Faster Than the Speed of Night

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Faster Than the Speed of Night
Studio album by
Bonnie Tyler
Released8 April 1983 (UK)[1]
September 1983 (US)
Recorded1982
Studio
  • Power Station, New York City
  • Greene Street, New York City
  • Right Track Studios, New York City
GenreRock
Length43:14
LabelColumbia
Producer
Bonnie Tyler chronology
Goodbye to the Island
(1981) 		Faster Than the Speed of Night
(1983) 		Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
(1986)
Singles from Faster Than the Speed of Night
  1. "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
    Released: 11 February 1983 (UK)
  2. "Faster Than the Speed of Night"
    Released: April 1983 (UK)
  3. "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"
    Released: 17 June 1983
  4. "It's a Jungle Out There"
    Released: July 1983 (Japan)[2]
  5. "Straight from the Heart"
    Released: 11 August 1983
  6. "Take Me Back"
    Released: November 1983 (US)
  7. "Getting So Excited"
    Released: February 1984 (UK)
  8. "Tears"
    Released: 1984 (Netherlands)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

Faster Than the Speed of Night is the fifth studio album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. It was released in Europe on 8 April 1983 and later that year in the US through Columbia Records. Tyler had changed musical direction and soon after began working with Jim Steinman, who produced the album and wrote its most successful single "Total Eclipse of the Heart".

Faster Than the Speed of Night entered at No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart, which saw her become the first British female to debut at number one on the UK Albums Chart[4] and was certified Silver in the UK, Platinum in the US, and Double Platinum in Canada.

Content[edit]

The album contains five dramatically re-worked cover songs, produced in the model of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound,[5] including the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?".[6] "Goin' Through the Motions" is a cover of the song by Blue Öyster Cult from their 1977 album Spectres,[7] while "Straight from the Heart" was the break-out Top 10 hit for Canadian rock singer/songwriter Bryan Adams from his platinum album Cuts Like a Knife.[6] "Getting So Excited" was a cover of a song by British singer Lee Kosmin (with a short spoken interlude recited by Steinman inserted after the second verse: "I'd do anything for love, but I won't do that").[8] Another song, "Tears", was originally written and performed by Frankie Miller for his 1980 album Easy Money; for this album, Tyler performed the song as a duet with Miller.[9]

The album also includes four original songs produced in the same manner, two of which were written and composed by Steinman himself: the title track and the international No. 1 hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart". "Take Me Back" was written by Billy Cross, a former Bob Dylan guitarist. Additionally, this contains the initial recording of "It's a Jungle Out There", written by Dennis Polen, Paul Pilger, and William Moloney, which was picked up and re-recorded (in a shorter version) by '70s pop group Three Dog Night for their 1983 EP It's a Jungle.

Track listing[edit]

Original LP and cassette track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"John Fogerty4:08
2."Faster Than the Speed of Night"Jim Steinman6:44
3."Getting So Excited"Alan Gruner3:33
4."Total Eclipse of the Heart"Steinman6:57
5."It's a Jungle Out There"
  • Dennis Polen
  • Paul Pilger
  • William Moloney
4:39
6."Goin' Through the Motions"
4:09
7."Tears" (with Frankie Miller)Frankie Miller3:51
8."Take Me Back"Billy Cross5:24
9."Straight from the Heart"
3:42
Total length:43:14

Personnel[edit]

Musicians[edit]

"It's a Jungle Out There"[edit]

Additional musicians[edit]

  • Dave LeBolt – additional synthesizer on track 1
  • Steve Margoshes – all keyboards on track 2
  • Holly Sherwood – backing vocals & wailing on track 2
  • Martin Briley – additional guitars on track 2
  • Stephanie Black, Erika Katz, Brian Pew, Edward Skylar, Tristine Skylar, David Varga – children's chorus on track 6
  • Frankie Miller – male vocal on track 7

Production[edit]

  • Produced & directed by Jim Steinman; associate producer: John Jansen
  • Arranged by Roy Bittan & Jim Steinman, except track 2 (arranged by Steve Margoshes & Jim Steinman)
  • Recording engineers: Neil Dorfsman (basic track recording), Rod Hui; chief recording engineer: John Jansen
  • Additional recording by Frank Filipetti & Scott Litt
  • Mixed by Neil Dorfsman, John Jansen & Jim Steinman, except track 2 (mixed by John Jansen, Scott Litt & Jim Steinman)
    • Mixed at The Power Station
  • Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound

Charts[edit]

Certifications and sales[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[27] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[28] Gold 100,000*
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[29] Gold 10,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[30] Gold 7,500^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[31] Gold 25,000*
Sweden (GLF)[31] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[33] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Accolades[edit]

Guinness World Records British Hit Singles & Albums

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1983 Faster Than the Speed of Night The first woman to debut at number one in the UK Albums Chart[34] Won


References[edit]

  1. ^ "Certified Awards". Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Bonnie Tyler singles".
  3. ^ AllMusic review
  4. ^ "Guinness Book British Hit Singles & Albums". British Hit Singles & Albums. 16 April 1983. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  5. ^ Clark, Dick (20 September 1983). "Bonnie Tyler aims for 'total eclipse' of charts". The Times-News. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b Guarisco, Donald. "Faster Than The Speed Of Night". allmusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  7. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Blue Öyster Cult Spectres review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  8. ^ Everley, Dave (26 January 2022). "The story behind Meat Loaf's I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)". Classic Rock. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Tears - Frankie Miller". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  10. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 316. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ^ "RPM 100 Albums" (PDF). RPM. 17 September 1983. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  13. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Bonnie Tyler". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 267. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Lescharts.com – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  15. ^ "Officialcharts.de – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  16. ^ "Charts.nz – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  17. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  18. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  19. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  20. ^ "Bonnie Tyler | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  21. ^ "Bonnie Tyler Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  22. ^ "Cashbox Pop Albums" (PDF). Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  23. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1983 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  24. ^ Billboard. London, UK. 24 December 1983 https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M&M-1986-12-27.pdf. Retrieved 17 April 2019. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ^ Billboard. London, UK. 24 December 1983 https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M&M-1986-12-27.pdf. Retrieved 17 April 2019. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. ^ "Cash Box Award Winners" (PDF). Cashbox. 3 December 1983.
  27. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Music Canada. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  28. ^ "French album certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  29. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1985". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  30. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  31. ^ a b "CBS International Reaps Metal" (PDF). Cash Box. 10 December 1983. p. 18. Retrieved 7 December 2021 – via World Radio History.
  32. ^ "British album certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  33. ^ "American album certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  34. ^ "Guinness Book British Hit Singles & Albums". British Hit Singles & Albums. 16 April 1983. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
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