 UK/ Japanese Pressing |
 American Pressing |
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 Tears |
 Getting So Excited |
 Faster Than The Speed Of Night |
 Total Eclipse Of The Heart |
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 Straight From The Heart |
 Take Me Back |
 Have You Ever Seen The rain? |
 It's A Jungle Out There |
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It was 1983's 'Faster Than the Speed of Night' that re-directed and breathed life into Bonnie's career. Towards the end of her RCA period, she was being forced more and more towards the country market, which was not where she wanted to go. Of the songs being recorded at the time, she once said "I didn't even like them while I was recording them". Naturally unhappy with this situation, she gave up live performances during the final 18 months of her contract and instead remained at home in Wales, plotting her new career. She wanted a change in direction and that's exactly what she got with 'Faster Than the Speed of Night'. Always a huge fan of Phil Spector and his 'Wall-of -Sound' techniques, when it came to choosing a producer for her new project, Bonnie decided that only Jim Steinman would do. Of course he is the famous American song-write/producer who wrote 'Bat Out Of Hell' and launched the Meatloaf phenomenon. Initially he declined, citing the reason as other work commitments, but Bonnie has secretly always suspected he thought the whole idea was ridiculous. In the end he accepted and 'Faster Than the Speed of Night' was born, complete with the incredible 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart', for which the term 'power ballad' was especially coined. The album was enormously successful, smashing recording industry expectations of a female artist's selling capabilities. Bonnie blazed to #1 in virtually every country in the world, knocking Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' from the US top spot and leaving a trail of disbelievers and critics gawking. Her new-found and full-on rock sound even made it to #1 in the Heavy Metal charts, quite a change from being #1 in the country charts 5 years earlier. This album won numerous awards all over the world and 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' was nominated for a Grammy in 1983. In fact the single was so huge that it sold an unprecedented 57,000 copies in one day in the UK! The pace was now set for Bonnie's follow-up album 'Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire', which although not quite as successful, was to keep Bonnie centre-stage well into the mid-eighties. 'Faster...' gave Bonnie the chance to really show what she was made of and to throw her voice around - listening to 'Total Eclipse...', 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain?' and the title cut, are ample proof of this. It is for this period that Bonnie is probably best remembered. Such as drastic change was an incredible show of self-confidence in her plentiful talent and her ability to effortlessly sing totally different styles of music. The album remains a classic, a fan favourite and , for many, definitive Bonnie Tyler. Track Listing:
What the Critics Said: Sounds - Sandy Robertson BONNIE TYLER 'Faster Than The Speed Of Night' ALL DONE bar the shouting, wouldn't you say? Advance airplay, features and sales make Bonnie Tyler's comeback a well-known, well-loved, smash number one hit before it's even in the shops. But there are dissenting voices in the press, those who would deny the wondrous Welsh wizardette her transformation from has-been MOR star of yore to rock titan extraordinaire. Their argument? Once manipulated, forever brainless. Given Jim Steinman (the Meat Loaf man) at the helm, with his credit of 'Produced And Directed By', the fact that he picked or wrote material here and has many of his E-Street pals playing on the LP, one can see what the detractors are getting at. But...Bonnie Tyler and her managers wanted to strike out for a modern rock sound. It could have been Dowd or Collins, but fate brought them Steinman. I always thought that producers are there (and get paid a lotta bread) to contribute mightily to the sounds being created. With a talented, forceful individual like Jim it's not surprising that his stamp is all over 'Faster Than The Speed Of Night'. All credit to Ms Tyler for giving the guy enough rope to sell 90,000 LPs in advance. It takes smarts to recognise that the chemistry is working. And of course.. Her gritty, gutsy, from-a-whisper-to-a-scream voice is the first thing that hits you after the power chords on the ram-jamming take of Fogerty's 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain?', and is the dominant force throughout. The fact that mostly guide vocals were used is ample testament to BT's ability to get it on at will. But we mustn't forget to mention that the Power Station crew of Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg, Rick Derringer and others acquit themselves terrifically all around the plastic. Not a
perfect album. 'It's A Jungle Out There' is little more than an engaging funk workout, and
the last three tracks on the second side (including the Frankie Miller handshake 'Tears')
are a bit like titbits thrown to rope in her old audience, who would perchance be
alienated by the new hard stance. The new converts are well served, though, with the Ian
Hunter/BOC toon 'Going Thru The Motions', two classic JS trax in the cossack-dance title
cut and the hit 45 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' . . . And then... aaaah, buy it! Only nine
trax, but this is a BIG album. BT 'phones home. NME (?) - Robin Smith Bonnie Tyler 'Faster Than The Speed Of Night' (CBS 25304)* Hardly, old girl. Two Steinman songs and seven vintage tracks written by a selection of old bores from Blue Oyster Cult to John Fogerty hardly makes this into a bumper bundle of action packed entertainment. I always find a little of Bonnie's sandpapered voice goes a long way and while she can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear on the title track and mega-selling single, the rest is pretty desperate. Despite all the expensive productions and those oh-so-tasteful videos, Bonnie's feet are still planted at closing time in pubs, belting out songs and flashing her gorgeous eyes and lucious bosoms (did you see them nearly fall out on 'Top of the Pops' the other week? I nearly choked on my fish fingers). When Elkie Brooks at last heads for the Sunnydown retirement Village for old singing hacks, Bonnie Tyler is sure to take over. The Rock Album Vol. 2 1983 BONNIE
TYLER 'Faster Than The Speed Of Night' Just what the world didn't need: a female version of MeatLoaf. With appropriate help from mastermind Jim Steinman, Welsh warbler Bonnie Tyler achieves this mean featwith the right sense of histronics and B-grade movie melodramatics. Carefully calculated concoction of, at first glance, seemingly random elements but there's no denying the brew functions magnificently even if all the seams are still on display. Caught punters in both the UK and USA unaware by the droves. Fun to listen to once or twice, but soon begins to grate on your senses, very, very fast indeed. Hype of the year, with superb backing from the likes of Roy Bittan, Rick Derringer, Larry Fast and the most expensive session musicians a big budget can buy. Credits: Produced and directed by Jim
Steinman The Band: Roy Bittan - piano. The Band on "It's A
Jungle Out There": Additional Musicians:
"Have You Ever Seen The Rain" synthesizer- Dave LeBolt For Newsletter Information send SAE to G. Taylor P.O. Box 308 London E6 IEP. Useless Information: During this period, Bonnie turned down an offer to sing the title track to the James Bond film 'Never Say Never'! She didn't like the song at the time, but has since grown to regret her decision. In the same year she also turned down an offer to represent Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest! 'Faster Than The Speed of Night' went straight to number one in it's week of release in the US and the UK. Bonnie was only the second female artist ever to achieve this! The budget for this album at the time was over $200,000! A huge amount at the time! The vocals you hear on 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' are almost all Bonnie's initial 'guide vocals'. When they sat down to produce the album, Steinman reckoned that they couldn't be improved upon and so used them! Paul Schaffer from the CBS Orchestra (appearing every night on David Letterman's Late Show) plays keyboards on 'Tears', Along with most of Bruce Springsteen's E Street band! The video for 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' was recorded at three o'clock in the morning in Holloway Mental Asylum, outside London! The make-up lady claimed to have seen a ghost on the set! |
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