Believe it or not, there was really a time when Neil Diamond wasn't super-cool.
American songwriters one of the great -- "I'm a Believer," "Cracklin' Rosie," "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," "Solitary Man," "Kentucky Woman," "Song Sung Blue," "I Am ... I Said" and, yes, "Sweet Caroline" -- two decades ago Diamond was nothing more than what your parents liked.
Which makes Randy Cordero a bit of a trailblazer.
Sixteen years ago, Cordero and some friends in the San Francisco Bay area formed what was to become the Diamond tribute band Super Diamond. The group, for which Cordero is the lead singer, plays nothing but Diamond songs and will do so this Friday at the 9:30 Club.
"He had all these great songs I grew up with that no one paid attention to," Cordero said during a recent phone interview. "I thought this would be fun to do in a club setting. I expected more boos than cheers."
The fact that it wasn't the cool thing to do to cover Diamond was partly why Cordero started the group.
"The Beatles have a bunch of great songs, but there's a lot of people who do them," said Cordero, who can do a solid Diamond impersonation. "It wasn't safe. The tide has really changed since I started doing it."
In current years, the 68 year old Diamond has recorded two critically acclaimed, Rick Rubin produced albums that went gold and has sold out arenas across the country. The plot of the 2001 film "Saving Silverman" includes a Diamond cover band, and Diamond makes a cameo in the film. But Cordero doesn't attribute Diamond's resurgence to his band's early allegiance to the star.
"I wouldn't take any credit for that," he said. "We're not any more than a club band.
"It's a tribute to Neil Diamond, not us," Cordero added.
A Super Diamond show feels like a party and promises all the hits.
Diamond himself has endorsed Super Diamond, even sitting in with the band once at a show, something Cordero will never forget.
"It was surreal," he said. "It was great. We didn't have to rehearse. He knew the songs."
American songwriters one of the great -- "I'm a Believer," "Cracklin' Rosie," "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," "Solitary Man," "Kentucky Woman," "Song Sung Blue," "I Am ... I Said" and, yes, "Sweet Caroline" -- two decades ago Diamond was nothing more than what your parents liked.
Which makes Randy Cordero a bit of a trailblazer.
Sixteen years ago, Cordero and some friends in the San Francisco Bay area formed what was to become the Diamond tribute band Super Diamond. The group, for which Cordero is the lead singer, plays nothing but Diamond songs and will do so this Friday at the 9:30 Club.
"He had all these great songs I grew up with that no one paid attention to," Cordero said during a recent phone interview. "I thought this would be fun to do in a club setting. I expected more boos than cheers."
The fact that it wasn't the cool thing to do to cover Diamond was partly why Cordero started the group.
"The Beatles have a bunch of great songs, but there's a lot of people who do them," said Cordero, who can do a solid Diamond impersonation. "It wasn't safe. The tide has really changed since I started doing it."
In current years, the 68 year old Diamond has recorded two critically acclaimed, Rick Rubin produced albums that went gold and has sold out arenas across the country. The plot of the 2001 film "Saving Silverman" includes a Diamond cover band, and Diamond makes a cameo in the film. But Cordero doesn't attribute Diamond's resurgence to his band's early allegiance to the star.
"I wouldn't take any credit for that," he said. "We're not any more than a club band.
"It's a tribute to Neil Diamond, not us," Cordero added.
A Super Diamond show feels like a party and promises all the hits.
Diamond himself has endorsed Super Diamond, even sitting in with the band once at a show, something Cordero will never forget.
"It was surreal," he said. "It was great. We didn't have to rehearse. He knew the songs."
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