Shilo (song)
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| "Shilo" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Neil Diamond | ||||
| from the album Just for You | ||||
| B-side | "La Bamba" | |||
| Released | 1970 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock[1] | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
| Label | Bang Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Neil Diamond | |||
| Producer(s) | Jeff Barry | |||
| Neil Diamond singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Shilo" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond. It was originally recorded in 1967 for Bang Records. Though not one of Diamond's biggest hits, "Shilo" has become one of his best-known songs, and was a staple of his concert appearances. It was included on Diamond's 1972 Hot August Night live album as well as almost all of his compilation albums.
Background[edit]
Neil Diamond and Bang founder Bert Berns disagreed over Diamond's career path.[2] The singer wanted to move away from his early teen-oriented pop type of recordings that Berns favored, which led to Berns' refusal to release the more introspective "Shilo" as a single,[3] even though Diamond felt it was part of his development as an artist. "Shilo" was instead relegated to an album track on 1967's Just for You.[3] Shortly after what was said to be a "tense" confrontation with Berns, Diamond departed Bang for Uni Records in 1968. Diamond went into a commercial slump, without hits, but by January 1970, his career had rebounded with "Sweet Caroline" and "Holly Holy" on Uni/MCA Records. Bang Records finally released "Shilo" as a single, albeit with a new backing track recorded to make it sound fresher and more like Diamond's current style.[3]
Following this, Diamond reissued his 1968 debut album with Uni, Velvet Gloves and Spit, in October 1970, to incorporate a completely new recording of "Shilo".[3] "Shilo" is about a childhood imaginary friend:[2]
- Shilo, when I was young —
- I used to call your name
- When no one else would come,
- Shilo, you always came
- And we'd play ...
The song was Diamond's most autobiographical to date, making reference to his lonely childhood amid turmoil.[2] Diamond's emotional investment in the song contributed to his and Berns's coming into intense conflict.[2] Decades later, Rolling Stone would compare the song's posture to the emo style.[4] Cash Box called it a "hitting rhythm number with lover’s lyric."[5]
Chart performance[edit]
"Shilo" reached #24 on the U.S. pop singles chart in spring 1970,[6] inspiring Bang to release a new Neil Diamond compilation album that year titled Shilo. It reached #8 on the Easy Listening chart, and peaked at #10 in South Africa.
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 10 |
| US Billboard Easy Listening[7] | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 24 |
Uses in popular culture[edit]
- It appears in the 2013 film Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.
- Shilo Dortmund, the protagonist in Andre Norton and Jean Rabe's fantasy novel Dragon Mage, was named after the song by her Neil Diamond-fan parents.
- The song is used in the Disney+ series The Mysterious Benedict Society in the episode "The Art of Conveyance and Round-Trippery", during a rather ironic moment when the character of Constance does the complete opposite of what the character Kate asked her to do, only for her to discover something vital.
- Shilo is the name of the protagonist of Repo! The Genetic Opera and her name is a likely reference to the song.
References[edit]
- ^ "Explore: Soft Rock | Top Songs | AllMusic". AllMusic. 2011-11-12. Archived from the original on January 24, 2012. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
- ^ a b c d Jackson, Laura (2005). Neil Diamond: His Life, His Music, His Passion. ECW Press. ISBN 1-55022-707-6. p. 50.
- ^ a b c d William Ruhlmann. "Neil Diamond: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
- ^ Dan Epstein (2005-11-03). "Neil Diamonds' Jewels". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. September 14, 1968. p. 20. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1983). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: 1955 to present. Billboard Publications. ISBN 0-8230-7511-7. p. 88.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 78.
