Diamonds & Rust

Diamonds & Rust is a 1975 album by American singer-songwriter Joan Baez. Baez on this album covered songs written or played by Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Allman Brothers, Jackson Browne and John Prine. Diamonds & Rust, however, also contains a number of her own compositions, including the title track, a distinctive song written about Bob Dylan, which has been covered by various other artists.[4]

Diamonds & Rust
Studio album by Joan Baez
Released	April 1975
Recorded	January 1975 at A&M Studios, Los Angeles; Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles; Cecil and Margouleff; mixed at Sound Labs and Producer's Workshop, Los Angeles[1]
Genre	Folk rock, folk jazz
Length	39:45
Label	A&M
Producer	David Kershenbaum and Joan Baez
Joan Baez chronology
Gracias A la Vida (1974) Diamonds & Rust (1975) From Every Stage (1976)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
The Village Voice	C[3]

On her cover of Dylan's "Simple Twist of Fate", one verse features Baez attempting an impersonation of the song's composer.

An alternate recording of "Dida" had appeared on the previous year's Gracias a la Vida. The Diamonds & Rust recording of the song was more uptempo and featured duet vocals by Joni Mitchell.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Diamonds & Rust" (Joan Baez) - 4:47
2. "Fountain of Sorrow" (Jackson Browne) - 4:30
3. "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" (Stevie Wonder, Syreeta Wright) - 2:45
4. "Children and All That Jazz" (Joan Baez) - 3:07
5. "Simple Twist of Fate" (Bob Dylan) - 4:44

Side two

1. "Blue Sky" (Dickey Betts) - 2:46
2. "Hello in There" (John Prine) - 3:05
3. "Jesse" (Janis Ian) - 4:28
4. "Winds of the Old Days" (Joan Baez) - 3:55
5. "Dida" (Joan Baez) – duet with Joni Mitchell - 3:25
6. Medley: "I Dream of Jeannie" (Stephen Foster) / "Danny Boy"[5] (Frederick Weatherly) - 4:13

Personnel

• Joan Baez – Vocals, Acoustic guitar, Synthesisers, Arranger, Producer
• Larry Carlton – Electric guitar, Acoustic guitar, Arranger, Producer
• Dean Parks – Electric guitar, Acoustic guitar
• Wilton Felder – Bass
• Reinie Press – Bass
• Max Bennett – Bass (10)
• Jim Gordon – Drums
• John Guerin – Drums (10)
• Larry Knechtel – Piano
• Joe Sample – Electric piano, Hammond organ
• Hampton Hawes – Piano (4)
• David Paich – Piano, Electric harpsichord
• Red Rhodes – Pedal steel guitar
• Malcolm Cecil – Synthesisers
• Tom Scott – Flute, Saxophone, Arranger
• Jim Horn – Saxophone
• Joni Mitchell – vocal improvisation (10)
• Rick Lo Tempio – Electric guitar (10)
• Ollie Mitchell – Trumpet
• Buck Monari – Trumpet
• David Kershenbaum – Producer

Technical

• Rick Ruggeri – Engineer
• Henry Lewy – Engineer (10)
• Ellis Sorkin – Assistant Engineer
• Bob Cato – Design

Chart positions

Chart (1975–76)	Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6]	28
US Billboard 200[7]	11

References

1. "Joan Baez - Diamonds & Rust". Discogs.
2. Allmusic review
3. Christgau, Robert (June 16, 1975). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
4. Baez, Joan. 1987. And a Voice to Sing With: A Memoir. Century Hutchinson, London. ISBN 0-671-40062-2
5. An Irish song, on the album cover: Dedicated to my Grandmother, Barbara Bridge
6. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4083a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
7. "Joan Baez Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.