"Footsteps in the Dark" is a 1977 slow jam recorded by The Isley Brothers as an album track featured on the group's album Go for Your Guns.[1][2][3][4] It was the B-side to "Groove with You", which reached number 16 on the R&B singles chart. The song is noted for its unique guitar timbre which can be heard on other Isley Brother tracks such as "Voyage to Atlantis", as well as marking Ron Isley's growing transition into singing more ballads compared to the band's earlier funk approach.
| "Footsteps in the Dark" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by The Isley Brothers | |
| from the album Go for Your Guns | |
| A-side | "Groove with You" |
| Released | 1977 |
| Recorded | Bearsville Studios, Bearsville, New York |
| Genre | |
| Length | 5:07 |
| Label | T-Neck |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | The Isley Brothers |
Since the 1990s, it has been sampled in numerous other songs, predominantly in the R&B and hip hop genres. Most famously, it was used in "It Was a Good Day" by California-based rapper Ice Cube.
Composition
editErnie Isley's playing on this track is heavily influenced by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, whose first recording session was actually with the Isley Brothers in 1964 with the track "Testify".[5]
Ernie Isley not only played guitar but also played drums and wrote the lyrics to "Footsteps in the Dark". The verse of the song is written in the key of D major.
Credits and personnel
editWritten, composed and arranged by The Isley Brothers
Co-produced by The Isley Brothers, Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff[6]
- Ronald Isley – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Rudolph Isley – backing vocals
- O'Kelly Isley, Jr. – backing vocals
- Ernie Isley – backing vocals, congas, drums, guitars, 12-string guitar
- Marvin Isley – backing vocals, bass guitar
- Chris Jasper – backing vocals, tambourine, piano, synthesizer
Legacy
editSampling
edit"Footsteps in the Dark" remains popular into the 21st century as a sample used in other songs, often edited to change its speed or pitch. Songs that use "Footsteps in the Dark" as a sample include:[7]
- "Can I Kill It?" from Straight Checkn 'Em (1991) by Compton's Most Wanted
- "It Was a Good Day" from The Predator (1992) by Ice Cube[8]
- "One Day You'll Be Mine" from My Way (1997) by Usher
- "Heaven Only Knows" from Exit (2002) by k-os
- "Until" from The Love Experience (2005) by Raheem DeVaughn
- "A Woman's Worth (Live)" from Unplugged (2005) by Alicia Keys
- "Call Me" from Slum Village (2005) by Slum Village featuring Dwele
- "Won't Do" from The Shining (2006) by J Dilla
- "All Girls Cheat" from Blue Collar (2006) by Rhymefest (partially covered by Mario)
- "Them Changes" from The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam (2015) by Thundercat[9]
- "Do It to Me" from The Plan (2018) by DaniLeigh
References
edit- ^ Pareles, Jon (January 1, 2002). "POP REVIEW; Two Brothers Who Are Carrying On the Family Act". The New York Times.
- ^ Lipsitz, George (2007). Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music. University of Minnesota Press. p. 27. ISBN 9780816650194.
- ^ Sumney, Moses (November 2, 2012). "Alex Isley Has Her Own Thing". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on May 4, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
- ^ Coker, Cheo Hodari (May 6, 1997). "A Playful Encounter With the Isley Brothers". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "A Conversation with Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers". 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06.
- ^ The Isley Brothers. Go for Your Guns (Album notes). T-Neck / Epic. 1977
- ^ Lipsitz, George (2007). Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music. University of Minnesota Press. p. ix. ISBN 978-0816650194.
- ^ Hyden, Steven (October 25, 2011). "Ice Cube, "It Was A Good Day"". The A.V. Club.
- ^ Hirway, Hrishikesh (July 30, 2015). "Episode 45: Thundercat". Song Exploder.