Aretha Franklin - Spirit in the Dark (1970)
Tracklist front / back album covers
Side one
1. "Don't Play That Song" 3:02
2. "The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday's Kiss)" 4:41
3. "Pullin'" 3:38
4. "You and Me" 3:34
5. "Honest I Do" 3:19
6. "Spirit in the Dark" 4:03
Side two
7. "When the Battle Is Over" 2:43
8. "One Way Ticket" 2:52
9. "Try Matty's" 2:32
10. "That's All I Want from You" 2:44
11. "Oh No Not My Baby" 2:55
12. "Why I Sing the Blues" 3:05
Aretha Franklin Band Members / Musicians
Aretha Franklin – vocals (5, lead on 1-4, 6-12), piano (1-6, 8-12)
Duane Allman – guitar (7)
Margaret Branch – background vocals (1-2, 7-8, 11)
Brenda Bryant – background vocals (1-2, 7-8, 11)
Harold "Hog" Cowart – bass guitar (8-9, 12)
Dave Crawford – organ (8-9, 12)
Cornell Dupree – guitar (8, 11-12)
Buzz Feiten – guitar (1)
Evelyn Green – background vocals (3, 9-10, 12)
Wylene Ivy – background vocals (3, 9-10, 12)
Almeda Lattimore – background vocals (1-3, 9-12)
Pat Lewis – background vocals (3, 9-10, 12)
Ray Lucas – drums (8, 12)
Jimmy O'Rourke – guitar (9)
The Sweet Inspirations – background vocals (4, 6)
Ron "Tubby" Ziegler – drums (9)
The Dixie Flyers
Sammy Creason – drums (1-2, 4, 6, 10)
Jim Dickinson[14] – additional keyboards (1-2, 4, 6, 10)
Charlie Freeman – guitar (1-2, 4, 6, 10)
Tommy McClure – bass guitar (1-2, 4, 6, 10)
Michael Utley – additional keyboards (1-2, 4, 6, 10)
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section[15][16]
Barry Beckett – keyboards (7, additional on 3, 5, 11)
Roger Hawkins – drums (3, 5, 7, 11)
Eddie Hinton[17] – guitar (3, 5, 7, 11)
David Hood – bass guitar (3, 5, 7, 11)
Jimmy Johnson – guitar (3, 5, 7, 11)
Spirit in the Dark is the 17th 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 1993, Rhino Records re-issued the album on compact disc. "Try Matty's" is used as the jingle for radio host Matt Siegel's Boston Kiss 108 show.
