"Holly Holy" is a song written and recorded 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 ...

with instrumental backing provided by the

American Sound Studio The American Sound Studio was a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by Chips Moman, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street c ...

house band in Memphis. Released as a single on October 13, 1969, it was a successful follow-on to " Sweet Caroline", reaching #6 on the U.S. pop singles chart by December. p. 88. The song also reached #5 on the Easy Listening chart. It became a

gold record Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

and then eventually a platinum record. A work with a spiritual focus, "Holly Holy" was influenced by

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

and was Diamond's favorite of the songs he had written to that point. pp. 65–66. "Holly Holy" was later included on Diamond's November 1969 album ''

Touching You, Touching Me ''Touching You, Touching Me'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. It was the first one since 1966 to feature renditions of other people's material as well as his own. It included a major hit that had already ch ...

''. It has been included in live versions on Diamond's ''

Hot August Night ''Hot August Night'' is a 1972 live double album by Neil Diamond. The album is a recording of a Diamond concert on August 24, 1972, one of ten sold-out concerts that Diamond performed that month at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. This also mar ...

'' (from 1972) and '' Greatest Hits: 1966–1992'' (from 1992) as well as various compilations.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Other versions

Produced by

Clancy Eccles Clancy Eccles (9 December 1940 in Dean Pen, St. Mary, Jamaica – 30 June 2005 in Spanish Town, Jamaica)Katz was a Jamaican ska and reggae singer, songwriter, arranger, promoter, record producer and talent scout. Known mostly for his early reg ...

in 1970, the song was an instant success for Jamaican

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

group the Fabulous Flames, almost crossing into the UK's popular music chart. The song was covered by

Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatr ...

and released on her album '' Shifting Gears'' in 2013.

In popular culture

The song was used in Mike Flanagan's

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

miniseries ''

Midnight Mass In many Western Christian traditions Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide that is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christmas ...

'' during a montage in the third episode. Additionally, it was played live in concert at the end of the 2001 film ''

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, Da ...

'' during the end credits scene by Neil Diamond (as himself) and the main cast members (in character). It was also featured in the

Kevin James Kevin George Knipfing (born April 26, 1965), better known by his stage name Kevin James, is an American comedian and actor. In television, James played Doug Heffernan on ''The King of Queens'' from 1998 to 2007, and receieved a Primetime Emmy ...

film ''

Here Comes the Boom ''Here Comes the Boom'' is a 2012 American sports comedy film directed by Frank Coraci, co-written, produced by, and starring Kevin James as a biology teacher who attempts to save his school's music program by becoming an MMA fighter. It was als ...

'' as James's character's entrance song.

References

External links

* 1969 singles 1971 singles Neil Diamond songs Songs written by Neil Diamond Junior Walker songs Uni Records singles 1969 songs Song recordings produced by Tom Catalano {{1960s-pop-song-stub