Slippin' into Darkness
| "Slippin' into Darkness" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by War | ||||
| from the album All Day Music | ||||
| B-side | Nappy Head (Theme From "Ghetto Man") | |||
| Released | November 1971 | |||
| Genre | Funk | |||
| Length | 3:59 single version. 6:59: album version. | |||
| Label | United Artists | |||
| Songwriter(s) | War | |||
| Producer(s) | Jerry Goldstein | |||
| War singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Slippin' into Darkness" is a song written and performed by War. The song was produced by Jerry Goldstein.[1] A live version of the song was featured as the B-side to their 1974 single "Ballero".
Background[]
This song is an unusual blues form with the first lines being repeated in an African and Latin rhythm. The song deals with a friend, whose life was taken away from drunkenness, who withdraws from reality, having to pay the consequences. Because of the song's length in the album version, at 6:59, the single radio edit version of 3:59 omits the slower introduction plus the second verse of the song.
Chart performance[]
It reached #12 on the U.S. R&B chart and #16 on the U.S. pop chart in 1972,[2] logging 22 weeks on that chart,[3] tied for most total weeks inside that year with Gallery's "Nice to Be with You".[4] It was featured on their 1971 album All Day Music.[5] The song ranked #23 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 singles of 1972.[6] In Canada, it reached #13.[7]
Other versions[]
- The Nigerian funk combo The Funkees recorded a version in 1973.
- Mr G. And The Dayton Sidewinders released a version on Carlco Records (1974).
- Cargo Cult released a version of the song on their 1986 album Strange Men Bearing Gifts.[8]
- Black Uhuru released a version of the song on their 1992 album Mystical Truth.[9]
- Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers released a version of the song on their 1995 album Rip a Dip.[10]
- Sandra St. Victor released a version of the song on her 2001 album Gemini: Both Sides.[11]
- Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson released a version of the song on their 2003 album Simple Pleasures.[12]
- Widespread Panic released a version of the song on their 2004 live album Jackassolantern.[13]
- Lettuce released a version of the song on their 2012 album Fly.[14]
- Marcus Miller released a version of the song on his 2012 album Renaissance.[15]
Sampling[]
- War's version was sampled in the 1988 songs "Guitar Playin'" and "Payback's a Mutha" by King T on his album Act a Fool.
- War's version was sampled in the 1989 song "You Got Larceny" by 2 Live Crew on their album As Clean As They Wanna Be.
- War's version was sampled in the 1990 song "Rock Dis Funky Joint" by Poor Righteous Teachers on their album Holy Intellect.
- War's version was sampled in the 1994 song "Lil Knucklehead" by South Central Cartel on their album 'N Gatz We Truss.
- War's version was sampled in the 1996 song "Sippin' On A 40" by Eazy-E on his album Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton.
- War's version was sampled in the 1997 song "Capítulo 4, Versículo 3" by Racionais MC's on their album Sobrevivendo no Inferno.
- War's version was sampled in the 1999 song "I'm Good at Being Bad" by TLC on their album FanMail.
In popular culture[]
- War's version was featured in the fifth episode of 2016 season of The Get Down.
- War's version was featured on the soundtrack of the 2016 film Suicide Squad.
- War's version was featured on the soundtrack of the 1992 film American Me.
Certifications[]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[16] | Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References[]
- ^ "War, "Slippin' into Darkness" Single Release". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "War, "Slippin' into Darkness" Chart Positions". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p. 751. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p. 270. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ^ "War, All Day Music". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1972". Archived from the original on 2016-02-16. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - June 3, 1972" (PDF).
- ^ "Cargo Cult, Strange Men Bearing Gifts". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Black Uhuru, Mystical Truth". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers, Rip a Dip". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Sandra St. Victor, Gemini: Both Sides". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson, Simple Pleasures". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Widespread Panic, Jackassolantern". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Lettuce, Fly". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Marcus Miller, Renaissance". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "American single certifications – War – Slippin' Into Darkness". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
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- 1971 songs
- 1971 singles
- Songs written by Lonnie Jordan
- War (American band) songs
- Ramsey Lewis songs
- Nancy Wilson (jazz singer) songs
- Song recordings produced by Mark Batson
- Song recordings produced by Marcus Miller
- United Artists Records singles
- 1970s song stubs