Precious Time (album)

(Redirected from Promises in the Dark (song))

Precious Time is the third studio album by American singer Pat Benatar, released on July 6, 1981, through the Chrysalis label. The album peaked at number one on the United States' Billboard 200,[5] her only album to do so in any country, and was certified Double Platinum in the US.

Precious Time
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 6, 1981
StudioSound City Studios and Goodnight LA Studios, Los Angeles, California
GenreHard rock
Length35:30
LabelChrysalis
ProducerKeith Olsen, Neil Giraldo
Pat Benatar chronology
Crimes of Passion
(1980)
Precious Time
(1981)
Get Nervous
(1982)
Singles from Precious Time
  1. "Fire and Ice"
    Released: July 6, 1981
  2. "Promises in the Dark"
    Released: September 25, 1981
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Rolling Stone[2]
Smash Hits4/10[3]
Sounds[4]

Its lead single, the mid-tempo "Fire and Ice," was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100[6] and reached number two on the Mainstream Rock chart.[7] It became her biggest hit in Canada, peaking at number four on the RPM Singles Chart, though it only reached the Top 30 in Australia and New Zealand. The song won Benatar the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1982.[8]

Precious Time's second single, the rapid, guitar-driven "Promises in the Dark," one of the few Benatar singles co-written by her and husband Neil Giraldo, was most successful in France, where it reached number 16, while it reached number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 on the US Mainstream Rock chart.[6][7] It also made the Top 30 in Canada but did not chart in other countries.

Precious Time peaked at number two in Canada, marking Benatar's third consecutive Top 3 album there, though its Double Platinum sales certification was less than her first two albums. The album was also a major hit in France, rising to number three, and it was the first of two albums to reach number two in New Zealand. It was her first Top 10 album in Australia and Sweden (her only one in the latter), and it reached the Top 30 in both the United Kingdom[9] and Norway. The album was remastered and reissued on Capitol Records in 2006.

Record World called the title track a "volatile rocker" and noted that "the opening drama explodes with guitar fire."[10]

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Promises in the Dark"Neil Giraldo, Pat Benatar4:48
2."Fire and Ice"Tom Kelly, Scott St. Clair Sheets, Benatar3:19
3."Just Like Me" (Paul Revere & the Raiders cover)Rick Dey, Roger Hart, Terry Melcher3:30
4."Precious Time"Billy Steinberg6:03
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."It's a Tuff Life"Giraldo3:17
6."Take It Any Way You Want It"Martin Briley, Giraldo2:49
7."Evil Genius"Giraldo, Benatar4:34
8."Hard to Believe"Giraldo, Myron Grombacher3:26
9."Helter Skelter" (The Beatles cover)John Lennon, Paul McCartney3:50

Personnel

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Production

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[27] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[28] Gold 100,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[29] Gold 7,500^
United States (RIAA)[30] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Theakston, Rob. "Pat Benatar – Precious Time review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  2. ^ Fissinger, Laura (October 29, 2001). "Album Reviews: Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  3. ^ Katz, Robin (August 6–19, 1981). "Pat Benatar: Precious Time" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 3, no. 15. p. 27. ISSN 0260-3004. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Robertson, Sandy (July 25, 1981). "(A waste of) precious time". Sounds. p. 31.
  5. ^ "Pat Benatar Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Pat Benatar Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Pat Benatar Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  8. ^ "Lennon, Jones lead Grammy nominees". The Milwaukee Journal. Journal Communications. January 14, 1982. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
  9. ^ "Pat Benatar Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  10. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 3, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  11. ^ Kent 1993, pp. 32–33
  12. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0382". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  13. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Pat Benatar – Precious Time" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pat Benatar – Precious Time" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  15. ^ "Charts.nz – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  16. ^ AA.VV. (April 25, 2006). Album Chart-Book Complete Edition 1970~2005. Tokyo: Oricon. ISBN 978-487-1-31077-2.
  17. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  18. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  19. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  20. ^ "Pat Benatar Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  21. ^ "Rock Albums". Billboard. Vol. 93, no. 30. August 1, 1981. p. 28. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  22. ^ Kent 1993, p. 437
  23. ^ "Top 100 Albums of 1981". RPM. Vol. 35, no. 22. December 26, 1981. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  24. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1981". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  25. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  26. ^ https://bestsellingalbums.org/year-end/Billboard_Top_Albums_1982 [bare URL]
  27. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Music Canada. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  28. ^ "French album certifications – Pat Benatar – Precious Time" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  29. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 19, 2019. {{cite web}}: |archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)[dead link]THE FIELD archive-url MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION from obsolete website.
  30. ^ "American album certifications – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 19, 2019.

Bibliography

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