Footsteps in the Dark

"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.

For the 1941 movie, see Footsteps in the Dark (film). For the Cat Stevens compilation album, see Footsteps in the Dark: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2.
"Footsteps in the Dark"
Song by The Isley Brothers
from the album Go for Your Guns
A-side"Groove with You"
Released1977
RecordedBearsville Studios, Bearsville, New York
Genre
Length5:07
LabelT-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.

Composition

Ernie 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

Written, composed and arranged by The Isley Brothers
Co-produced by The Isley Brothers, Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff[6]

Legacy

Sampling

"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]

The song is featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV on the fictional R&B radio station "The Vibe 98.8".

References
  1. Pareles, Jon (January 1, 2002). "POP REVIEW; Two Brothers Who Are Carrying On the Family Act". The New York Times.
  2. Lipsitz, George (2007). Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music. University of Minnesota Press. p. 27. ISBN 9780816650194.
  3. 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.
  4. Coker, Cheo Hodari (May 6, 1997). "A Playful Encounter With the Isley Brothers". Los Angeles Times.
  5. "A Conversation with Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers". 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06.
  6. The Isley Brothers. Go for Your Guns (Album notes). T-Neck / Epic. 1977
  7. Lipsitz, George (2007). Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music. University of Minnesota Press. p. ix. ISBN 978-0816650194.
  8. Hyden, Steven (October 25, 2011). "Ice Cube, "It Was A Good Day"". The A.V. Club.
  9. Hirway, Hrishikesh (July 30, 2015). "Episode 45: Thundercat". Song Exploder.
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