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"Longfellow Serenade"
Single by Neil Diamond
from the album Serenade
B-side	"Rosemary's Wine"
Released	1974 (US)
Genre	Rock
Length	3:22
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Neil Diamond
Producer(s)	Tom Catalano
Neil Diamond singles chronology
"Skybird" (1974) "Longfellow Serenade" (1974) "I've Been This Way Before" (1975)

"Longfellow Serenade" is the title of a 1974 song by the American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. It was written by Diamond, produced by Tom Catalano, and included on Diamond's album Serenade.

"Longfellow Serenade" spent two weeks at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in November 1974. It was Diamond's second No. 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, following his 1972 single, "Song Sung Blue". The song reached No. 1 in Switzerland and No. 2 in Germany.

Diamond described "Longfellow Serenade" in the liner notes to his 1996 compilation album, In My Lifetime: "Occasionally I like using a particular lyrical style which, in this case, lent itself naturally to telling the story of a guy who woos his woman with poetry." The title of the song is a reference to the 19th-century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Diamond chose to reference Longfellow specifically after recalling an instance in which, while in his teens, Diamond had used one of the poet's works to successfully seduce a significantly older woman.

Cash Box called it a "powerful up-tempo ballad", saying, "Neil handles the tune with his usual expertise and rich smooth vocal." Record World said that Diamond "invokes a classic 19th century bard and turns in a true masterpiece of thought and performance perfection."

Chart history

Cover versions

Petr Spálený – Velký Muž Serenád

See also

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1974 (U.S.)

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 177.
2. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 150.
3. Jackson, Laura (2005). Neil Diamond: His Life, His Music, His Passion (ECW Press), page 112.
4. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 5, 1974. p. 14. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
5. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 5, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
7. "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. November 2, 1974. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
8. "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. December 2, 1974. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
9. "SA Charts 1965 – March 1989". Retrieved September 5, 2018.
10. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – ISBN 0-89820-089-X
11. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, November 30, 1974". Archived from the original on December 26, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
12. "National Top 100 Singles for 1974". Kent Music Report. December 30, 1974. Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Imgur.
13. Canada, Library and Archives (January 16, 2018). "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada.
14. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
15. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1975". Retrieved October 27, 2018.
16. Swiss Year-End Charts, 1975
17. Top 50 Adult Contemporary Hits of 1975

External links

• Single release info from discogs.com Retrieved February 10, 2009.
• Neil Diamond - Longfellow Serenade on YouTube

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• 1970s ballads
• 1974 singles
• Neil Diamond songs
• Songs written by Neil Diamond
• 1974 songs
• Columbia Records singles
• Number-one singles in South Africa
• Song recordings produced by Tom Catalano
• Rock ballads
• 1970s pop song stubs