Neil Diamond’s Brill Building Songwriting Years

Before the sold-out arenas and the singalongs, Neil Diamond was a working songwriter grinding out material in New York. Those early years taught him the craft that would define his career. Here is a look at that formative period.

A Brooklyn beginning

Born in Brooklyn in 1941, Diamond grew up with music close at hand.

Choosing songs over medicine

He set aside a planned medical career to pursue songwriting, a significant gamble at the time.

The New York songwriting scene

He worked in the professional songwriting world centered in New York, where writers produced material on demand.

Writing to order

The job required producing songs steadily rather than waiting for inspiration.

Learning song structure

Constant output taught him how verses, hooks and choruses fit together efficiently.

Melody as priority

The environment rewarded memorable melodies, a skill that became his trademark.

Writing for other artists

His songs were pitched to performers rather than intended for his own recordings.

“I’m a Believer” changes things

His composition became a major hit for The Monkees, raising his profile considerably.

Developing a personal voice

Over time he began writing material that suited his own perspective and delivery.

Stepping to the microphone

He moved from writing for others to recording his own songs, transforming his career.

Craft that never left him

The discipline learned in those years shows in the tight construction of his later hits.

Why the era mattered

Without that apprenticeship, the songwriter behind decades of standards might never have emerged.

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