"Shot in the Dark" (originally "A Shot in the Dark")[2] is a song by Big Time Rush. Written by Justin Scott Franks, Brandon Michael Green, and Todd Ballard, the song originally premiered in Big Time Rush, in the first season episode "Big Time Terror". Despite its television feature and later a 2014 tour performance, the song uniquely never saw an official release throughout the band's original era, with its full version only surfacing online as the result of unofficial Internet leaks. After its re-introduction for the band's post-comeback Can't Get Enough Tour in 2023, the band re-recorded and re-released a new version of "Shot in the Dark" on the deluxe version of their fourth studio album Another Life on November 10, 2023.[3]
Background[]
BTR sings "A Shot in the Dark"
"A Shot in the Dark" was first showcased in the thirteenth episode of the first season of Big Time Rush, "Big Time Terror", which premiered on Nickelodeon on May 8, 2010. In the episode, Gustavo Rocqué spends the night at BTR's apartment after his mansion floods, and he soon overstays his welcome, putting off working on BTR's newest song while he plays video games and swims at the Palm Woods pool. Determined to get rid of Gustavo, Kendall and James try to subtly get their message across to him, one method involving making up and singing a short song called "Snore in the Dark". With the help a new girl named Stephanie, the boys use a fake ghost to scare Gustavo back to his mansion, where he writes a song influenced by Kendall and James' earlier one. The episode ends with BTR performing a music video for the new song, called "A Shot in the Dark", as they sing and dance in Rocqué Records and in the Palm Woods lobby, the latter of which is seen through night vision lighting, as Carlos and Logan use earlier in the episode.
The song was the only one featured in the show's first season to not appear on any version of the band's debut studio album, BTR, released on October 11, 2010. In a 2021 interview, Schmidt expressed confusion over why Nickelodeon and Columbia Records did not release "A Shot in the Dark", as well as why songs that were exclusively available as bonus tracks or B-sides on specific releases, such as "This Is Our Someday", "Paralyzed", or "Blow Your Speakers", were not given a wider release, saying, "That just goes to show that we [Big Time Rush] were not deciding that, because we obviously would have put [those songs] out."[4]
Composition[]
Unlike most other songs featured in Big Time Rush, the songwriters behind "A Shot in the Dark" were not listed in the end credits of the episode in which it appears, leaving its origins publicly unknown until the 2023 Another Life re-release. While the re-master was produced by longtime friend Will Ventres, the writing credits attributed Justin Scott Franks, Brandon Michael Green, and Todd Ballard, all of whom were previously known to have worked with the band in some capacity; Ballard referred to past writing for the group in a 2013 interview,[5] while Carlos PenaVega tweeted about working with Franks (known more famously as DJ Frank E) in June 2010, as part of many sessions for their debut album BTR.[6] Green (more famously known as Bei Maejor) notably produced the band's 2012 single "Windows Down".
Three different versions of "A Shot in the Dark" have, officially or unofficially, been showcased. The 90-second episode cutdown in "Big Time Terror", first aired on May 8, 2010, is driven primarily by electric guitars, and Kendall Schmidt lends lead vocals during the song's chorus. The full version of the song was not heard until February 2013, when a demo mix, running 3:00 in length, appeared online. This demo retains the electric guitars heard in the episode version, while adding a bubbly, more pop-esque synth line. Additionally, while James Maslow provides backup vocals in the episode version, his vocals lead the chorus in the demo mix. The opening notes from the episode version are also absent from this demo.
A third version was unofficially released in 2013. The composition is nearly identical to the demo leaked in 2013, but the mixing is notably rebalanced, with the electrical guitars being louder. It also incorporates the opening notes from the episode version, while adding an outro chorus that is not present in either of the previously heard mixes. This version of the song runs 3:24 in length.
Live performances[]
Though the song was never released, it was incorporated into the setlist for the band's 2014 Live World Tour. James Maslow performed the song as one of two solo numbers in the show, singing and playing the first verse, bridge, and chorus of the song on piano.
The song was later brought back for the 2023 Can't Get Enough Tour. It is performed as part of a five-part medley, alongside the songs "Famous", "City Is Ours", "24/seven", and "Big Night".
Credits and personnel[]
2023 credits sourced from YouTube Music.[7]
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Lyrics[]
I promised I would be there |
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Maslow, James [@jamesmaslow] (September 29, 2023). "Just in the studio with @TheCarlosPena cutting a new version of a new song and a new old song what u doing today?". Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ↑ PenaVega, Carlos [@TheCarlosPena] (May 8, 2010). OK!! soooo... NEW BTR TONIGHT at 8:30! AND Guess what?Were introducing a NEW song!! its called "A Shot In The Dark" Lemme know what u think!" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 December 2021 – via Twitter.
- ↑ @bigtimerush (October 24, 2023). "ANNOUNCEMENT 📣 Another Life Deluxe album coming out Nov 10!". Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ↑ "Columbia Chronicle Interview with Big Time Rush's Kendall Schmidt" (Timestamp 58:57-59:51). Uploaded to YouTube.com by Geeking with Gabby in December 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ↑ Aaron, Joe (February 19, 2013). "Life's work: Former local man honoring God, making dream of music career come true". Courier & Press. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ↑ PenaVega, Carlos [@TheCarlosPena] (June 4, 2010). "In the studio writing with @djfrankie writing some new music... Add him!. He's got some sick songs that u guys know. Airplanes? Right round?". Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ↑ "Shot In The Dark" on YouTube. Retrieved November 10, 2023.