Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 8, 1988
GenreUrban blues[1]
Length41:28
LabelMercury
ProducerBruce Bromberg, Dennis Walker
The Robert Cray Band chronology
Strong Persuader
(1986)
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
(1988)
Midnight Stroll
(1990)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chicago Sun-Times[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings[7]
Record Mirror[4]
Rolling Stone[5]
The Village VoiceA−[6]

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, released in 1988, is American blues musician Robert Cray's follow-up to Strong Persuader. It was unable to match the mainstream success of Strong Persuader, peaking at number 32 on the Billboard 200 and staying on the chart for 60 weeks.[8]

Track listing[edit]

  1. "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" (Dennis Walker) – 3:47
  2. "Don't You Even Care?" (Cray) – 3:56
  3. "Your Secret's Safe with Me" (Peter Boe, Dennis Walker) – 4:52
  4. "I Can't Go Home" (Cray) – 4:23
  5. "Night Patrol" (David Amy) – 4:43
  6. "Acting This Way" (Peter Boe, Richard Cousins) – 4:26
  7. "Gotta Change the Rules" (Cray) – 3:24
  8. "Across the Line" (David Amy, Peter Boe, Cray, David Olson) – 4:07
  9. "At Last" (Cray, Patsy Sermersheim) – 3:30
  10. "Laugh Out Loud" (Dennis Walker) – 4:20

Personnel[edit]

  • Fidel Bell – assistant engineer
  • Peter Boe – keyboards
  • Charlie Brocco – mixing assistant
  • Richard Cousins – bass
  • Robert Cray – guitar, vocals
  • Bill Dashiell – engineer
  • Deborah Feingold – photography
  • Bernie Grundman – mastering
  • Jeff Hendrickson – mixing
  • Mike Kloster – assistant engineer
  • The Memphis Horns – arranger, horn, horn arrangements
  • Dave Olson – drums
  • David Sanborn – alto saxophone on "Acting This Way"
  • Chris Thompson – design

Certifications and sales[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[9] Gold 50,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[10] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[11] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[12] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[13] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b McLeese, Don (August 15, 1988). "`Dark' proves Cray isn't afraid of risks". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  2. ^ Allmusic Review
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Robert Cray". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0857125958.
  4. ^ Strickland, Andy (17 September 1988). "33 - Album Reviews". Record Mirror. p. 32. ISSN 0144-5804.
  5. ^ "Robert Cray Band - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark CD Album". Cduniverse.com. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  6. ^ Christgau, Robert (August 30, 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  7. ^ Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
  8. ^ Billboard.com
  9. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Robert Cray – Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark". Music Canada.
  10. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Robert Cray – Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved July 16, 2022. Enter Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1992 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  11. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Robert Cray – Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  12. ^ "British album certifications – Robert Cray – Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark". British Phonographic Industry.
  13. ^ "American album certifications – Robert Cray – Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links[edit]