Neil Diamond – “I’m A Believer” Live
Neil Diamond Knows How To Make Chart-topping Hits!
If you’ve heard this song before, it’s no wonder because several covers have been made by various artists for this track which was written by Neil Diamond for The Monkees. They released it on November 12, 1966 as part of their album, “More of the Monkees.” Neil’s original recorded version, however, was released a year later for his album, “Just For You.” Neil then made a revised recording and added lyrics to the one featured in “September Morn.”
Mojo magazine July 2008 asked Neil Diamond if he resented at all the Monkees’ success with this song at a time when his own recording career was less successful. He replied: “I was thrilled, because at heart I was still a songwriter and I wanted my songs on the charts.”
It was such a big hit that it stayed on the charts for several weeks. The recorded cover by Smash Mouth further popularized this song which was used as a soundtrack in the movie, “Shrek.”
- Number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100
- Number 5 song for the year 1967 (Billboard)
- Went gold within 2 days from its release date
- Stayed at the top spot in the UK Singles Chart for almost a month
In 2010, Neil Diamond once again made another version of this track. This time, it was a slow tempo.
