Cracklin' Rosie

"Cracklin' Rosie" is a 1970 song written and performed by Neil Diamond in 1970, from his album Tap Root Manuscript. This was Neil Diamond's first American #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1970,^[1] and his third to sell a million copies.^[1] It become Diamond's breakthrough single on the UK Singles Chart in 1970, reaching #3 in December 1970. It also reached #2 on the Australian Singles Chart.^[2] It also appeared in the EA game Skate 3.

Married to a catchy and dynamic melody and arrangement, the lyrics suggested to some a devotion to a woman of the night:^[1]

Oh, I love my Rosie child —

You got the way to make me happy.

You and me, we go in style ...

Cracklin' Rose, you're a store bought woman

You make me sing like a guitar hummin' ...

But in actuality, Cracklin' Rosie is a type of wine drunk by a native Canadian tribe that Diamond had visited in Canada. Apparently the tribe had more men than women. Cracklin' Rosie was the nickname they used for their homemade alcoholic brew, which the single men, who did not have dates, would sit around the fire and drink together.^[1]

In terms of wine itself, the title is seen to refer to (misspelled) rosé wine which is "crackling" - a U.S. term equivalent to pétillant or lightly sparkling.^[3] A Crackling Rosé is produced by, for example, Paul Masson Vineyards and Beckett's Flat.^[4]

Many Diamond fans have traditionally believed the Crackling Wine he was referring to was "Sparkling Mateus Rose", a medium quality, low priced artificially carbonated wine favored by college students on the West Coast of the U.S. during the late sixties and early seventies.

The single version released by Uni Records in 1970 was in mono, while the album version from Tap Root Manuscript was in stereo.

References