Shooting Straight in the Dark is Mary Chapin Carpenter’s third studio album.
It was a #11 Country Album on the Billboard Country Albums chart.
Four of its tracks became Billboard Hot Country Songs hits: ˝You Win Again˝ at #16, ˝Right Now˝ at #15, ˝Down at the Twist and Shout˝ at #2, and ˝Going Out Tonight˝ at #14.
Members of the Cajun band BeauSoleil provide guest instrumentation on ˝Down at the Twist and Shout˝.
Peter Bonta – keyboards, piano, acoustic guitar, bass guitar
Jimmy Breaux – Accadian accordion, Cajun yells
Mary Chapin Carpenter – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Jon Carroll – piano, acoustic guitar
Shawn Colvin – background vocals
Mike Cotter – background vocals
Don Dixon – bass guitar, background vocals
Michael Doucet – fiddle, Cajun yells
John Jennings – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, synthesizer, background vocals, Cajun yells
Marti Jones – background vocals
Robbie Magruder – drums
John McCutcheson – hammer dulcimer
Mark O’Connor – fiddle
Dave Palamar – drums
Herb Pedersen – background vocals
Rico Petruccelli – bass guitar
Matt Rollings – piano
Vince Santoro – drums
Billy Ware – percussion, Cajun yells