David Vance SubstackRead More
You may have seen the sad news that Bonnie Tyler has died, aged 75. Like millions others, I enjoyed her music and she will be missed. Bonnie’s BIGGEST hit was “Total Eclipse of the Heart” which perfectly suited her husky voices and sexy look. But the story behind the song intrigued me. You see it has a distinct Meatloaf Operatic character to it and yes, it was indeed written by the legendary Jim Steinman.
Here’s how she came to sing that song. Her career had stalled by the early 1980s. She had just signed to a new label and was looking to move from the country‑rock sound of “It’s a Heartache” and “Lost in France” to a bigger rock sound.
She’d seen Meat Loaf perform the phenomenal Bat Out of Hell and said she wanted to work with Steinman, who had written and produced that epic album.
Despite being told he would never agree, she insisted her label at least ask him.
You can’t beat persistence!
Steinman declined, but later agreed to meet Tyler. He listened to her voice and influences, and agreed to produce her new album Faster Than the Speed of Night.
He then played her a demo of a long ballad he had been developing for a Nosferatu vampire musical—originally titled “Vampires in Love”—and he reworked it as “Total Eclipse of the Heart” for her, seeing her raspy voice as perfect for the song.
Tyler recorded the track in New York, following Steinman’s method of singing it straight through multiple times and then choosing the take with the best feel. She has said she was stunned he was giving her such an epic song and “poured [her] heart out” into the performance. The full version ran nearly seven minutes!
It is wonderful piece of musical drama. Here’s to you, Bonnie. You made memorable music.
