This Diamond Ring

by Gary Lewis & the Playboys

Top hit from: 14.02 to 27.02.1965

"This Diamond Ring" is a 1965 pop song written by Al Kooper, Bob Brass, and Irwin Levine. The song's first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart was a bubbling-under single by Sammy Ambrose that reached #117 on January 9, 1965. The hit record, which went to #1 on the Billboard chart, is attributed to Gary Lewis & the Playboys though none of the Playboys played their instruments on the recording and Lewis' vocals were heavily supported by Ron Hicklin's overdubs. Instead the music was performed by members of the The Wrecking Crew. The session drummer was Hal Blaine, Carol Kaye played bass and Leon Russell both played keyboards and assisted with production. The song was carried through Snuff Garrett Records.
Stylistically, the song's recording features the then common "basic 'combo' instrumentation...(electric guitar, organ, bass, drums), modal (dorian) inflections in the harmony and melody of the verse and a basic rock beat pattern." Unusually the chorus features timpani and the transition between verse and chorus creates a daring modulation from C minor (dorian) to G-flat major.
"The musical style," writes Brackett, "skims aspects from contemporary rock songs, and is then

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Lyrics

Who wants to buy this diamond ring?
She took it off her finger, now it doesn't mean a thing
This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it did before
So if you've got someone whose love is true, let it shine for you

This stone is genuine like love should be
And if your baby's truer than my baby was to me
This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true

And then your heart won't have to break like mine did if there's love behind it

This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
And this diamond ring can be dreams that are coming true
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did if there's love behind it

This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it did before
So if you've got someone whose love is true, let it shine for you