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The Monkees‘ “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” was one of two hit songs Neil Diamond gave to The Monkees. During an interview, Diamond said the success of one of his songs opened the door for The Monkees to record his songs. Listeners in the United States and the United Kingdom had similar reactions to “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You.”

The Monkees' Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith, and Mickey Dolenz around a piano
The Monkees’ Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith, and Mickey Dolenz | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

These songs changed Neil Diamond’s life

During an interview on CNN, Larry King asked Diamond if his song “Solitary Man” became a hit. “It did in a couple of cities,” Diamond said. “In Toronto and Los Angeles it was top 10. The rest of the country, no. But it was a chart record. It was — it separated me from, you know, just being a guy knocking around and trying to get into the — you know, the office.”

Diamond said his song ‘Cherry, Cherry” changed his life. “The next record, which was a thing called ‘Cherry, Cherry,’ was my first big national hit,” Diamond recalled. “It was a top five record. And international, as well. And you know, that’s what broke the dam.”

Neil Diamond with a guitar
Neil Diamond | RB/Redferns

This conversation led Neil Diamond to give The Monkees ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’ and another hit song

According to NPR, Diamond said “Cherry, Cherry” opened the door for The Monkees to record his songs. “I recorded a couple of songs, including ‘Solitary Man’ and ‘Cherry, Cherry,’ which was a big hit,” Diamond remembered. “And because of that hit the people who were producing The Monkees called and said ‘We like ‘Cherry, Cherry.’ Do you have any other songs?'”

Diamond would have a massive impact on The Monkees. “I said, ‘Well, I don’t have anything like ‘Cherry, Cherry’ but I have an album coming out soon and I’ll send it over and take your pick,” Diamond said. He gave the Prefab Four two of their most famous hits: “I’m a Believer” and “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You.”

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The way the world reacted to The Monkees’ ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’

“A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song lasted on the chart for 10 weeks. The Monkees released it with “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” as the B-side. “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” reached No. 39 on the chart and stayed on the chart for five weeks.

“A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” became popular in the U.K. too. According to The Official Charts Company, the song reached No. 3 in the U.K. and remained on the chart for 12 weeks. Meanwhile, “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” was not a hit there. “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” became a hit for The Monkees and it might not have been their song without “Cherry, Cherry.”

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