Spirit in the Dark

Spirit in the Dark
Studio album by Aretha Franklin
Released August 24, 1970
Recorded May 27 and October 3, 1969 - March 10, 1970
Genre Soul, R&B
Length 40:28
Label Atlantic (#8265), Rhino
Producer Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler
Aretha Franklin chronology
This Girl's in Love with You
(1970)		 Spirit in the Dark
(1970)		 Aretha Live At Fillmore West
(1971)

Spirit in the Dark is an album by Aretha Franklin, released in 1970. 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. The album is considered one of Aretha's classic Atlantic Records Lp's. In the 1990s Rhino Records reissued this recording on compact disc.

Kanye West has sampled the album title song in his "School Spirit", found on the record The College Dropout.

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

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)" (Rick Darnell, Roy Hawkins) - 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" (Dave Clark, Riley King) - 3:05

Personnel

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