Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits was the first compilation album of songs recorded by Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond

Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....

. It was released in 1968 by Bang Records

Bang Records

Bang Records was created by Bert Berns in 1965 together with his partners from Atlantic Records: Ahmet Ertegün, Nesuhi Ertegün and Jerry Wexler...

 after Diamond left Bang for Uni Records

Uni Records

Uni Records was a record label owned by MCA Inc. The brand, which long featured a distinct UNi logo, was established in 1966 by MCA executive Ned Tanen and developed by music industry veteran Russ Regan...

. Bang would eventually release four Neil Diamond compilation albums on top of the two original Diamond albums which Bang issued in 1966 and '67.http://www.bsnpubs.com/nyc/bang.html Ten of the twelve songs on this album are original Diamond compositions with the remaining two cover versions of oldies

Oldies

Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....

. After Columbia Records

Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

 absorbed Bang Records, this album was replaced by a new compilation titled Classics: The Early Years

Classics: The Early Years

Classics: The Early Years is a compilation album by Neil Diamond released in 1983 featuring the early recordings he made for Bang Records in 1966 and 1967. After Columbia Records acquired the Bang Records catalogue, the twelve best recordings were reissued on this album. Columbia gave Diamond, a...

which replaced the cover songs with additional Diamond originals: "I'm A Believer

I'm a Believer

"I'm a Believer" is a song composed by Neil Diamond and recorded by The Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966 and remained there for seven weeks,...

" (which became a hit for The Monkees

The Monkees

The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...

) and "Shilo

Shilo (song)

"Shilo" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond.It was originally recorded in 1967 for Bang Records, but Diamond and Bang founder Bert Berns disagreed over Diamond's career path...

" which Bang initially rejected as a single but was later released as a single and became a hit in 1970 after this album was released.

Side one

1. "Cherry, Cherry
   Cherry, Cherry
   "Cherry, Cherry" is a song written, composed, and recorded by Neil Diamond. The song was arranged by Artie Butler and produced by Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich. It was issued as a 45 single in 1966 and became Diamond's first big hit, reaching #6 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart, in October 1966,...
   
   "
2. "Oh No No"
3. "New Orleans" (Frank Guida
   Frank Guida
   Frank Guida was a Sicilian-American songwriter and music producer credited with discovering Gary U.S. Bonds, whose hits, including "New Orleans" and "Quarter to Three", he produced. He was also a songwriter for Leroy Toombs...
   
   , Joseph Royster)
4. "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon
   Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon
   "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" is a song written by Neil Diamond, whose recording of it on Bang Records reached #10 on the U.S. pop singles chart in 1967. The song garnered a second life span when it appeared on the 1994 Pulp Fiction soundtrack, performed by rock band Urge Overkill...
   
   "
5. "Do It"
6. "You Got to Me"

Side two

1. "Solitary Man"
2. "Kentucky Woman
   Kentucky Woman
   "Kentucky Woman" is a 1967 song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond. Another well-known version is the 1968 recording by Deep Purple....
   
   "
3. "Thank the Lord for the Night Time"
4. "Red, Red Wine"
5. "Hanky Panky" (Jeff Barry
   Jeff Barry
   Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
   
   , Ellie Greenwich
   Ellie Greenwich
   Eleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas ", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep, Mountain High", among many others...
   
   )
6. "The Boat That I Row"