa, Assa Drori, Robert Dubow, David A. Duke, Jesse Ehrlich, John Ellis, Gene P. Estes, Victor S. Feldman, Henry Ferber, Ronald P. Folsom, Norman Forrest, James Getzoff, Caesar Giovannini, Philip Goldberg, Harris Goldman, Emory L. Gordy Jr., Ralph E. Grierson, Allan Harshman, William Henderson, Thomas R. Hensley, Arthur Hoberman, Claire Hodgkins, Luella Howard, Selene Hurford, Harry Hyams, Jules Jacob, John T. Johnson, Yukiko Kanei, George Kast, Pearl Kaufman, Richard S. Kaufman, Raymond J. Kelley, Jerome A. Kessler, Louis Kievman, Lou Klass, Robert Konrad, Jacob Krachmalnick, Raphael Kramer, Bernard Kundell, William Kurasch, Carl LaMagna, Michael Lang, Diana Lee, Gayle Levant, Marvin Limonick, Abe Luboff, Arthur Maebe, Leonard Malarsky, Jack Marsh, Lew McCreary, Ida Sue McCune, Peter A. Mercurio, Joseph Mondragon, Milton E. Nadel, Wilbert Nuttycombe, Michael S. Omartian, Joe Osborn, Robert Ostrowsky, William B. Peterson, Hugo Raimondi, Sven Reher, Joseph Reilich, David B. Roberts, Nathan Ross, Johnny Rotella, Sheldon Sanov, Ralph Schaeffer, Gordon Schoneberg, David Schwartz, Sidney Sharp, Stan Sheldone, Thomas N. Shepard, Ray Siegel, Henry Sigismonti, Louis Singer, Arthur C. Smith, Clark E. Spangler, Julian Spear, Sally Stevens, Dennis St. John, Robert K. Stone, Anthony Terran, Joseph DiTullio, John DeVoogdt, Jackie Ward, Andra Willis, Tibor Zelig
  • Bob Mitchell's Singing Boys
  • Burbank Staff
  • Will Abar - stage man
  • Jim Atherton - stage man
  • Donn Fallenbuchel - electrician
  • Andy MacDonald - recorder
  • Bill Gernand - recorder
  • Bill Lambert - maintenance
  • Tom Beckert - maintenance
  • Richard Hayden - projectionist
  • Jim Winfree - record recording administrator
  • Doc Siegel - mixer

References

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  1. ^ Rolling Stone review
  2. ^ AllMusic review
  3. ^ "Grammy nominations and wins". Grammy. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  4. ^ Freckleton, Willie (November 30, 1973). "Freckleton in Discoland". Irvine Herald. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-08-06 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Neil Diamond live (1/2) - Jonathan Livingston Seagull". September 25, 2011. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2018 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "Golden Diamond" (PDF). Billboard. March 6, 1976. p. 58. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Fong-Torres, Ben (September 23, 1976). "The Importance of Being Neil Diamond". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 19, 2019..
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 281. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Soundtrack / Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  10. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4976a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  11. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Soundtrack / Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  12. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Soundtrack / Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  13. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  14. ^ "Charts.nz – Soundtrack / Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  15. ^ "Hits of the World - Spain". Billboard. March 9, 1974. p. 56. Retrieved October 24, 2020 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  17. ^ "Neil Diamond Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack / Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  19. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 426. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. ^ "The Top 100 Albums of '74". RPM. Vol. 22, no. 19. December 28, 1974. p. 6. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved November 8, 2021 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  21. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1975" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  22. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1975 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  23. ^ "Gold Down Under" (PDF). Cash Box. March 6, 1976. p. 50. Retrieved November 15, 2021 – via World Radio History.
  24. ^ Anthonissen, Juul (May 1, 1976). "From the Music Capitols of the World - Brussels" (PDF). Billboard. p. 69. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  25. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull". Music Canada.
  26. ^ "French album certifications – Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull (B.O.F.)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  27. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Neil Diamond; 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  28. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1978". IFPI Hong Kong.
  29. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 7 March 2019. Enter Jonathan Livingston Seagull in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1997 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  30. ^ "British album certifications – Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull". British Phonographic Industry.
  31. ^ "American album certifications – Neil Diamond – Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Soundtrack)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
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