Coming Out of the Dark

"Coming Out of the Dark"
Single by Gloria Estefan
from the album Into the Light
Released January 10, 1991 (1991-01-10)
Format CD, CD maxi, cassette, 3" vinyl, 7", 12"
Recorded 1990
Genre Pop
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Gloria Estefan, Emilio Estefan Jr., Jon Secada
Gloria Estefan singles chronology
"Renacer"
(1990)
"Coming Out of the Dark"
(1991)
"Seal Our Fate"
(1991)

"Renacer"
(1990)
"Coming Out of the Dark"
(1991)
"Seal Our Fate"
(1991)

"Coming Out of the Dark" is a single by American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released in 1991 worldwide as the leading and first single of the album Into the Light, becoming the singer's third number one in the U.S.

Song history

This is the first single released after Estefan's accident—an 18-wheeler rammed her tour bus, nearly causing the singer's death—when her "Get on Your Feet Tour" was in progress. It is also the first song that Estefan performed publicly after recovering. The song is inspired by the near-fatal accident and also is dedicated to Emilio Estefan, Jr., Gloria's husband.

The song is a soul ballad which includes the use of a choir. Among the voices in the choir are Gloria's colleague, the Cuban singer Jon Secada, and the R&B singer Betty Wright (both had participated in backing vocals on Gloria's album, Cuts Both Ways as well as Into the Light).

The title was inspired by a phrase her husband had written on a piece of paper as a helicopter transported her for delicate surgery to repair her broken back. Gloria explained to Billboard: "My husband had been in one of the helicopters traveling from one hospital to the other. It was really dark and gray, and he was traumatized. He got this ray of light that hit him in the face, and he got the idea for 'Coming Out of the Dark.'" SongFacts.com

Gloria was careful not to turn Into the Light into a pity party. "I hate pity," she told the Los Angeles Daily News. "I'm very self-reliant and independent, and I'm used to that role. I don't like people feeling sorry for me. So I wrote 'Coming Out of the Dark' to let the people around me know how important they are to me. But that was as far as I wanted to go with the accident. I didn't want this to become 'the album on the accident.' What am I going to sing - 'Oh, this bus hit me'?"

Spanish version ("Desde La Oscuridad")

Estefan also recorded the Spanish version of the song, called "Desde la Oscuridad". The song was released to Latin-American radio stations and the considerable airplay it received took the song to the Top Five of the Hot Latin Songs chart.

Track listings

Release history

Region Date
Europe January 10, 1991
U.K. January 21, 1991
Japan January 24, 1991
U.S. January 22, 1991

Chart performance

The song was a number one hit on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts (and her last to date on both charts).[1] The song was also a hit in Canada, Spain and Japan. However, the song didn't have as much impact in the rest of Europe, where Estefan had always been popular. In Ireland, the single only reached the Top 20; and in UK reached the Top 40, a very low position in comparison to other singles.

Chart performance

Official versions

Original Versions

  1. Album version
  2. Album Version (Spanish version)
  3. "Coming Out Of The Dark" (Instrumental Version)
  4. "Coming Out Of The Dark" (iTunes Originals Version)

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 87.
  2. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  3. "Ultratop.be – Gloria Estefan – Coming Out Of The Dark" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  4. "Ultratop.be – Gloria Estefan – Coming Out Of The Dark" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  5. "Musicline.de – Gloria Estefan Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  6. "Dutchcharts.nl – Gloria Estefan – Coming Out Of The Dark" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  7. "Charts.nz – Gloria Estefan – Coming Out Of The Dark". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  8. "Spanishcharts.com – Gloria Estefan – Coming Out Of The Dark" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  9. "Swisscharts.com – Gloria Estefan – Coming Out Of The Dark". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  10. "Gloria Estefan: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  11. "Gloria Estefan Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  12. "Gloria Estefan Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  13. "Gloria Estefan Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  14. "Gloria Estefan Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  15. "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
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