Shadows of the Night (Quentin's Theme) is a Grammy-nominated and top-ten single recording of Quentin Collins' theme music by Robert Cobert and Charles Randolph Grean with narration by actor David Selby. Recorded in 1969, "Shadows of the Night (Quentin's Theme)" was released on the album Original Music From ABC-TVs Dark Shadows in its LP and later compact disc printings.
The song was originally untitled background music written by Bob Cobert and Charles Grean for Dan Curtis' "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". It was first recorded by the Charles Grean Sound as "Quentin's Theme" / "#1 At the Blue Whale". Released in June 1969, it reached #13 on August 2nd on the Billboard top 40.
"The Original Music from ABC-TVs Dark Shadows" was released July 5, 1969, and listed on the cover that it featured "Quentin's Theme". The album actually included "Shadows of the Night", narrated by David Selby. The album reached #18 on the Billboard album charts on 9/13/1969.
In episode 719 Quentin tells Magda the reason he likes the song so much telling her "I read somewhere where every person has a theme of music, well this is mine, when I'm alone depressed I can play this and suddenly I'm not in this room or this house, I'm free somewhere, somewhere exciting."
Lyrics[]
Shadows of the night, falling silently,
Quentin with gramophone.
Echo of the past—calling you to me.
Haunting memory, veiled in misty glow,
Phantom melody, playing soft, and low.
In this world that we know now
Life is here, then gone.
But somewhere in the afterglow,
Love lives on and on.
Dreams of long ago meet in rendezvous,
Shadows of the night—calling me to you.
Calling me to you.
Notes[]
- "Shadows of the Night (Quentin's Theme)" appears in episode 786 of the Dark Shadows television show. In the episode, Charity Trask dreams of Quentin Collins, and the narration is a voice-over in her dream.
- The recording of "Shadows of the Night (Quentin's Theme)" with David Selby's narration was also included on the Original Music From Dark Shadows (Deluxe Edition) and The Complete Dark Shadows Soundtrack Music Collection releases.
Appearances[]
The music (instrumental version) is heard in episodes 644, 646, 648, 649, 656, 668, 676, 678, 680, 684, 686, 688, 691, 693, 694 (ghostly version), 786, and others. In episode 719 Quentin explains why he loves the song so much.