Spirit in the Dark | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 24, 1970 [1] | |||
Recorded | May 26–27, 1969 [2] October 3, 1969 [3] -March 10, 1970 [4] | |||
Genre | Soul, R&B | |||
Length | 40:28 | |||
Label | Atlantic (#8265), Rhino (1993 Re-release) | |||
Producer | Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler | |||
Aretha Franklin chronology | ||||
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Singles from Spirit in the Dark | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [5] |
Christgau's Record Guide | A [6] |
Pitchfork | 9.0/10 [7] |
Rolling Stone | (favorable) [8] |
Spirit in the Dark is the seventeenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on August 24, 1970, by Atlantic Records. It received critical acclaim, 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 seen as one of Aretha's classic Atlantic LPs.
In 1993, Rhino Records re-issued the album on compact disc. [1] "Try Matty's" is used as the jingle for radio host Matt Siegel's Boston Kiss 108 show. [9]
Unless otherwise indicated, Information is based on the album's liner notes [1] [10]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Don't Play That Song" | Ahmet Ertegün, Betty Nelson | 3:02 |
2. | "The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday's Kiss)" | Rick Darnell, Roy Hawkins, [11] Art Benson, Dale Petite | 4:41 |
3. | "Pullin'" | Jimmy Radcliffe, Carolyn Franklin, [12] Aretha Franklin | 3:38 |
4. | "You and Me" | Aretha Franklin | 3:34 |
5. | "Honest I Do" | Jimmy Reed, Ewart Abner Jr. | 3:19 |
6. | "Spirit in the Dark" | Aretha Franklin | 4:03 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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7. | "When the Battle Is Over" | Jessie Hill, Mac 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 |
Information is based on the album's liner notes. [1] [10]
Chart (1970) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Pop Albums | 25 |
U.S. Top R&B Albums | 2 |
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You is the tenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on March 10, 1967 by Atlantic Records. It was Franklin's first release under her contract with the label, following her departure from Columbia Records after nine unsuccessful jazz standard albums, and marked a commercial breakthrough for her, becoming her first top 10 album in the United States, reaching number 2 on the Billboard 200. Two singles were released to promote the album: "Respect" and "I Never Loved a Man ". The former topped the Billboard Hot 100, while latter reached the top 10.
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