Capitol/UMeIn celebration of July 4 — and in advance of the release of his new Hot August Night III concert video — Neil Diamond has debuted an excerpt that features him singing his most patriotic song: “America.”
The performance, which you can watch now at Diamond’s official YouTube channel, took place in August 2012 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. It includes a heartfelt intro in which Diamond pays tribute to his grandmother.
“It was almost a hundred years ago that a little girl, 12 years old, was put on a train in Kiev, Russia, and made the journey 1,200 miles to Rotterdam in Holland,” Neil declares. “She then boarded a ship to make the great voyage to freedom in a place called America. That little girl was my grandmother. She and her daughter Rose inspired me to achieve everything that I’ve achieved in my life.”
He adds, “Her courage will never be forgotten. It sings in every song I sing. This one is for her.”
“America,” of course, is an homage to the immigrants who come to the U.S. from around the world, in search of a beter life. The song originally appeared on the soundtrack of Diamond’s 1980 film The Jazz Singer. The tune peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Hot August Night III will be released on August 17 in a variety of configurations, including a double-CD collection, and two-CD/DVD and two-CD/Blu-ray sets. Digital and streaming options are also available. The concert documented for the collection marked the 40th anniversary of the shows that were recorded at the same venue in 1972 for Diamond’s legendary Hot August Night live album.
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