# Three Chord Opera

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Three_Chord_Opera
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Three_Chord_Opera.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Chord_Opera
> Source revision: 1331732451
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

***Three Chord Opera*** is the twenty-fifth studio [album](/source/Album) by [Neil Diamond](/source/Neil_Diamond), released in 2001. It marked the first album since 1974's *[Serenade](/source/Serenade_(Neil_Diamond_album))* to consist solely of original material written solely by Diamond, and the first album of any original songs since 1996's country-themed *[Tennessee Moon](/source/Tennessee_Moon)* where he co-wrote all but one of the songs.

The album also featured the song "I Believe in Happy Endings", written by Diamond for the 2001 comedy *[Saving Silverman](/source/Saving_Silverman)* in which he made a cameo.

The album reached number 15 on the [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200) chart.[1][2] "You are the Best Part of Me", reached No. 28 on the [Billboard Adult Contemporary](/source/Adult_Contemporary_(chart)) chart.[3]

## Track listing

All songs written by Neil Diamond.

## Personnel

**Musicians and vocalists**

- Neil Diamond – vocals
- Tom Hensley – acoustic piano (2, 3, 7, 10, 12), [Fender Rhodes](/source/Fender_Rhodes) (6, 8, 11)
- Alan Lindgren – keyboards (2, 4, 9), horn arrangements (2, 7), acoustic piano (3, 9), drums (4), percussion programming (4), [Hammond organ](/source/Hammond_organ) (7, 9–12)
- [Marc Mann](/source/Marc_Mann) – [Pro Tools](/source/Pro_Tools) and [sequencing](/source/Music_sequencer) (3), percussion programming (9), backing vocals (9)
- Dominic Ordinaire – [accordion](/source/Accordion) (8)
- Hadley Hockensmith – acoustic guitar (1, 9), 12-string guitar (1), electric guitar (2, 5, 8, 9), guitars (3, 6, 7, 11, 12), guitar solo (8)
- Doug Rhone – electric guitar (1), acoustic guitar (2, 5), guitars (6, 8, 12), [tiple](/source/Tiple) (7, 11)
- [Michael Thompson](/source/Michael_Thompson_(guitarist)) – electric guitar (1, 5, 7, 9), guitar solo (2), guitars (3, 4)
- [JayDee Maness](/source/JayDee_Maness) – [pedal steel guitar](/source/Pedal_steel_guitar) (10)
- Reinie Press – bass (1–3, 5–10, 12)
- [Chuck Domanico](/source/Chuck_Domanico) – bass (11)
- [Ron Tutt](/source/Ron_Tutt) – drums (1, 5, 7, 8, 10–12)
- [Russ Kunkel](/source/Russ_Kunkel) – drums (2, 3, 6, 9)
- [Peter Asher](/source/Peter_Asher) – percussion (1–3, 5, 6, 10, 12), percussion programming (9), backing vocals (9), [autoharp](/source/Autoharp) (11, 12)
- Vince Charles – [tambourine](/source/Tambourine) (1, 11), percussion (5, 7, 10), [congas](/source/Conga) (6, 8), [steel drums](/source/Steel_drums) (6), [marimba](/source/Marimba) (8)
- [Jeff Turzo](/source/Jeff_Turzo) – additional percussion programming (4)
- Don Markese – [clarinet](/source/Clarinet) (1), baritone saxophone (2, 7)
- Larry Klimas – tenor saxophone (2, 7)
- [Everette Harp](/source/Everette_Harp) – tenor sax solo (3)
- Daniel Fornero – trumpet (2, 7), trumpet solo (7)
- Ralf Rickert – trumpet (2, 7)
- Linda Press – harmony vocals (5)
- Colin Mitchell – backing vocals (9)
- Wendy Worth – backing vocals (9)
- [Alvin Chea](/source/Alvin_Chea) – backing vocals (10, 12)
- Craig Copeland – backing vocals (10, 12)
- Randy Crenshaw – backing vocals (10, 12)
- Robert Joyce – backing vocals (10, 12)
- Luana Jackman – choir master (11), vocal group contractor

**Orchestral arrangements (Tracks 1, 3, 5 & 9)**

- Alan Lindgren – arrangements and conductor
- Assa Drori – concertmaster

**String quartet on "You Are the Best Part of Me"**

- Alan Lindgren – arrangements
- Susie Katayama – cello
- Evan Wilson – viola
- Assa Drori – violin
- Shari Zippert – violin

**[Tower of Power Horns](/source/Tower_of_Power) on "A Mission of Love"**

- [Stephen "Doc" Kupka](/source/Stephen_%22Doc%22_Kupka) – baritone saxophone
- [Emilio Castillo](/source/Emilio_Castillo) – tenor saxophone
- Norbert Satchel – tenor saxophone
- Michael Bogart – trombone, trumpet
- Adolfo Acosta – trumpet
- [Greg Adams](/source/Greg_Adams_(musician)) – trumpet, horn arrangements

### Production

- Peter Asher – producer
- Alan Lindgren – producer (1, 2, 4–8, 10–12)
- Bernie Becker – recording, mixing, mastering
- Colin Mitchell – recording assistant
- Alan Mason – mix assistant
- Bernie Becker Mastering (Van Nuys, California) – mastering location
- Sam Cole – production coordinator
- Ivy Skoff – production assistant
- Gabrielle Raumberger – art direction
- Samantha Ahdoot – design
- Rocky Schenck – photography
- Bill Whitten – stylist
- Jerry Kearns – hair
- Darla Albright – make-up

## Charts

Chart (2001) Peak position

## References

1. Diamond, Neil. ["Billboard 200"](http://www.billboard.com/artist/312095/neil-diamond/chart?f=305). Retrieved March 8, 2014.

1. Diamond, Neil. ["Adult Contemporary"](http://www.billboard.com/artist/312095/neil-diamond/chart?f=341). Retrieved March 8, 2014.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Three Chord Opera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Chord_Opera) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Chord_Opera?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.