Comments: 19

• Bruce Scott, The Original [former Oldies D.j.] from Philadelphia, PaThe original single release of this song was by Sammy Ambrose, former lead singer of the Willows ["Church Bells May Ring"]. It only charted for one week [1/9/65] on Billboard's "Bubbling Under" chart at #117. The following week, Gary Lewis' version charted and Ambrose's dropped off. Ambrose's version was a tad slower and soulful. [Reportedly, unsure if accurate, Ambrose was chosen to sing the vocal over Al Kooper's demo.] I love both versions.
• Ben from UnknownThe Monkees did play on their records except for at the very, very beginning!
• Nts from MdI just realized that the official Wrecking Crew website has a copy of the AFM sheet.
  
  Based on that, & listening back to the record, here's what I could determine:
  
  Electric & Acoustic Guitars: Dave Costell
  Vox Continental Organ: John R. West
  Piano: Leon Russell
  Bass: Al Ramsay
  Drums: Gary Lewis
  Timpani: Hal Blaine
  Finger Cymbals: Hal Blaine
  Bell-Tree: Hal Blaine
  
  Could anyone else back this up? Thanks! I don't know what David Walker could have done if he's not listed on the AFM.
• Craig from Savannah, GaI met Bobby Vee and asked him about "This Diamond Ring". He stated quite clearly that he never heard the song until i't was being recorded and did not turn it down. He said he would have recorded it if it had been offered to him. He was explicit in this statement.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NySnuff Garrett died December 17th, 2015 at the age of 76.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 10th 1969, Gary Lewis and the Playboys performed "This Diamond Ring" on the NBC-TV program 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'...
  Gary's father, Jerry Lewis, was guest host on the show that night...
  As already stated the song replaced the Righteous Brothers at #1, and for the two weeks it was at #1 "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling'" was at #2 and it was "My Girl" by the Temptations that bumped Gary out of #1.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyNOT SO PERFECT SONGS for VALENTINES DAY:
  On Valentines Day in 1965 "This Diamond Ring" by Gary Lewis and the Playboys peaked at #1 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart...
  And interestingly enough, the song it knocked out of the top spot was "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers...
  "This Diamond Ring" was originally recorded in late 1964 by Sammy Ambrose; his version reached #117 on Billboard's 'Bubbling Under the Top 100' chart (his version is on You Tube)...
  Mr. Lewis, born Gary Harold Lee Levitch, will celebrate his 69th birthday this coming July 31st (2014).
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 9th 1965, Gary Lewis and the Playboys performed "This Diamond Ring" on the NBC-TV program 'Hullabaloo!'...
  At the time the song was at #3 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; the following week it would jump to #1 (for 2 weeks)...
  Session's musician Hal Blaine played drums on the record; it was one of thirty-eight #1 records that he appeared on between the years 1961 and 1976...
  See next post below.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 6th, 1964, Gary Lewis & the Playboys performed "This Diamond Ring" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
  One month and ten days later on January 16th, 1965 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on Valentine's Day 1965 it peaked at #1 (for 2 weeks) and spent 12 weeks on the Top 100...
  It was the group's debut record and their next six releases all made the Top 10...
  Between 1965 and 1969 the group had fifteen Top 100 hits; with seven reaching the Top 10 and one peaking at #1...
  R.I.P. Mr. Sullivan (1901 - 1974) and Mr. Lewis, born Gary Harold Lee Levitch, will celebrate his 68th birthday come next July 31st, 2014.
  
• Gary from Honeoye Falls, NyThis is Gary Lewis, and I took basic training at Ft. Ord, in Monterey, CA
  And as a songwriter, who cares who sings your song if they make it a million selling hit,#1 in the country.
  And I've also made it in this business for 48 years, allegedly singing!
• Hilary from Fallon, NvThis song was featured (by about a minute of playing on a record) on the Jerry Lewis film "Family Jewels".
• Mike from Long Island, NyAl, hope you see this and comment back.Around 1972 I met a woman,who's name I can't remember, who told me that she was the inspiration for the song.
• John from Coopersburg, PaHi all,
  My sincere apologies to the great songwriter Al Kooper for misrepresenting this.
  Lester, I'm sorry, but I never saw Clay Cole.
  Anyone know how to get a copy of Kooper's "You never know who your friends are" album? That would be a grand addition to my collection.
  -- John Schubert, Coopersburg, PA
• Ryan from Troy, MiI happen to have the same record that Charlie has, but I also have another copy of the same record with the flip side being Hard To Find credited to (LeRoy Vinnegar).
• Lester from New York City, NyAl Kooper, is that you? Man, I love 'Child is the Father to Man'. Great album. Have you ever heard Black Oak Arkansas' cover of 'I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know'? And for John Shubert, I remember Lloyd Thaxton. Do you remember Clay Cole?
• Al from New York, NyI have NEVER claimed to have written TDR myself, I wrote the MUSIC myself and Brass & Levine wrote the words, We always split everything three ways equally however. The song was not as lucrative as John Shubert thinks it was for me as I earn 16 2/3 percet in royalties as I am one-third writer and do not participate in then publishing
  The song was originally written for The Drifters as an R&B ditty which was why I was so horrified initially by the Gary Lewis record.
  My version retains the original r&b feel, if anyone is interested.
• Charlie from Eugene, OrI have the Liberty 45 rpm of This Diamond Ring and the label credits the songwritting to (Kooder-Levine-Bras)
  The flip side is Tijuana Wedding credited to (Gary Lewis-Leon Russell-T. Lesslie)
• John from Coopersburg, PaSomeone else wrote in these comments that Al Kooper co-wrote this song. Uh, according to Kooper himself, he wrote the song himself.
  
  I've seen Kooper talk about it in concert and heard him in a radio interview, and he sure acted like it was his and his alone. He said he was very disappointed at how the Playboys version sounded, and sheepish that it became such a hit (and lucrative for him) even though he disliked it so.
  
  One of Kooper's albums ("Act like nothing's wrong") has his version of this song, which I don't care for, but he vastly prefers.
  
  Also: I remember Gary Lewis's group "performing" this song (lip sync-ing) on the Lloyd Thaxton show. Lewis sat at a drum set with two bass drums. Shortly after that, he stopped druming and stood out in front, allegedly singing.
  
  -- John Schubert, Coopersburg, PA
• Jeff from Gaithersburg, MdGary Lewis took basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina during the fall/winter of 1966.

see more comments