Keep It Dark

Last updated

"Keep It Dark"
Keep It Dark Single.jpg
Single by Genesis
from the album Abacab
B-side "Naminanu"
Released23 October 1981
Recorded1981
Genre Rock, post-punk, industrial [1]
Length4:32
Label Charisma/Phonogram
Songwriter(s) Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford
Producer(s) Genesis, Hugh Padgham
Genesis singles chronology
"No Reply at All"
(1981)		"Keep It Dark"
(1981)		"Man on the Corner"
(1982)

"Keep It Dark" is a song by British band Genesis, released on 23 October 1981 in the UK as the second single from Abacab . [2] It reached number 33 in the UK Singles Chart. [3]

Contents

Song information

A light rock song, it describes a man who has been to the future and has seen a bright, happy world where everyone is filled with joy, cities are filled with light, with no fear of war, and all exploitation has ceased as all creatures have happier lives. Once he returns, however, he is pressured to lie about the incident (i.e., to "keep it dark"). Instead he claims that he was kidnapped by thieves who wanted to take his money. [ citation needed ]. The cover depicts the three wise monkeys.

In the DVD interview accompanying the 2007 re-release of Abacab , the album from which the song comes, composer Tony Banks said that "the idea was that this character had to pretend that he'd just been robbed by people and that's why he'd disappeared for a few weeks, and in fact what had happened [was] he'd been to the future and gone to this fantastic world where everything was wonderful and beautiful and everything... but he couldn't tell anybody that, because no one would believe him and the powers that be kept him silent."[ citation needed ]

The song's structure is unusual: the rhythm is in a 6/4 time signature, with a distinctly syncopated rhythm guitar part. Lead singer Phil Collins sings in falsetto for certain lines of the song. [4] The pace overall, particularly the drums, is similar to the album's title track.

Music video

A music video supported the single release of the song, featuring Collins, Tony Banks, and Rutherford in two different settings. In the first and second verses and the fade out, the band walks along bleak city streets (in Amsterdam) wearing trenchcoats and fedoras. When the chorus comes in, it shifts to the band wearing all-white suits and sunglasses, and walking through a field, with the sun shining. In both settings, Banks mimes with a mini Casio keyboard and Rutherford with the neck from a guitar, while Collins keeps the beat of the song with drumsticks, mostly hitting air, or the walls of the Amsterdam houses.

Credits

Other versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genesis (band)</span> English rock band

Genesis are an English rock band formed at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, in 1967. The band's longest-existing and most commercially successful line-up consisted of keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford and drummer/singer Phil Collins. In the 1970s, during which the band also included singer Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett, Genesis were among the pioneers of progressive rock.

<i>Nursery Cryme</i> 1971 studio album by Genesis

Nursery Cryme is the third studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 12 November 1971 on Charisma Records. It was their first to feature drummer/vocalist Phil Collins and guitarist Steve Hackett. The album received a mixed response from critics and was not initially a commercial success; it did not enter the UK chart until 1974, when it reached its peak at No. 39. However, the album was successful in Continental Europe, particularly Italy.

<i>Foxtrot</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Genesis

Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released on 15 September 1972 on Charisma Records. It features their longest recorded song, the 23-minute track "Supper's Ready".

<i>Seconds Out</i> 1977 live album by Genesis

Seconds Out is the second live album by English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 14 October 1977 on Charisma Records, and was their first with touring drummer Chester Thompson and their last with guitarist Steve Hackett. The majority was recorded in June 1977 at the Palais des Sports in Paris during the Wind & Wuthering Tour. One track, "The Cinema Show", was recorded in 1976 at the Apollo in Glasgow during their A Trick of the Tail Tour.

<i>Invisible Touch</i> 1986 studio album by Genesis

Invisible Touch is the thirteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 9 June 1986 by Charisma/Virgin Records in the United Kingdom, and on 6 June 1986 by Atlantic Records in the United States. After taking a break in 1984 for each member to continue their solo career, the band reconvened in October 1985 to write and record Invisible Touch with engineer and producer Hugh Padgham. As with their previous album, it was written entirely through group improvisations and no material developed prior to recording was used.

<i>A Trick of the Tail</i> 1976 studio album by Genesis

A Trick of the Tail is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released on 13 February 1976 on Charisma Records and was the first album to feature drummer Phil Collins as lead vocalist following the departure of Peter Gabriel. It was a critical and commercial success in the UK and U.S., reaching No. 3 and No. 31 respectively.

<i>Genesis</i> (Genesis album) 1983 studio album by Genesis

Genesis is the twelfth studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 3 October 1983 by Charisma and Virgin Records in the UK and by Atlantic Records in the US and Canada. Following the band's tour in support of their 1982 live album Three Sides Live, Genesis took an eight-month break before they regrouped in the spring of 1983 to record a new album. It is their first written and recorded in its entirety at their studio named The Farm in Chiddingfold, Surrey, and the songs were developed through jam sessions in the studio with nothing written beforehand. Hugh Padgham returned as their engineer.

<i>...And Then There Were Three...</i> 1978 studio album by Genesis

...And Then There Were Three... is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Genesis. It was released on 31 March 1978 by Charisma Records and is their first recorded as a trio of singer/drummer Phil Collins, keyboardist Tony Banks, and bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, following the departure of guitarist Steve Hackett. The album marked a change in the band's sound, mixing elements of their progressive rock roots with more accessible material, and Collins contributing to more of the group's songwriting.

<i>Duke</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Genesis

Duke is the tenth studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 28 March 1980 on Charisma Records. The album followed a period of inactivity for the band in early 1979. Phil Collins moved to Vancouver, Canada, in an effort to salvage his failing first marriage, while Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford recorded solo albums. Collins returned to the UK after his marriage ended and wrote a significant amount of material, some of which was used for Duke and some was later reworked for his first solo album, Face Value. Duke contained a mix of individually written songs and tracks that evolved from jam sessions in mid-1979, while recording took place at the end of the year. The break in activity rejuvenated the band, and they found the album an easy one to work on.

<i>Abacab</i> 1981 studio album by Genesis

Abacab is the eleventh studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 18 September 1981 by Charisma Records. After their 1980 tour in support of their previous album, Duke (1980), the band took a break before they reconvened in 1981 to write and record a new album. Abacab is the first Genesis album recorded at The Farm, a recording studio bought by the group in Chiddingfold, Surrey. It marked the band's development from their progressive roots into more accessible and pop-oriented songs, and their conscious decision to write songs unlike their previous albums.

<i>Three Sides Live</i> 1982 live album by Genesis

Three Sides Live is the third live album by the English rock band Genesis, released as a double album on 4 June 1982 on Charisma Records in the United Kingdom. It was released by Atlantic Records in the United States. After touring in support of their studio album Abacab ended in December 1981 the band entered an eight-month break in activity, during which they selected recordings from their previous tours for a live album. Three Sides Live includes recordings between 1976 and 1981; the UK edition contains additional live tracks on the fourth side of the double LP, while the original international edition featured tracks from their 1982 EP 3×3 and B-sides from Duke. Subsequent international reissues have adopted the UK track sequence.

<i>Spot the Pigeon</i> 1977 EP by Genesis

Spot the Pigeon is the first EP by English progressive rock band Genesis, released on 20 May 1977. Its three songs were originally written for the group's eighth studio album Wind & Wuthering (1976), but were not included in the final track selection. It was the final studio release to feature guitarist Steve Hackett prior to his departure from Genesis.

<i>3×3</i> 1982 EP by Genesis

3×3 is the second extended play by the English rock band Genesis, released on 10 May 1982 on Charisma Records. Its three songs were originally written and recorded for their eleventh studio album Abacab (1981), but they were not included on the album's final track selection. 3×3 reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, its tracks were included on the international edition of the band's live album Three Sides Live (1982). The lead track, "Paperlate", peaked at No. 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Dance</span> 1991 single by Genesis

"I Can't Dance" is the fourth track from English rock band Genesis's fourteenth studio album, We Can't Dance (1991), and was released in December 1991 as the second single from the album. Lyrics were composed by drummer Phil Collins; music was written collectively by the band. The song peaked at number seven on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, and also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals in 1993. In Europe, the song reached number one in Belgium and the Netherlands, while peaking within the top five in Austria, Germany, and Portugal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Man on the Corner</span> 1982 single by Genesis

"Man on the Corner" is a 1981 song by British rock band Genesis, released as a single on 5 March 1982. The song was written and sung by drummer Phil Collins. It peaked at No. 41 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Reply at All</span> 1981 single by Genesis

"No Reply at All" is a song by British band Genesis, released as the lead single in the US from their 1981 album Abacab. It was not released in the UK, where "Abacab" was the first single. The US single release edit omits the second verse of the song as it appears on the Abacab album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abacab (song)</span> 1981 single by Genesis

"Abacab" is a song by the British rock band Genesis, released on 14 August 1981. It was produced by Genesis and distributed in the United States by Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group. The song, written by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford, was featured on Genesis' album of the same name and was a top 10 hit on the British pop chart, where it peaked at No. 9. The song was the second single from the album in the US, where it peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1982. It stayed in the Top 40 for six weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misunderstanding (Genesis song)</span> 1980 single by Genesis

"Misunderstanding" is a song by the English rock band Genesis, released on their 1980 album Duke. It reached No. 14 in the U.S. and No. 42 in the UK. Its highest charting was in Canada, where it reached No. 1 and is ranked as the seventh biggest Canadian hit of 1980. It was also featured on the band's 1982 double-album Three Sides Live, where it led off side three.

"Domino" is a song written by the band Genesis for their 1986 album Invisible Touch. The song was the sixth track on the album. The music was written by the band, while the lyrics were written by keyboardist Tony Banks. The song is divided into two parts, "In the Glow of the Night" and "The Last Domino".

"A Trick of the Tail" is a song by the progressive rock band Genesis taken from the 1976 album of the same name. It was written by the band's keyboard player Tony Banks.

References

  1. ↑ Fricke, David (26 November 1981). Abacab review, Rolling Stone.
  2. ↑ Bowler, Dave; Dray, Bryan (1992). Genesis: A Biography, UK discography. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN   9780283061325.
  3. ↑ Genesis UK chart history, The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  4. ↑ Reed, Ryan; Stone, Rolling (10 October 2014). "20 Insanely Great Genesis Songs Only Hardcore Fans Know". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  5. ↑ Fedorow, Andre Wikipedia "Discography"
  6. ↑ Fedorow, Andre Official Website "Official Discography"
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.