Diamonds (Herb Alpert song)

"Diamonds"
Single by Herb Alpert featuring Janet Jackson and Lisa Keith
from the album Keep Your Eye on Me
B-side	"African Flame"
Released	December 8, 1986 March 14, 1987
Format	7" single 12" maxi single cassette
Genre	Smooth jazz R&B new wave
Length	4:53
Label	A&M
Writer(s)	James Harris III, Terry Lewis
Producer(s)	Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Herb Alpert singles chronology
"Keep Your Eye on Me" (1986) "Diamonds" (1986) "Making Love in the Rain" (1987)
Janet Jackson singles chronology "Let's Wait Awhile" (1987) "Diamonds" (1986) "The Pleasure Principle" (1987)

"Diamonds" is the second single by Herb Alpert from his Keep Your Eye on Me album, and features vocals from Janet Jackson and Lisa Keith.

Song information

Herb Alpert in "Diamonds" music video.

This single marked a huge comeback for Herb Alpert. Four tracks on its parent album Keep Your Eye on Me were produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who melded Alpert's sound with their own Minneapolis funk.

Music video

In the music video Herb Alpert appears in "Bucky's" night club where the DJ eventually plays his new single. The song is a hit with the crowd and Herb and his band end up performing onstage. Meanwhile, Janet heads back to the club in a limo. Janet herself does not appear in the video---a look-alike is used for the limo scenes and the silhouette of Janet in the club. A child breaks through the look-alike's silhouette and performs as Janet.

Live performance

Janet Jackson included the song on her 2011 tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal.

Chart performance

"Diamonds" was a big hit in America, peaking at five on the Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.^[1] The single also went to number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play and the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales. Outside the U.S..^[2] "Diamonds" was a hit in most countries like Canada and Holland but a modest hit in the UK and Australia. Its successor "Making Love in the Rain" would become a modest hit.

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1987) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] 47 Canadian Singles Chart 4 Dutch Singles Chart 4 Italian Singles Chart[4] 15 New Zealand [5] 31 South African Singles Chart 8 UK Singles Chart 27 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 5 U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 1 U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play 1 U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1

Year-end charts Chart (1987) Rank Canada [6] 78 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[7] 79

Track listing

• Japan 5" CD single

1. "Diamonds" (Cool Summer Mix) – 6:19
2. "Diamonds" (Cool Summer Dance Mix) – 5:55
3. "Diamonds" (Cool Summer Instrumental) – 5:27
4. "Diamonds" (Cool Summer Dub Version) – 4:23
5. "Diamonds" (Cool Summer 7" Edit) – 3:54
6. "Diamonds" (dance mix) – 6:48
7. "Diamonds" (instrumental) – 5:14
8. "Diamonds" (Beats Dubcapella) – 3:12

• UK 7" vinyl single

1. "Diamonds" (edit) – 4:19
2. "Rocket to the Moon" – 3:52

• UK Cassette single

1. "Diamonds" (dance mix)
2. "Diamonds" (edit)
3. "Diamonds" (instrumental)
4. "Rocket to the Moon"

• US 7" vinyl single

1. "Diamonds" – 4:53
2. "African Flame" – 3:58

• Japan 7" vinyl single

1. "Diamonds" – 4:53
2. "Stranger on the Shore" – 2:54

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 29.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 19.
3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, NSW, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 16. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
4. "Italian Charts". IFPI. ifpi.com. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
5. http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/singles?chart=3263
6. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0920&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062
7. http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1987.php