Spirit in the Dark

Untitled

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	A
Pitchfork	9.0/10
Rolling Stone	(favorable)

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 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. Despite not released as a single, her song "Try Matty's" is best known as the jingle for radio host Matt Siegel to Boston's Kiss 108.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
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	4:41
3.	"Pullin'"	Carolyn Franklin, Jimmy Radcliffe	3:38
4.	"You and Me"	Aretha Franklin	3:34
5.	"Honest I Do"	Jimmy Reed, Ewart Abner	3:19
6.	"Spirit in the Dark"	Aretha Franklin	4:03

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"When the Battle Is Over"	Jessie Hill, Dr. John	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)
• 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 guitar (tracks 1-2, 4, 6, 10)
• Almeda Lattimore - background vocals (tracks 1-3, 9-12)
• Harold "Hog" Cowart - bass guitar (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 guitar (tracks 3, 5, 7, 11)
• Michael 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