Diamonds & Rust

Diamonds & Rust
Diamonds & Rust
Studio album by Joan Baez
Released	April 1975
Recorded	January 1975
Studio	A&M (Hollywood); Wally Heider's Studio 3 (Hollywood); Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff;
Genre	Folk rock, folk jazz
Length	39:45
Label	A&M
Producer	David Kershenbaum, Joan Baez, Larry Carlton
Joan Baez chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The Village Voice	C^[2]

Diamonds & Rust is the sixteenth studio album (and eighteenth overall) by American singer-songwriter Joan Baez, released in 1975. The 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 probably about Bob Dylan, which has been covered by various other artists.^[3]

An alternate recording of "Dida" had appeared on the previous year's Gracias a la Vida.

Track listing

Side one

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

Side two

"Blue Sky" (Dickey Betts) – 2:46
"Hello In There" (John Prine) – 3:05
"Jesse" (Janis Ian) – 4:28
"Winds of the Old Days" (Baez) – 3:55
"Dida" (Baez) duet with Joni Mitchell – 3:25
Medley: "I Dream of Jeannie" (Stephen Foster; arranged by Joan Baez) / "Danny Boy"^[4] (Frederic Weatherly) – 4:13

Personnel

Joan Baez – vocals, acoustic guitar, Moog and ARP synthesisers, arranger
Larry Carlton – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, arranger
Dean Parks – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Rick Lotempio – electric guitar (track 10)
Wilton Felder – bass guitar
Reinie Press – bass guitar
Max Bennett – bass guitar (track 10)
Jim Gordon – drums
John Guerin – drums (track 10)
Larry Knechtel – acoustic piano
Hampton Hawes – acoustic piano (track 4)
David Paich – acoustic piano, electric harpsichord
Joe Sample – electric piano, Hammond organ
Red Rhodes – pedal steel guitar
Malcolm Cecil – Moog and ARP synthesisers, synthesizer programming
Robert Margouleff – synthesizer programming
Tom Scott – flute, saxophone, arranger
Jim Horn – saxophone
Ollie Mitchell – trumpet
Buck Monari – trumpet
Jesse Ehrlich – cello
Carl LaMagna, James Getzoff, Ray Kelley, Robert Konrad, Robert Ostrowsky, Ronald Folsom, Sidney Sharp, Tibor Zelig, William Hymanson, William Kurasch – violin
Isabelle Daskoff – viola
Joni Mitchell – vocal improvisation (track 10)

Technical

David Kershenbaum, Joan Baez, Larry Carlton – producer
Bernard Gelb – executive producer
Rick Ruggeri – engineer
Henry Lewy – engineer (track 10)
Ellis Sorkin – assistant engineer
Bob Cato – design
Irene Harris – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1975–1976)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)^[5]	62
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[6]	28
US Billboard 200^[7]	11

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Greek Albums (IFPI)^[8]	92

Year-end charts

Chart (1975)	Position
US Billboard 200^[9]	45

Certifications

Certifications for *Diamonds & Rust*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[10]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Ruhlmann, William. "Diamonds & Rust Review". AllMusic.
^ Christgau, Robert (June 16, 1975). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
^ Baez, Joan. 1987. And a Voice to Sing With: A Memoir. Century Hutchinson, London. ISBN 0-671-40062-2
^ An Irish song, on the album cover: Dedicated to my Grandmother, Barbara Bridge
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4083a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
^ "Joan Baez Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
^ "Official IFPI Charts Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Εβδομάδα: 29/2025" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
^ "American album certifications – Joan Baez – Diamonds". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 14, 2022.

[1] Ruhlmann, William. "Diamonds & Rust Review". AllMusic.

[Christgau-2] Christgau, Robert (June 16, 1975). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved May 27, 2013.

[3] Baez, Joan. 1987. And a Voice to Sing With: A Memoir. Century Hutchinson, London. ISBN 0-671-40062-2

[4] An Irish song, on the album cover: Dedicated to my Grandmother, Barbara Bridge

[Kent-5] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[group=-6] "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4083a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada.

[ac_Billboard200_Joan_Baez-7] "Joan Baez Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.

[8] "Official IFPI Charts Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Εβδομάδα: 29/2025" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.

[9] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved October 28, 2021.

[United_StatesJoan_BaezDiamondsalbumCertRef-10] "American album certifications – Joan Baez – Diamonds". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 14, 2022.

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v t e Joan Baez
Studio albums	Folksingers 'Round Harvard Square (with Bill Wood and Ted Alevizos) Joan Baez Joan Baez, Vol. 2 Joan Baez/5 Farewell, Angelina Noël Joan Baptism: A Journey Through Our Time Any Day Now David's Album One Day at a Time Blessed Are... Come from the Shadows Where Are You Now, My Son? Gracias a la Vida: Joan Baez canta en español Diamonds & Rust Gulf Winds Blowin' Away Honest Lullaby Recently Speaking of Dreams Play Me Backwards Gone from Danger Dark Chords on a Big Guitar Day after Tomorrow Whistle Down the Wind
Soundtrack albums	Sacco & Vanzetti Carry It On
Live albums	Joan Baez in Concert Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2 Joan Baez in San Francisco From Every Stage Live Europe 83 Diamonds & Rust in the Bullring Ring Them Bells Live at Newport Bowery Songs Live At Woodstock
Compilations	Portrait of Joan Baez The First 10 Years The Joan Baez Ballad Book Hits: Greatest and Others The Contemporary Ballad Book The Joan Baez Lovesong Album Best of Joan C. Baez The Joan Baez Country Music Album Joan Baez: Classics Rare, Live & Classic
Notable songs	"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" "Copper Kettle" "Diamonds & Rust" "Farewell, Angelina" "Forever Young" "Here's to You" "Honest Lullaby" "The House of the Rising Sun" "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" "Joe Hill" "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" "Lily of the West" "Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word" "Mary Hamilton" "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" "Reunion Hill" "Scarlet Tide" "Silver Dagger" "Speaking of Dreams" "Sweet Sir Galahad" "There but for Fortune" "We Shall Overcome" "What Have They Done to the Rain"
Related	Discography Albert Baez (father) Mimi Fariña (sister) David Harris (husband) Richard Fariña (brother-in-law) Joan Baez: I Am a Noise

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