Smoke Rings in the Dark
Smoke Rings in the Dark is the third studio album by American country music singer Gary Allan. It was released on October 26, 1999 as his first album for MCA Records Nashville after leaving Decca Records Nashville. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and it produced three singles: the title track, "Lovin' You Against My Will", and "Right Where I Need to Be", which respectively reached number 12, number 34 and number 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. "Right Where I Need to Be" was also Allan's first Top 5 country hit and his third Top 10.
| Smoke Rings in the Dark | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 26, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1999 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 40:10 | |||
| Label | MCA Nashville | |||
| Producer | Mark Wright Tony Brown Byron Hill | |||
| Gary Allan chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Smoke Rings in the Dark | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[2] |
"Don't Tell Mama" was previously recorded by Ty Herndon on his 1996 album Living in a Moment, and later by Doug Stone on his 2007 album My Turn, and by Frankie Ballard on his 2014 album Sunshine & Whiskey under the title "Don't Tell Mama I Was Drinking". In addition, "Runaway" is a cover of a Del Shannon song. Allan's rendition also charted at number 74 on the country charts in 2000 based on unsolicited airplay.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Smoke Rings in the Dark" | Rivers Rutherford, Houston Robert | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Right Where I Need to Be" | Casey Beathard, Kendell Marvel | 3:02 |
| 3. | "Don't Tell Mama" | Buddy Brock, Kim Williams, Jerry Laseter | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Lovin' You Against My Will" | Jamie O'Hara | 3:59 |
| 5. | "Sorry" | Shawn Camp, Brice Long, Wynn Varble | 3:06 |
| 6. | "Cryin' for Nothin'" | Kevin Welch | 4:17 |
| 7. | "Bourbon Borderline" | John Wiggins, Harley Allen, Jennifer Bibeau | 2:47 |
| 8. | "Runaway" | Del Shannon, Max Crook | 2:45 |
| 9. | "Learning to Live with Me" | Gary Burr, Allen | 2:35 |
| 10. | "Cowboy Blues" | George McCorkle, Mike Geiger, Mike Huffman | 2:57 |
| 11. | "I'm the One" | Gary Allan, Odie Blackmon, O'Hara | 3:17 |
| 12. | "Greenfields" | Camp, Frank Dycus | 3:11 |
| Total length: | 40:10 | ||
Chart performance
Album
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 84 |
| Canadian RPM Country Albums | 13 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN Country | ||
| 1999 | "Smoke Rings in the Dark" | 12 | 76 | 5 |
| 2000 | "Lovin' You Against My Will" | 34 | — | 30 |
| "Right Where I Need to Be" | 5 | 42 | * | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart * denotes unknown peak positions | ||||
Personnel
- Gary Allan – lead vocals
- Lisa Cochran – background vocals
- David Campbell – string arranger, conductor
- Christy Cornelius – background vocals
- Chad Cromwell – drums
- Dan Dugmore – pedal steel guitar, acoustic guitar
- Steve Gibson – electric guitar
- Randy Hardison – background vocals
- Jake Kelly – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Brice Long – background vocals
- Marilyn Martin – background vocals
- The Nashville String Machine – strings
- Steve Nathan – piano, keyboards
- Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
- Brent Rowan – electric guitar
- John Wesley Ryles – background vocals
- Lisa Silver – background vocals
- Hank Singer – fiddle
- Harry Stinson – background vocals
- Wynn Varble – background vocals
- Bergen White – background vocals
- John Willis – acoustic guitar
- Curtis Young – background vocals
References
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Smoke Rings in the Dark review". Allmusic. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
- Nash, Alanna (November 5, 1999). "Smoke Rings in the Dark review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
- "American album certifications – Gary Allan – Smoke Rings in the Dark". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.