Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a soundtrack album by American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, released in 1973 by Columbia Records. Produced by Tom Catalano, it is the soundtrack to the 1973 film of the same name. The album marked Diamond's return to Columbia and grossed more than the film itself. It won the 1974 Grammy for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special.

Diamond often included a Jonathan Livingston Seagull suite in his live performances, as he did in his 1976 Love at the Greek concert—comprising "Be", "Dear Father", "Lonely Looking Sky", "Sanctus", "Skybird" and "Be (Encore)"—and his show in Las Vegas that same year. A studio version of the suite—comprising "Prologue", "Lonely Looking Sky", "Skybird", "Dear Father (Rebuked)" and "Be"—was presented on Diamond's 1996 box set In My Lifetime.

Reception Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Diamond's subsequent album Serenade (1974) have earned a combined 27 gold discs in Australia. As of September 1976, the soundtrack was a bigger financial success than the film, grossing 12 million dollars, while the film itself had grossed 2 million.

Irvine Herald reviewer Willie Freckleton observed that "Be" was "classical Diamond singing a very powerful ballad." In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Shawn M. Haney found the album to be "compelling and rich in texture and melody" and praised Catalano's direction, Holdridge's orchestral arrangements and Diamond's occasional vocals, concluding that the album "fits the piece of the puzzle the motion picture needed so perfectly."

Track listing

Personnel Credits adapted from LP liner notes.

Musicians

Paulo Alencar Phil Azelton Israel Baker Marilyn H. Baker Paul Beaver Myer Bello Arnold Belnick Richard Bennett Dixie Blackstone Hal Blaine Harry Bluestone Samuel Boghossian Hoyt Bohannon Owen Wilson Brady Larry E. Carlton Donald Christlieb Gene Cipriano David Cohen Gary L. Coleman Chase Craig William Criss Rollice Dale Isabelle Dashkoff Vincent N. DeRosa Assa Drori Robert Dubow David A. Duke Jesse Ehrlich John Ellis Gene P. Estes Victor S. Feldman Henry Ferber Ronald P. Folsom Norman Forrest James Getzoff Caesar Giovannini Philip Goldberg Harris Goldman Emory L. Gordy Jr. Ralph E. Grierson Allan Harshman William Henderson Thomas R. Hensley Arthur Hoberman Claire Hodgkins Lee Holdridge Luella Howard Selene Hurford Harry Hyams Jules Jacob John T. Johnson Yukiko Kanei George Kast Pearl Kaufman Richard S. Kaufman Raymond J. Kelley Jerome A. Kessler Louis Kievman Lou Klass Robert Konrad Jacob Krachmalnick Raphael Kramer Bernard Kundell William Kurasch Carl LaMagna Michael Lang Diana Lee Gayle Levant Marvin Limonick Abe Luboff Arthur Maebe Leonard Malarsky Jack Marsh Lew McCreary Ida Sue McCune Peter A. Mercurio Joseph Mondragon Milton E. Nadel Wilbert Nuttycombe Michael S. Omartian Joe Osborn Robert Ostrowsky William B. Peterson Hugo Raimondi Sven Reher Joseph Reilich David B. Roberts Nathan Ross Johnny Rotella Sheldon Sanov Ralph Schaeffer Gordon Schoneberg David Schwartz Sidney Sharp Stan Sheldone Thomas N. Shepard Ray Siegel Henry Sigismonti Louis Singer Arthur C. Smith Clark E. Spangler Julian Spear Sally Stevens Robert K. Stone Anthony Terran Joseph Di Tullio John de Voogdt Jackie Ward Andra Willis Tibor Zelig

Bob Mitchell's Singing Boys

Mark Albert Kirk E. Alley Timothy John Butala Christopher J. Cartwright Michael DeWayne Clark Dale A. Cohen John Robert Coniglio Sean Patrick English Clement Shuji Hanami Jeffrey M. Kennedy Mathew James Leum Michael Richard Leum Bruce Douglas MacLeod Martin Shunji Nomura Brian Tatsuo Okamoto Bradford S. Ralston Jaime Rodriguez Timothy J. Schmidt Erik Stanton Simmons Tracy L. Thielen Eric M. Williams Sherman A. Williams III Paul Watson Wims, Jr. Ronald Trimby Young

Technical Tom Catalano – producer, musical director Lee Holdridge – orchestral arranger, conductor Armin Steiner – engineer Ed Caraeff – art direction, photography David Larkham – art direction, package design (Tepee Graphics) Michael Ross – art direction, package design (Tepee Graphics) Ron Coro – executive art director Tom Burke – inside cover portrait photo Bob Mitchell – director; Bob Mitchell's Singing Boys Burbank staff: Andy MacDonald – recorder Bill Gernand – recorder "Doc" Siegel – mixer

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1973–77) Peakposition Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)1Japanese Albums (Oricon) 45 Spanish Albums (El Musical) 8 Chart (2021) Peakposition

Year-end charts Chart (1974) Position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 8 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) 61 Chart (1975) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 30 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 14

Sales and certifications

References