In the Dark
Encyclopedia
In the Dark is the twelfth studio album
by the Grateful Dead
. It was recorded between January 6 and 13, 1987 and originally released on July 6, 1987.
In the Dark was the band's first album in six years, and its first studio album since 1980's Go to Heaven
. It became unexpectedly popular. The peppy "Touch of Grey
" became their only single to reach the top ten (and, for that matter, top 40) on the Billboard Hot 100
; it also became a frequently played music video
on MTV
. "Hell in a Bucket" and "Throwing Stones" also achieved significant album-oriented rock
radio airplay. The album itself reached the top ten of the Billboard 200
album chart, again the highest ranking the group would ever have.
Most of the songs on this album had been played by the Dead since 1982 or 1983, which gave them a five-year edge on perfecting these songs for this album. After the critically panned Go to Heaven
, which contained songs that were mostly under a year old, the maturity of In The Dark was significantly more appreciated.
The album title, "In the Dark", represents how the band compiled the album. The Dead are well known for their striving for that "perfect" sound (e.g. the Wall of Sound) as well as their experimental episodes. Since live music is their forte, they decided to try to capture a "hybrid" live sound for this album.
Since the band had been playing the songs for some time, they decided to record the baseline tracks for the album in a darkened theater ("In the Dark") that was empty (no audience), on a stage with the same lighting as they would use on tour (just to have the band perform in a more comfortable, familiar setting). The idea was to capture the "feel" they had for the songs as if they were playing them to a live audience.
They then brought these recorded tracks to the studio and then if needed, "cleaned" them up, overdubbing them or redoing a guitar, vocal, keyboard, or drum track in the studio using the same "riffs" they used on the stage recording.
From deaddisc.com: Garcia spoke about the recording in an interview; “Marin Vets turns out to be an incredibly nice room to record in. There's something about the formal atmosphere in there that makes us work. When we set up at Front Street to work, a lot of times we just sort of dissolve into hanging out. Going in [Marin Vets] without an audience and playing just to ourselves was in the nature of an experiment...”
In the Dark was released on CD in 1987 by Arista Records
before being re-released in 2000 by BMG International. It was then remastered, expanded, and released with new cover art as part of the Beyond Description (1973-1989)
12-CD box set in October 2004. The remastered version was later released separately on CD, on April 11, 2006, by Rhino Records.
:
Production:
Singles - Billboard
RIAA Certification
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
. It was recorded between January 6 and 13, 1987 and originally released on July 6, 1987.
In the Dark was the band's first album in six years, and its first studio album since 1980's Go to Heaven
Go to Heaven
Go to Heaven is the eleventh studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was released on April 28, 1980.The album was released for the first time on CD in 1990 by Arista Records before being re-released in 2000 by BMG International. It was then remastered, expanded, and released as part of the Beyond...
. It became unexpectedly popular. The peppy "Touch of Grey
Touch of Grey
"Touch of Grey" is a 1987 single by the Grateful Dead, and is the band's biggest commercial hit. The song is known for its refrain "I will get by / I will survive". It combines non sequitur lyrics with a pop tempo. The music was written by Jerry Garcia, and the words are by Robert Hunter...
" became their only single to reach the top ten (and, for that matter, top 40) on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
; it also became a frequently played music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. "Hell in a Bucket" and "Throwing Stones" also achieved significant album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
radio airplay. The album itself reached the top ten of the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart, again the highest ranking the group would ever have.
Most of the songs on this album had been played by the Dead since 1982 or 1983, which gave them a five-year edge on perfecting these songs for this album. After the critically panned Go to Heaven
Go to Heaven
Go to Heaven is the eleventh studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was released on April 28, 1980.The album was released for the first time on CD in 1990 by Arista Records before being re-released in 2000 by BMG International. It was then remastered, expanded, and released as part of the Beyond...
, which contained songs that were mostly under a year old, the maturity of In The Dark was significantly more appreciated.
The album title, "In the Dark", represents how the band compiled the album. The Dead are well known for their striving for that "perfect" sound (e.g. the Wall of Sound) as well as their experimental episodes. Since live music is their forte, they decided to try to capture a "hybrid" live sound for this album.
Since the band had been playing the songs for some time, they decided to record the baseline tracks for the album in a darkened theater ("In the Dark") that was empty (no audience), on a stage with the same lighting as they would use on tour (just to have the band perform in a more comfortable, familiar setting). The idea was to capture the "feel" they had for the songs as if they were playing them to a live audience.
They then brought these recorded tracks to the studio and then if needed, "cleaned" them up, overdubbing them or redoing a guitar, vocal, keyboard, or drum track in the studio using the same "riffs" they used on the stage recording.
From deaddisc.com: Garcia spoke about the recording in an interview; “Marin Vets turns out to be an incredibly nice room to record in. There's something about the formal atmosphere in there that makes us work. When we set up at Front Street to work, a lot of times we just sort of dissolve into hanging out. Going in [Marin Vets] without an audience and playing just to ourselves was in the nature of an experiment...”
In the Dark was released on CD in 1987 by Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
before being re-released in 2000 by BMG International. It was then remastered, expanded, and released with new cover art as part of the Beyond Description (1973-1989)
Beyond Description (1973-1989)
Beyond Description is the second twelve-CD boxed set retrospect of the Grateful Dead's studio and live albums. It covers their time with Grateful Dead and Arista Records from 1973 to 1989....
12-CD box set in October 2004. The remastered version was later released separately on CD, on April 11, 2006, by Rhino Records.
Side one
- "Touch of GreyTouch of Grey"Touch of Grey" is a 1987 single by the Grateful Dead, and is the band's biggest commercial hit. The song is known for its refrain "I will get by / I will survive". It combines non sequitur lyrics with a pop tempo. The music was written by Jerry Garcia, and the words are by Robert Hunter...
" (GarciaJerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
, HunterRobert Hunter (lyricist)Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...
) – 5:47 - "Hell in a Bucket" (BarlowJohn Perry BarlowJohn Perry Barlow is an American poet and essayist, a retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and a cyberlibertarian political activist who has been associated with both the Democratic and Republican parties. He is also a former lyricist for the Grateful Dead and a founding member of the Electronic...
, WeirBob WeirBob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
) – 5:35 - "When Push Comes to Shove" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:05
- "West L.A. Fadeaway" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:39
Side two
- "Tons of Steel" (MydlandBrent MydlandBrent Mydland was the fourth keyboardist to play for the American rock band the Grateful Dead. He was with the band for eleven years, longer than any other keyboardist.- Early life :...
) – 5:15 - "Throwing Stones" (Barlow, Weir) – 7:18
- "Black Muddy River" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:58
- "My Brother Esau" (Barlow, Weir) - 4:20
- "My Brother Esau" was omitted from the LP and CD releases of In the Dark, but was included on the cassette and on international releases.
2004 reissue
- "Touch of GreyTouch of Grey"Touch of Grey" is a 1987 single by the Grateful Dead, and is the band's biggest commercial hit. The song is known for its refrain "I will get by / I will survive". It combines non sequitur lyrics with a pop tempo. The music was written by Jerry Garcia, and the words are by Robert Hunter...
" (GarciaJerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
, HunterRobert Hunter (lyricist)Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...
) – 5:50 - "Hell in a Bucket" (BarlowJohn Perry BarlowJohn Perry Barlow is an American poet and essayist, a retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and a cyberlibertarian political activist who has been associated with both the Democratic and Republican parties. He is also a former lyricist for the Grateful Dead and a founding member of the Electronic...
, WeirBob WeirBob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
) – 5:37 - "When Push Comes to Shove" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:08
- "West L.A. Fadeaway" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:38
- "Tons of Steel" (MydlandBrent MydlandBrent Mydland was the fourth keyboardist to play for the American rock band the Grateful Dead. He was with the band for eleven years, longer than any other keyboardist.- Early life :...
) – 5:18 - "Throwing Stones" (Barlow, Weir) – 7:20
- "Black Muddy River" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:07
- "My Brother Esau" (single B-side)(1987-01-15 Marin Veterans Auditorium, San Rafael, CA) (Barlow, Weir) – 4:20
- "West L.A. Fadeaway" (alternate version)(1984-03 Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA) – 7:09
- "Black Muddy River" (studio outtake) 1986-12-05 Club Front, San Rafael, CA) – 5:41
- "When Push Comes to Shove" (studio outtake)(1986-12-05 Club Front, San Rafael, CA) – 4:22
- "Touch of Grey" (studio outtake)(1982-08 Club Front, San Rafael, CA) – 5:47
- "Throwing Stones" (live) (1987-07-04 Schaefer Stadium, Foxboro, MA) – 9:36
Personnel
Grateful DeadGrateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
:
- Jerry GarciaJerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
- guitar, vocals - Bob WeirBob WeirBob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
- guitar, vocals - Brent MydlandBrent MydlandBrent Mydland was the fourth keyboardist to play for the American rock band the Grateful Dead. He was with the band for eleven years, longer than any other keyboardist.- Early life :...
- keyboards, vocals - Phil LeshPhil LeshPhillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
- bass - Bill KreutzmannBill KreutzmannBill Kreutzmann is an American drummer who played with the rock band the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career...
- drums - Mickey HartMickey HartMickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
- drums
Production:
- Bob Bralove - programming, special effects, spatialization
- Guy Charbonneau, Dan Healy, Jeffrey Norman, David Roberts, Jeff Sterling - engineers
- John Cutler - producer, engineer
- Gail Grant - design
- Herb GreeneHerb GreeneHerb Greene is an American photographer known for his photographs of 1960s San Francisco musicians.-Career:Herb Greene was part of the 1960s San Francisco art scene and a friend of many of psychedelic rock musicians of the era...
- art direction, photography - Randy Tuten - cover art
Bonus tracks production details
- "My Brother Esau" - single B-side, recorded on January 15, 1987
- "West L.A. Fadeaway" - alternate version, recorded in March 1984
- "Black Muddy River" - studio outtake recorded on December 5, 1986
- "When Push Comes To Shove" - studio outtake recorded on December 5, 1986
- "Touch Of Grey" - studio outtake recorded in August 1982
- "Throwing Stones" - recorded live at Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro, MA on July 4, 1987
Reissue production credits
- David Lemieux, James Austin - reissue producers
- Reggie Collins, Dennis McNally - liner notes
- Sheryl Farber - editorial supervision
- Cameron Sears - executive producer
- Joe Gastwirt - mastering, production consultant
- Tom Flye - mixing
- Robert Gatley - mixing assistant
- Hugh Brown, Steve Vance - art coordinator
- Jimmy Edwards, Robin Hurley, Hale Milfgrim, Scott Pascucci - associate producer
- Eileen Law - research
- Vanessa Atkins, Steven Chean, Bill Inglot, Randy Perry - project assistants
- Tom Ingalls - design
- Justin Kreutzmann- engineer
- John McEntire - coordination
- Susana Millman, John Werner - photography
Charts
Album - Billboard| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Billboard 200 | 6 |
Singles - Billboard
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | "Touch of Grey" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 9 | ||
| Adult Contemporary | 15 | ||
| "Hell in a Bucket" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 | |
| "West L.A. Fadeaway" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 40 | |
| "Throwing Stones" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 15 |
RIAA Certification
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
| Certification | Date |
|---|---|
| Gold | September 4, 1987 |
| Platinum | September 18, 1987 |
| Double Platinum | August 10, 1995 |