Bonnie Tyler
Encyclopedia
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh
singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache
", "Holding Out for a Hero
" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart
".
, Neath
, Wales
to a family that included three sisters and two brothers. Her father worked in a coal mine and her mother (an opera lover) shared her love for music with her children. She grew up listening to Motown music and female artists like Janis Joplin
and Tina Turner
.
In 1970, at age 19, she entered a talent contest, singing the Mary Hopkin
hit "Those Were the Days
", and finished in second place. She then was chosen to sing in a band with front man Bobby Wayne, known as Bobby Wayne & The Dixies. Two years later, she formed her own band called Imagination (not related to the 1980s British dance band of the same name
), and performed with them in pubs and clubs all over southern Wales. It was then that she decided to adopt the stage name
of 'Sherene Davies', taking the names from her niece and favourite aunt.
In 1973, she married Robert Sullivan, a real estate agent and Olympic judoka. In 1975, she was discovered by Roger Bell who arranged a recording contract
for her with RCA Records
. Before signing, she was asked to choose a different stage name, settling on Bonnie Tyler.
by the songwriting and producing team of Ronnie Scott
and Steve Wolfe, who became her managers, songwriters and producers.
Following the Top 10 success of her 1976 song "Lost in France
", Tyler released her first album in 1977 entitled The World Starts Tonight. A further single from the album, "More Than a Lover", made the UK Top 30, and the follow-up single, "Heaven", reached the Top 30 in Germany.
In 1977, Tyler was diagnosed with nodules on her vocal cords that were so severe that she needed to undergo surgery to remove them. After the surgery, she was ordered not to speak for six weeks to aid the healing process, but she accidentally screamed out in frustration one day. This caused her voice to take on a raspy quality. At first she believed that her singing career was ruined; but to her surprise her next single, "It's a Heartache
," made her an international star. The song reached #4 in the UK, #3 in the US, #2 in Germany, and topped the charts in several countries (including France and Australia). Tyler's second album, Natural Force, was also retitled It's a Heartache for the U.S. market and certified Gold there.
Though further global success was elusive during this era, Tyler did have some regional hits: "Here Am I" made the German Top 20 in spring of 1978; "My Guns Are Loaded" peaked at number 3 in France in 1979; and she scored a minor UK Top 40 hit with "Married Men" in summer 1979 (the theme to the film The World Is Full of Married Men
). Tyler released the albums Diamond Cut in 1979 and Goodbye to the Island
in 1981. The track "Sitting on the Edge of the Ocean" was the Grand Prix winner of the 1979 Yamaha World Song Festival held in Tokyo.
from 1977 to 1981, but she became increasingly dissatisfied with Scott and Wolfe's management as they were trying to market her as a pop-country music artist. When her contract with RCA expired, she signed with David Aspden Management and sought help from songwriter Jim Steinman
, most familiar to audiences as Meat Loaf
's primary collaborator, to give her music the rock style she wanted. She signed with Columbia Records
in 1982.
Her next album, Faster Than the Speed of Night
, was released in Spring 1983 and included the power-ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart
", which was written by Steinman. The song was a worldwide hit, reaching No. 1 in the UK, Ireland, France, Australia, and in the United States where it remained at the top for four weeks. Her presence in the US chart was at a time when almost one third of the Billboard Hot 100
was filled by songs from UK based acts - a situation not seen since the 1960s British Invasion
and Beatlemania
. Faster Than the Speed of Night entered the UK Albums Chart
at number 1, and also became a Top Five bestseller in the US and Australia. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" also brought Tyler a nomination for the Grammy Award
for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. In 1984, she performed the track at the Grammy Awards, and received another Grammy nomination as Best Rock Female Vocalist for "Here She Comes
", a song that was part of the soundtrack
for the 1984 restoration of the film Metropolis
. She also released the singles "A Rockin' Good Way", a duet with fellow Welsh
artist Shakin' Stevens
, which made #5 in the UK, and "Holding Out for a Hero
", for the Footloose soundtrack
, which made the U.S. Top 40 and later peaked at number 2 in UK in the summer of 1985. "Holding Out For A Hero" (written by Steinman and Dean Pitchford
) was also used as the main theme for the 1984 US television series Cover Up, though the version heard on the TV series was not Tyler's original but performed by a Tyler sound-alike.
The following albums, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
(1986) and Hide Your Heart
(1988), achieved some success in France, Switzerland, Scandinavia, South Africa, Australia, but were not successful in the UK or the US. One of the single releases, "If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man)", became another Top 10 hit in France in 1986 and was certified Silver. In 1987, Tyler recorded the song "Sem limites pra sonhar/Reaching for the Infinite Heart" with the Brazilian singer Fábio Junior
. The same year, she sang the title song
for Mike Oldfield
's album Islands
. Tyler also sang backing vocals with Cher
for the song "Perfection" on Cher's self-titled 1987 album
, and "Emotional Fire" on Cher's 1989 album Heart Of Stone.
and found a new producer in Dieter Bohlen
. Her first album for the label was Bitterblue
, released in late 1991, which saw her leaving the rock genre of the 80s and establishing a more soft-pop sound. The album went quadruple-platinum in Norway, platinum in Austria, and gold in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden.
Tyler followed this up with the albums Angel Heart
(1992) and Silhouette in Red
in 1993. In light of her success in Germany, Tyler won Best International Female Vocalist at the RSH Gold Award, the "Goldene Europa" Award and the ECHO Award in 1994.
After her three albums with producer Dieter Bohlen, Tyler wanted to have a more international sound on her next record. She switched labels to Warner Music in 1995 and recorded Free Spirit, an album on which she worked again with Jim Steinman as well as other prolific producers such as David Foster
and Humberto Gatica
. However, the album was only a minor success in continental Europe, though the single "Making Love Out of Nothing at All
" (previously a hit for Air Supply
in 1983) narrowly missed the UK Top 40. Tyler continued to record, releasing the folk influenced All in One Voice
in 1999, though this was even less successful. Also in 1999, Tyler was part of an ensemble vocal unit for Rick Wakeman
's Return to the Centre of the Earth CD. Tyler also recorded the track "Tyre Tracks And Broken Hearts" on the Jim Steinman
and Andrew Lloyd Webber
composed CD "Whistle Down The Wind". She also featured in Meat Loaf
's track, "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste
" singing the chorus for "Tyre Tracks And Broken Hearts".
, which consisted of cover versions of popular songs performed with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Also in 2003, French vocalist Kareen Antonn
approached Tyler to duet with her on "Si demain... (Turn Around)
", a French-language version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart". Released in December 2003, it went to number 1 in France, holding that chart position for ten weeks, as well as Belgium and Poland, selling a total of two million copies. The follow-up, "Si tout s'arrête (It's A Heartache)", another French language remake with Antonn, also made the French Top 20. Tyler released an album, Simply Believe
, in 2004, which contained both songs with Antonn.
In September 2006, Tyler made her first appearance on U.S. television in years, as she sang a duet of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with actress Lucy Lawless
on the American show Celebrity Duets
.
In 2007, a new Greatest Hits collection, From the Heart, was released. Also in 2007, Tyler contributed a track, "I Don’t Know How to Love Him", to the charity record Over the Rainbow. Tyler mentioned in an interview that she is working on a new studio album and would be working with Jim Steinman again.
In 2009, Tyler made a guest appearance in Hollyoaks Later (the late night edition of the British Channel 4
teen soap Hollyoaks
) in which she sang her hit "Holding Out For a Hero" with one of the characters. The episode was broadcast on Friday 2 October 2009. She also recorded a new version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with the Welsh male voice choir Only Men Aloud!
for their second album Band of Brothers
which was released in October 2009.
singing a parody of "Total Eclipse of the Heart". She later joined Robin Gibb
briefly on his Australian tour before performing in her own Australian concerts.
In 2011, Tyler made a guest appearance in the music video "Newport State of Mind", a parody of the Jay Z and Alicia Keys
song Empire State of Mind
for the BBC's Comic Relief
charity.
In 2011, Tyler dueted with the singer Laura Zen on "Amour Éternel", a new French/English version of The Bangles
' 1989 hit "Eternal Flame
". It was released to French radio stations on 29th August 2011. It was then released as an MP3 download in France on 26th September 2011, and also included on Tyler's new triple-disc "Best of" album on 3rd October 2011.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache
It's a Heartache
"It's a Heartache" is a country rock song that was recorded separately by Bonnie Tyler and Juice Newton in 1977. Tyler's version charted in the UK in November 1977 and both versions charted in the United States in 1978. The song was also recorded by Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes in 1978, but it...
", "Holding Out for a Hero
Holding Out for a Hero
"Holding Out for a Hero" is a song written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford, originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler. It was released in 1984 on the soundtrack to the film Footloose. It later appeared on Tyler's Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire album. It hit #96 for the first time in UK in 1984,...
" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart
Total Eclipse of the Heart
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...
".
Early life
Tyler was born in SkewenSkewen
Skewen is a village within the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, in Wales.The village is served by Skewen railway station.-History:Skewen was once an industrial village. There were a number of collieries around the village . The Crown and Mines Royal Copper Works and the Cheadle and Neath...
, Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to a family that included three sisters and two brothers. Her father worked in a coal mine and her mother (an opera lover) shared her love for music with her children. She grew up listening to Motown music and female artists like Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
and Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
.
In 1970, at age 19, she entered a talent contest, singing the Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin , credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single "Those Were The Days". She was one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label....
hit "Those Were the Days
Those Were the Days (song)
"Those Were the Days" is a song credited to Gene Raskin, who put English lyrics to the Russian song "Dorogoi dlinnoyu" , written by Boris Fomin with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevskii. It deals with reminiscence upon youth and romantic idealism...
", and finished in second place. She then was chosen to sing in a band with front man Bobby Wayne, known as Bobby Wayne & The Dixies. Two years later, she formed her own band called Imagination (not related to the 1980s British dance band of the same name
Imagination (band)
Imagination were a three piece British soul and funk band, who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They had chart hits in 28 countries, earning four platinum discs, nine gold discs and more than a dozen silver discs around the world between 1981 and 1983....
), and performed with them in pubs and clubs all over southern Wales. It was then that she decided to adopt the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of 'Sherene Davies', taking the names from her niece and favourite aunt.
In 1973, she married Robert Sullivan, a real estate agent and Olympic judoka. In 1975, she was discovered by Roger Bell who arranged a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
for her with RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. Before signing, she was asked to choose a different stage name, settling on Bonnie Tyler.
The 1970s
In 1976, Tyler was spotted in "The Townsman Club" in SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
by the songwriting and producing team of Ronnie Scott
Ronnie Scott (songwriter)
Ronnie Scott was a British pop music promoter, group manager and songwriter; known primarily for hit songs co-written with Marty Wilde in the 1960s, and Steve Wolfe in the 1970s.-With Marty Wilde:...
and Steve Wolfe, who became her managers, songwriters and producers.
Following the Top 10 success of her 1976 song "Lost in France
Lost in France
"Lost in France" is a debut single by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, released in 1976 on the RCA Records label #2734. It was written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe. The song was included in her debut album The World Starts Tonight in 1977...
", Tyler released her first album in 1977 entitled The World Starts Tonight. A further single from the album, "More Than a Lover", made the UK Top 30, and the follow-up single, "Heaven", reached the Top 30 in Germany.
In 1977, Tyler was diagnosed with nodules on her vocal cords that were so severe that she needed to undergo surgery to remove them. After the surgery, she was ordered not to speak for six weeks to aid the healing process, but she accidentally screamed out in frustration one day. This caused her voice to take on a raspy quality. At first she believed that her singing career was ruined; but to her surprise her next single, "It's a Heartache
It's a Heartache
"It's a Heartache" is a country rock song that was recorded separately by Bonnie Tyler and Juice Newton in 1977. Tyler's version charted in the UK in November 1977 and both versions charted in the United States in 1978. The song was also recorded by Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes in 1978, but it...
," made her an international star. The song reached #4 in the UK, #3 in the US, #2 in Germany, and topped the charts in several countries (including France and Australia). Tyler's second album, Natural Force, was also retitled It's a Heartache for the U.S. market and certified Gold there.
Though further global success was elusive during this era, Tyler did have some regional hits: "Here Am I" made the German Top 20 in spring of 1978; "My Guns Are Loaded" peaked at number 3 in France in 1979; and she scored a minor UK Top 40 hit with "Married Men" in summer 1979 (the theme to the film The World Is Full of Married Men
The World Is Full of Married Men
The World Is Full of Married Men is the debut novel of British author Jackie Collins, first published in 1968 by W. H. Allen.-Plot summary:...
). Tyler released the albums Diamond Cut in 1979 and Goodbye to the Island
Goodbye to the Island
Goodbye to the Island is the fourth album by Bonnie Tyler released in 1981. The track "Sitting on the Edge of the Ocean" was the Grand Prix winner of the Yamaha Music Festival held in Japan in 1979.- Track listing :...
in 1981. The track "Sitting on the Edge of the Ocean" was the Grand Prix winner of the 1979 Yamaha World Song Festival held in Tokyo.
The 1980s
Tyler released four albums for RCA RecordsRCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
from 1977 to 1981, but she became increasingly dissatisfied with Scott and Wolfe's management as they were trying to market her as a pop-country music artist. When her contract with RCA expired, she signed with David Aspden Management and sought help from songwriter Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
, most familiar to audiences as Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
's primary collaborator, to give her music the rock style she wanted. She signed with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1982.
Her next album, Faster Than the Speed of Night
Faster Than the Speed of Night
Faster Than the Speed of Night is an album by Bonnie Tyler released in April 1983. Her fifth album, and her most successful, it includes her UK and US #1 hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart"....
, was released in Spring 1983 and included the power-ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart
Total Eclipse of the Heart
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...
", which was written by Steinman. The song was a worldwide hit, reaching No. 1 in the UK, Ireland, France, Australia, and in the United States where it remained at the top for four weeks. Her presence in the US chart was at a time when almost one third of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
was filled by songs from UK based acts - a situation not seen since the 1960s British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
and Beatlemania
Beatlemania
Beatlemania is a term that originated during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success...
. Faster Than the Speed of Night entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at number 1, and also became a Top Five bestseller in the US and Australia. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" also brought Tyler a nomination for the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. In 1984, she performed the track at the Grammy Awards, and received another Grammy nomination as Best Rock Female Vocalist for "Here She Comes
Here She Comes
For the Beach Boys' song see Here She Comes ."Here She Comes" is a hit single performed by Bonnie Tyler. It comes from the film Metropolis .-Charts :- Awards:February 26, 1985----...
", a song that was part of the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for the 1984 restoration of the film Metropolis
Metropolis (film)
Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist film in the science-fiction genre directed by Fritz Lang. Produced in Germany during a stable period of the Weimar Republic, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and makes use of this context to explore the social crisis between workers and...
. She also released the singles "A Rockin' Good Way", a duet with fellow Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
artist Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
, which made #5 in the UK, and "Holding Out for a Hero
Holding Out for a Hero
"Holding Out for a Hero" is a song written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford, originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler. It was released in 1984 on the soundtrack to the film Footloose. It later appeared on Tyler's Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire album. It hit #96 for the first time in UK in 1984,...
", for the Footloose soundtrack
Footloose (soundtrack)
Footloose is the original soundtrack of the Paramount motion picture Footloose. The original nine-track album was released in 1984 and reached Number One on the Billboard 200 Pop Album chart on April 21, 1984, where it stayed until June 30, 1984. When it was re-released in 1998, four bonus tracks...
, which made the U.S. Top 40 and later peaked at number 2 in UK in the summer of 1985. "Holding Out For A Hero" (written by Steinman and Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford is an American songwriter, screenwriter, director, actor, and novelist. His work has earned him an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three additional Oscars, two more Golden Globes, seven Grammy Awards and two Tony Awards.-Early life:Pitchford was born in...
) was also used as the main theme for the 1984 US television series Cover Up, though the version heard on the TV series was not Tyler's original but performed by a Tyler sound-alike.
The following albums, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire is the sixth studio album by Bonnie Tyler. Released in 1986 peaked at no.24 on the UK album chart and no.106 in the US, though the album gained success in continental Europe....
(1986) and Hide Your Heart
Hide Your Heart
Hide Your Heart , is the seventh album by Bonnie Tyler released in 1988. It was produced by Desmond Child....
(1988), achieved some success in France, Switzerland, Scandinavia, South Africa, Australia, but were not successful in the UK or the US. One of the single releases, "If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man)", became another Top 10 hit in France in 1986 and was certified Silver. In 1987, Tyler recorded the song "Sem limites pra sonhar/Reaching for the Infinite Heart" with the Brazilian singer Fábio Junior
Fábio Junior
Fábio Junior, full name Fábio Junior dos Santos is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward for Egyptian side Al-Ahly.-Honours:* Campeonato Amazonense in 2000 with Nacional Futebol Clube...
. The same year, she sang the title song
Islands (Mike Oldfield song)
"Islands" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1987 . It is from the album of the same name, Islands. "Islands" features Bonnie Tyler on vocals.- Track listing :# "Islands" – 5:35...
for Mike Oldfield
Mike Oldfield
Michael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
's album Islands
Islands (Mike Oldfield album)
Islands is the 11th album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1987. Guest singers on the album are Bonnie Tyler, Kevin Ayers, Anita Hegerland and Jim Price. A different track list and cover was used for the American edition....
. Tyler also sang backing vocals with Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
for the song "Perfection" on Cher's self-titled 1987 album
Cher (1987 album)
Additional notes*"I Found Someone" was originally recorded by Laura Branigan and appears on her 1985 album Hold Me.*"Bang-Bang" was previously recorded for Cher's second studio album The Sonny Side of Chér in 1966.-Personnel & Production:...
, and "Emotional Fire" on Cher's 1989 album Heart Of Stone.
The 1990s
Throughout the 1990s, Tyler's success was limited to continental Europe. In the early 1990s, she switched to the German label HansaHansa Records
Hansa Records was a record label founded in the 1960s based in Berlin, Germany....
and found a new producer in Dieter Bohlen
Dieter Bohlen
Dieter Günter Bohlen is a German songwriter, singer, musician, producer, entertainer, TV personality, and writer. Bohlen is best known for being part of popular pop-duo Modern Talking during 1984–1987 and 1998–2003.-Biography:Bohlen took his Abitur in Oldenburg...
. Her first album for the label was Bitterblue
Bitterblue
Bitterblue is the eighth studio album by Bonnie Tyler, released in 1991. Its title track was released as a single and peaked at #2 in Norway...
, released in late 1991, which saw her leaving the rock genre of the 80s and establishing a more soft-pop sound. The album went quadruple-platinum in Norway, platinum in Austria, and gold in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden.
Tyler followed this up with the albums Angel Heart
Angel Heart (Bonnie Tyler album)
Angel Heart is the ninth album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler released in 1992. It featured a duet with Scottish singer Frankie Miller called Save Your Love.- Track listing :# "Fools Lullaby" —3:52...
(1992) and Silhouette in Red
Silhouette in Red
Silhouette in Red is the tenth studio album recorded by Bonnie Tyler, released in Scandinavia, Europe, and South Africa in 1993, and Japan and Brazil in 1994....
in 1993. In light of her success in Germany, Tyler won Best International Female Vocalist at the RSH Gold Award, the "Goldene Europa" Award and the ECHO Award in 1994.
After her three albums with producer Dieter Bohlen, Tyler wanted to have a more international sound on her next record. She switched labels to Warner Music in 1995 and recorded Free Spirit, an album on which she worked again with Jim Steinman as well as other prolific producers such as David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
and Humberto Gatica
Humberto Gatica
Humberto Gatica is a Chilean-born American record producer, music mixer, audio engineer anda long-time collaborator with producer David Foster....
. However, the album was only a minor success in continental Europe, though the single "Making Love Out of Nothing at All
Making Love out of Nothing at All
"Making Love Out of Nothing At All" is a power ballad written and composed by Jim Steinman and first released by Australian rock band Air Supply for their 1983 compilation album Greatest Hits. It reached #2 on the U.S...
" (previously a hit for Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
in 1983) narrowly missed the UK Top 40. Tyler continued to record, releasing the folk influenced All in One Voice
All in One Voice
All in One Voice is the twelfth studio album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. It was released in 1999 via EastWest Records. It is her first studio album since Free Spirit two years earlier....
in 1999, though this was even less successful. Also in 1999, Tyler was part of an ensemble vocal unit for Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
's Return to the Centre of the Earth CD. Tyler also recorded the track "Tyre Tracks And Broken Hearts" on the Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
and Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
composed CD "Whistle Down The Wind". She also featured in Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
's track, "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste
A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste
"A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste" is a song from the 1996 musical Whistle Down the Wind, and was covered by Meat Loaf, with guest vocals by Bonnie Tyler, for the 1998 compilation album The Very Best of Meat Loaf. The music was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the lyrics were written by Jim...
" singing the chorus for "Tyre Tracks And Broken Hearts".
The 2000s
In 2003, Tyler released the album Heart StringsHeart Strings (Bonnie Tyler album)
-Charts:-Personnel:*Keyboards - David Aspden*Producers - David Aspden, Matt Prior*Engineers - David Aspden, Helen Atkinson, Alan Darby, Jan Holzner, Richard "Dread" Mann, Morten Munch, Michael Wolff*Assistant Engineer - Philip Rose...
, which consisted of cover versions of popular songs performed with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Also in 2003, French vocalist Kareen Antonn
Kareen Antonn
Kareen Antonn is a French artist of Greek and Spanish origin.In 2003, she recorded in duet with Bonnie Tyler the hit songs "Si demain... " and "Si Tout s'arrête ". She also recorded "Un Homme se blesse" to help the homeless.-Singles:* 2003 : "Si demain.....
approached Tyler to duet with her on "Si demain... (Turn Around)
Si demain... (Turn Around)
"Si demain... " is a 2003 bilingual song recorded by Bonnie Tyler and Kareen Antonn, and written by Jim Steinman and Emmanuel Pribys. It was released on 19 December 2003 as the lead single from Tyler's album Simply Believe, and became a huge hit in France, where it topped the chart for three...
", a French-language version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart". Released in December 2003, it went to number 1 in France, holding that chart position for ten weeks, as well as Belgium and Poland, selling a total of two million copies. The follow-up, "Si tout s'arrête (It's A Heartache)", another French language remake with Antonn, also made the French Top 20. Tyler released an album, Simply Believe
Simply Believe
Simply Believe is the 14th studio album recorded by Bonnie Tyler, released in Europe in 2004.-Track listing:# "Si demain... " 3:50 # "Simply Believe" 4:44# "Si tout s'arrête " 3:24...
, in 2004, which contained both songs with Antonn.
In September 2006, Tyler made her first appearance on U.S. television in years, as she sang a duet of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with actress Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
on the American show Celebrity Duets
Celebrity Duets
Celebrity Duets was an American reality television show of the progressive game-show type, which combined celebrities of different backgrounds with professional singers in a weekly elimination competition....
.
In 2007, a new Greatest Hits collection, From the Heart, was released. Also in 2007, Tyler contributed a track, "I Don’t Know How to Love Him", to the charity record Over the Rainbow. Tyler mentioned in an interview that she is working on a new studio album and would be working with Jim Steinman again.
In 2009, Tyler made a guest appearance in Hollyoaks Later (the late night edition of the British Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
teen soap Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
) in which she sang her hit "Holding Out For a Hero" with one of the characters. The episode was broadcast on Friday 2 October 2009. She also recorded a new version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with the Welsh male voice choir Only Men Aloud!
Only Men Aloud!
Only Men Aloud! is a male voice choir from Wales. The choir came to national prominence in the UK when they won the Last Choir Standing competition run by BBC television during 2008.-Overview:...
for their second album Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers (album)
Band of Brothers is the second studio album by the choir Only Men Aloud!. Unlike their self-titled debut, it featured several traditional Welsh songs, the album closing with a version of "Land Of My Fathers"...
which was released in October 2009.
The 2010s
In 2010, Tyler appeared in a television advertisement for MasterCardMasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
singing a parody of "Total Eclipse of the Heart". She later joined Robin Gibb
Robin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice , and elder brother Barry....
briefly on his Australian tour before performing in her own Australian concerts.
In 2011, Tyler made a guest appearance in the music video "Newport State of Mind", a parody of the Jay Z and Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
song Empire State of Mind
Empire State of Mind
"Empire State of Mind" is a song by American rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z, featuring vocals and a chorus from R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 by his Roc Nation label in October 2009...
for the BBC's Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
charity.
In 2011, Tyler dueted with the singer Laura Zen on "Amour Éternel", a new French/English version of The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
' 1989 hit "Eternal Flame
Eternal Flame (song)
"Eternal Flame" is a song by The Bangles from their 1988 album Everything. It became a hit single, when released in 1989, peaking at number one in the charts in nine countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was written by popular songwriters Billy Steinberg and...
". It was released to French radio stations on 29th August 2011. It was then released as an MP3 download in France on 26th September 2011, and also included on Tyler's new triple-disc "Best of" album on 3rd October 2011.
Awards and nominations
- Music Retailer Magazine 1978 (USA)
- Most Promising Newcomer
- Daily Express 1978 (UK)
- Best New Artist
- Bravo Otto 1978 (GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
)- Golden Otto Best Singer
- Goldene Europa 1978 (Germany)
- Best Singer
- Yamaha Prize 1979 (JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
)- Grand Prix International "Sitting On The Edge Of The Ocean"
- Academy Country Music 1979 (USA)
- Best New Artist "It's A Heartache" (nomination)
- Radio(?) 1979 From (SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
)- Best International Singer & Best New Artist
- Brit Awards 1984 (UK)
- Best singer (nomination)
- American Music Awards 1984 (USA)
- Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist (nomination)
- Favorite Pop/Rock Single "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (nomination)
- Goldene Europa 1983 (Germany)
- Comeback Of The Year
- Grammy Award 1984 (USA)
- Best Pop Vocal Female "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (nomination)
- Best Rock Vocal Female "Faster Than The Speed of Night" (nomination)
- Variety Club of Great Britain Award 1984 (UK)
- Best Recording Artist Of The Year "Total Eclipse Of The Heart"
- Grammy Award 1985 (USA)
- Best Rock Vocal Female "Here She Comes" (nomination)
- Brit Awards 1986 (UK)
- Best Singer (nomination)
- MIDEM 1986 (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
)- Best International Singer
- Diamond Awards 1987(BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
)- International Singer
- RSH-Gold Award 1992 (Germany)
- Erfolgreichste deutschproduzierte Interpretin bzw. Ohrwurm des Jahres
- Bravo Otto
- Best Singer of 1992, 6th place
- Echo Award 1993 (Germany)
- Best International Singer "Angel Heart" (nomination)
- Bravo 10 Best Singers of 1993
- 6th place
- Bravo 10 Best Shows of 1993
- 8th place
- Bravo 10 Good Looking Singer of 1993
- 8th place
- Bravo 10 Best CDs of 1993
- "Very Best of Bonnie Tyler Vol. 1", 8th place
- Bravo 10 Best CDs of 1993
- "Silhouette In Red", 9th place
- Goldene Europa 1993 (Germany)
- Best International Singer
- Echo Award 1994 (Germany)
- Best International Singer, The Very Best Of/Silhouette In Red
- Radio Regenbogen Award 1999 (Germany)
- Lifetime Award
- Writs Welsh Music Awards 2001 (Wales)
- Best Singer "Greatest Hits" (nomination)
- Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama 2002 (Wales)
- Honorary Fellow in recognition of outstanding achievements within the fields of music.
- Les Hits de Diamant 2004 (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
)- It's A Heartache & Total Eclipse Of The Heart
- Steiger AwardSteiger AwardThe Steiger Award or Der Steiger is an international award established in 2005 and presented annually by the award organization based in Bochum, Germany. The title translates as The Miner, and reflects the qualities of responsibility, honesty, openness and hard work valued in the North Rhine...
2005 (Germany)- Lifetime Award
- Angel Award 2009 (Germany)
- Special corporate social responsibility
- Neath Port Talbot - Freedom of the county 2010 (Wales)
- Honorary recognition from the town of Port Talbot
See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (United States)