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[4]
Record Mirror[5]
Rolling Stone[6]
The Village VoiceA−[7]

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

  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

  • 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

Region CertificationCertified 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

  1. 1 2 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. Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
  5. Strickland, Andy (17 September 1988). "33 - Album Reviews". Record Mirror. p. 32. ISSN 0144-5804.
  6. "Robert Cray Band - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark CD Album". Cduniverse.com. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  7. Christgau, Robert (August 30, 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  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.
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