Spirit in the Dark

Spirit in the Dark
File:Spiritinthedarkcover.jpg
Studio album by Aretha Franklin
Released	August 24, 1970
Recorded	May 27, 1969 October 3, 1969-March 10, 1970
Genre	Soul, R&B
Length	40:28
Label	Atlantic (#8265), Rhino (1994 Re-release)
Producer	Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler
Aretha Franklin chronology
This Girl's in Love with You (1970)This Girl's in Love with You1970 Spirit in the Dark (1970) Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971)Aretha Live at Fillmore West1971
Singles from Spirit in the Dark
"Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" Released: May, 1970 "Spirit in the Dark"/"The Thrill Is Gone" Released: August, 1970

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	A
Rolling Stone	(favorable)

Spirit in the Dark is the nineteenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, Released on August 24, 1970 by Atlantic Records. It received mostly positive reviews, but was met with middling sales, despite having two hit singles, "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)", which peaked at #1 R&B, #11 on the Hot 100, and "Spirit in the Dark", peaking at #3 R&B and #23 Hot 100, in Billboard magazine. It was Aretha's first Atlantic album to fall short of Billboard's Top 20, but it is now considered to be one of Aretha's classic Atlantic LPs. In 1994, Rhino Records re-issued this recording on compact disc. Kanye West has sampled the album title song in his "School Spirit", found on the album The College Dropout.

Track listing

1. "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" (Ahmet Ertegün, Betty Nelson) - 3:02
2. "The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday's Kiss)" (Art Benson, Dale Petite) - 4:41
3. "Pullin'" (Carolyn Franklin, Jimmy Radcliffe) - 3:38
4. "You and Me" (Aretha Franklin) - 3:34
5. "Honest I Do" (Ewart Abner, Jimmy Reed) - 3:19
6. "Spirit in the Dark" (Aretha Franklin) - 4:03
7. "When the Battle Is Over" (Jessie Hill, Malcolm Rebennack) - 2:43
8. "One Way Ticket" (Aretha Franklin)- 2:52
9. "Try Matty's" (Aretha Franklin) - 2:32
10. "That's All I Want from You" (Fritz Rotter) - 2:44
11. "Oh No Not My Baby" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) - 2:55
12. "Why I Sing the Blues" (B. B. King, Dave Clark) - 3:05

Personnel

• Aretha Franklin - lead vocals (All tracks), piano (tracks 1-6, 8-12)
• Dave Crawford - organ (tracks 8-9, 12)
• Howard "Buzz" Feiten - guitar
• Jimmy Johnson - guitar (tracks 3, 5, 7, 11)
• Jimmy O'Rourke - guitar (track 9)
• The Sweet Inspirations - background vocals (tracks 4, 6)
• Wylene Ivy - background vocals (tracks 3, 9-10, 12)
• Margaret Branch - background vocals (tracks 1-2, 7-8, 11)
• Tommy McClure - bass (tracks 1-2, 4, 6, 10)
• Almeda Lattimore - background vocals (tracks 1-3, 9-12)
• Harold "Hog" Cowart - bass (tracks 8-9, 12)
• Jimmy O'Rourke - guitar (track 9)
• Sammy Creason - drums (tracks 1-2, 4, 6, 10)
• Ronald "Tubby" Ziegler - drums (track 9)
• Roger Hawkins - drums (tracks 3, 5, 7, 11)
• Pat Lewis - background vocals (tracks 3, 9-10, 12)
• Duane Allman - guitar (track 7)
• Cornell Dupree - guitar (tracks 8, 11-12)
• Jim Dickinson - additional keyboards (tracks 1-2, 4, 6, 10)
• Ray Lucas - drums (tracks 8, 12)
• Charlie Freeman - guitar (tracks 1-2, 4, 6, 10)
• Evelyn Green - background vocals (tracks 3, 9-10, 12)
• Brenda Bryant - background vocals (tracks 1-2, 7-8, 11)
• David Hood - bass (tracks 3, 5, 7, 11)
• Mike Utley - additional keyboards (tracks 1-2, 4, 6, 10)
• Barry Beckett - additional keyboards (tracks 3, 5, 7, 11)
• Eddie Hinton - guitar (tracks 3, 5, 7, 11)

Chart History

Name	Chart (1970)	Peak position
Spirit in the Dark	U.S. Billboard Pop Albums	25
Spirit in the Dark	U.S. Top R&B Albums	2

External links

• Spirit in the Dark at Allmusic