Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From '' Songs From An Endless Night ''
Released: May 14, 2024
Tracklist
01. Intro
02. Elijah
03. Dreams
04. Crows
05. Amelie
06. Everchanging Sea
07. Waitin' Around to Die
08. After You
09. Maybe
10. Bad Girls
11. Baby Jean
12. Solitary Man
13. Promised Times
© 2024 The Advocators
℗ 2024 The Advocators
🎵 [SONG INFO]
"Solitary Man" is a song written by American musician Neil Diamond, who recorded the song for Bang Records in late January 1966.
It has since been covered many times, notably by T. G. Sheppard, Gianni Morandi, Chris Isaak, Johnny Cash and HIM.
History
Recorded in late January 1966 and initially released on Bang Records in April 1966, "Solitary Man" was Diamond's debut single as a recording artist, having already had moderate (but accidental) success as a songwriter for other artists; their versions of the songs he had already written and composed were released before his own versions. By July, the track had become a minor hit, rising to No. 55 on the U.S. pop singles chart. It would then be included on Diamond's first album, The Feel of Neil Diamond, which he released in August 1966.
The song is a "ballad of a loner looking for love." The theme of the song has been closely identified with Diamond himself, as evinced by a 2008 profile in The Daily Telegraph: "This is the Solitary Man depicted on his first hit in 1966: the literate, thoughtful and melodically adventurous composer of songs that cover a vast array of moods and emotions..."
In the lyrics, the singer lists some of his relationships and how they each ended. He laments "I know it's been done, having one girl who loves you." But he doubts it will happen for him. Indeed, Diamond himself would tell interviewers in the 2000s, "After four years of Freudian analysis, I realized I had written 'Solitary Man' about myself."
After Diamond had renewed commercial success with Uni Records at the end of the decade, Bang Records re-released "Solitary Man" as a single and it reached No. 21 on the U.S. pop charts in the summer of 1970. It also reached No. 6 on the Easy Listening chart.
Billboard praised the "solid dance beat and excellent production backing." Record World said that the "acoustic backing is just right for [Diamond] to get another ride to the top of the charts."
Diamond originally recorded two versions of the song, as he later did with "Cherry, Cherry." The one version had his harmonic vocal track on the refrain of the song, along with accompaniment by a wordless female chorus. The other version was him singing the song alone, without his prerecorded harmony or the female chorus.
In a 2005 Rolling Stone retrospective, Dan Epstein wrote, "'Solitary Man' remains the most brilliantly efficient song in the Diamond collection. There's not a wasted word or chord in this two-and-a-half minute anthem of heartbreak and self-affirmation, which introduced the melancholy loner persona that he's repeatedly returned to throughout his career."
Chart history
Chart (1966) / Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles / 56
US Billboard Hot 100 / 55
US Cash Box Top 100 / 60
Chart (1970) / Peak position
Australia Go-Set / 36
Canada RPM Top Singles / 31
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary / 24
US Billboard Hot 100 / 21
US Billboard Easy Listening / 6
US Cash Box Top 100 / 20
Notable cover versions
In 1976, T. G. Sheppard released a cover version for Hitsville Records, a country-focused sub-label of Motown Records. It went to No. 14 on the U.S. country music chart (Hot Country Songs) and No. 100 on the Hot 100. The song charted best on the Canadian country chart, at No. 11. It was also a hit on the Easy Listening charts of both nations.
Gianni Morandi recorded a cover version titled "Se perdo anche te" ("If I Also Lose You"). The author of the Italian lyrics was Franco Migliacci, who was Morandi's producer at that time. "Se perdo anche te" spent ten weeks on the Italian pop chart in 1967, peaking at No. 1 for one week. The song was arranged by Ennio Morricone, who at that time conducted many tunes published by the Italian branch of the RCA Victor Records label.
Chris Isaak
Johnny Cash
HIM
🔗 [LINKS]
theadvocatorsmusic.com/home
facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558064883160
instagram.com/theadvocatorsmusic
@TheAdvocators
Available on bandcamp:
theadvocators.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-an-endless-night
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/album/4bV1Pp2yVDwUZ3bmFX8VYt
Apple Music:
music.apple.com/us/album/songs-from-an-endless-night/1733979992
Deezer:
deezer.com/us/album/555079902
and Soundcloud:
soundcloud.com/theadvocators/solitary-man
The Advocators on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/artist/6d3439FyRESJVs7Hc6uGib
Apple Music:
music.apple.com/us/artist/the-advocators/1714135725
and Deezer:
deezer.com/en/artist/240026411
Check out their new release here:
open.spotify.com/album/6bBPjSo4KXVIfptGMps4nb
From '' Songs From An Endless Night ''
Released: May 14, 2024
Tracklist
01. Intro
02. Elijah
03. Dreams
04. Crows
05. Amelie
06. Everchanging Sea
07. Waitin' Around to Die
08. After You
09. Maybe
10. Bad Girls
11. Baby Jean
12. Solitary Man
13. Promised Times
© 2024 The Advocators
℗ 2024 The Advocators
🎵 [SONG INFO]
"Solitary Man" is a song written by American musician Neil Diamond, who recorded the song for Bang Records in late January 1966.
It has since been covered many times, notably by T. G. Sheppard, Gianni Morandi, Chris Isaak, Johnny Cash and HIM.
History
Recorded in late January 1966 and initially released on Bang Records in April 1966, "Solitary Man" was Diamond's debut single as a recording artist, having already had moderate (but accidental) success as a songwriter for other artists; their versions of the songs he had already written and composed were released before his own versions. By July, the track had become a minor hit, rising to No. 55 on the U.S. pop singles chart. It would then be included on Diamond's first album, The Feel of Neil Diamond, which he released in August 1966.
The song is a "ballad of a loner looking for love." The theme of the song has been closely identified with Diamond himself, as evinced by a 2008 profile in The Daily Telegraph: "This is the Solitary Man depicted on his first hit in 1966: the literate, thoughtful and melodically adventurous composer of songs that cover a vast array of moods and emotions..."
In the lyrics, the singer lists some of his relationships and how they each ended. He laments "I know it's been done, having one girl who loves you." But he doubts it will happen for him. Indeed, Diamond himself would tell interviewers in the 2000s, "After four years of Freudian analysis, I realized I had written 'Solitary Man' about myself."
After Diamond had renewed commercial success with Uni Records at the end of the decade, Bang Records re-released "Solitary Man" as a single and it reached No. 21 on the U.S. pop charts in the summer of 1970. It also reached No. 6 on the Easy Listening chart.
Billboard praised the "solid dance beat and excellent production backing." Record World said that the "acoustic backing is just right for [Diamond] to get another ride to the top of the charts."
Diamond originally recorded two versions of the song, as he later did with "Cherry, Cherry." The one version had his harmonic vocal track on the refrain of the song, along with accompaniment by a wordless female chorus. The other version was him singing the song alone, without his prerecorded harmony or the female chorus.
In a 2005 Rolling Stone retrospective, Dan Epstein wrote, "'Solitary Man' remains the most brilliantly efficient song in the Diamond collection. There's not a wasted word or chord in this two-and-a-half minute anthem of heartbreak and self-affirmation, which introduced the melancholy loner persona that he's repeatedly returned to throughout his career."
Chart history
Chart (1966) / Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles / 56
US Billboard Hot 100 / 55
US Cash Box Top 100 / 60
Chart (1970) / Peak position
Australia Go-Set / 36
Canada RPM Top Singles / 31
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary / 24
US Billboard Hot 100 / 21
US Billboard Easy Listening / 6
US Cash Box Top 100 / 20
Notable cover versions
In 1976, T. G. Sheppard released a cover version for Hitsville Records, a country-focused sub-label of Motown Records. It went to No. 14 on the U.S. country music chart (Hot Country Songs) and No. 100 on the Hot 100. The song charted best on the Canadian country chart, at No. 11. It was also a hit on the Easy Listening charts of both nations.
Gianni Morandi recorded a cover version titled "Se perdo anche te" ("If I Also Lose You"). The author of the Italian lyrics was Franco Migliacci, who was Morandi's producer at that time. "Se perdo anche te" spent ten weeks on the Italian pop chart in 1967, peaking at No. 1 for one week. The song was arranged by Ennio Morricone, who at that time conducted many tunes published by the Italian branch of the RCA Victor Records label.
Chris Isaak
Johnny Cash
HIM
🔗 [LINKS]
theadvocatorsmusic.com/home
facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558064883160
instagram.com/theadvocatorsmusic
@TheAdvocators
Available on bandcamp:
theadvocators.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-an-endless-night
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/album/4bV1Pp2yVDwUZ3bmFX8VYt
Apple Music:
music.apple.com/us/album/songs-from-an-endless-night/1733979992
Deezer:
deezer.com/us/album/555079902
and Soundcloud:
soundcloud.com/theadvocators/solitary-man
The Advocators on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/artist/6d3439FyRESJVs7Hc6uGib
Apple Music:
music.apple.com/us/artist/the-advocators/1714135725
and Deezer:
deezer.com/en/artist/240026411
Check out their new release here:
open.spotify.com/album/6bBPjSo4KXVIfptGMps4nb
