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	January 10, 1987 (U.S.) April 14, 1987 (UK)
Format	7" maxi single, 12" maxi single, cassette
Genre	Pop, R&B
Length	4:53
Label	A&M
Writer(s)	James Harris III, Terry Lewis
Producer	Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Herb Alpert singles chronology
"Keep Your Eye on Me" (1986) "Diamonds" (1987) "Making Love in the Rain" (1987)
Janet Jackson chronology "Let's Wait Awhile" (1987) "Diamonds" (1987) "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 and music video

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. 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 shadow of Janet in the club. A child breaks through Janet's look alikes shadow and performs as Jackson.

For the first time, 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. The song reached number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play and the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales. Outside the U.S. it 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.

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
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
Official UK Singles Chart	27
ARIA Top 50	20
Canada Singles Chart	4
Holland Singles Chart	4
South Africa Singles Chart	8

End of year charts

End of year chart (1987)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	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

Preceded by " Rock Steady" by The Whispers	Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks number one single June 20, 1987	Succeeded by "I Feel Good All Over" by Stephanie Mills
Preceded by "The Pleasure Principle" by Janet Jackson	Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single June 20, 1987 - June 27, 1987	Succeeded by "Respectable" by Mel and Kim