"Hello Again" is a song written by

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

and Alan Lindgren that appeared in the 1980 movie ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolated ...

'' and was performed by Diamond on the

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...

to the film. It was also released as a single and reached #6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 3 on Billboard's

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

chart. ''Billboard'' also ranked as the 70th top pop single for 1981. In the UK, the song peaked at #51.

Background

"Hello Again" was described by Neil Diamond biographer Laura Jackson as a "slow tender ballad."

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

critic Johnny Loftus considers it Diamond's "signature late-career ballad." Author T. Mike Childs rated it as a "terrific" ballad. Movie reviewer Joe Peacock described "Hello Again" as being "keenly affecting to the emotions." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' critic Vicki Pipkin claims that Diamond's performance of the song in ''The Jazz Singer'' is "poignant." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' said that "Diamond's deep tenor resonates to maximum dramatic intensity, with a monumental string/piano arrangement backdrop." ''

Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...

'' music editor Carl Apone claimed that Diamond was at his best in ''The Jazz Singer'' in the songs "Hello Again" and " Love on the Rocks."

Charts

Cover versions

*It has been covered by several artists and orchestras, including

Celtic Thunder Celtic Thunder is an Irish singing group and stage show known for its eclectic, theatrical style show. The group is backed by the Celtic Thunder Band on their concert tours, and their live shows are known for the use of dramatic set pieces (of ...

Donny Osmond Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, dancer, actor, television host, and former teen idol. He first gained fame performing with four of his elder brothers as the Osmonds, earning several top ten hits and gol ...

Regine Velasquez Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipina singer, actress, and record producer. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and beltin ...

and Steve Cherelle.

Popular culture

* This song was featured in ''

Saving Silverman ''Saving Silverman'' (internationally titled ''Evil Woman'') is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Jason Biggs, Steve Zahn, Jack Black and Amanda Peet. Neil Diamond has a cameo role playing himself. In the film, Darr ...

''. * In 2010, this song was featured in a VB commercial.

References

{{Authority control 1980 songs 1981 singles Neil Diamond songs Songs written by Neil Diamond Song recordings produced by Bob Gaudio Capitol Records singles