Faster Than the Speed of Night

1983 studio album by Bonnie Tyler

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.

After releasing four albums on RCA, Tyler signed with CBS Records and changed musical direction. Soon after, she 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 the UK Albums Chart at no. 1, and was certified Silver in the UK, Platinum in the US, and Double Platinum in Canada. British Hit Singles & Albums lists Tyler as the first women to have her first album debut at no. 1.^[4]

Content

The album contains six 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 sixth single, "Take Me Back", was written by Billy Cross and originally released by the Delta Cross Band in their 1981 album titled Up Front.

The album also includes three 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". 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

Personnel

Musicians

• Bonnie Tyler – lead & backing vocals
• Roy Bittan – piano, organ on track 8
• Larry Fast – synthesizers
• Rick Derringer – guitars
• Steve Buslowe – bass
• Max Weinberg – drums
• Jimmy Maelen – percussion
• Eric Troyer – backing vocals
• Holly Sherwood – backing vocals on track 4
• Rory Dodd – backing vocals, vocal on track 4

"It's a Jungle Out There"

• Paul Shaffer – organ (also organ on track 7)
• Hiram Bullock – guitars
• Will Lee – bass
• Steve Jordan – drums
• Jimmy Maelen – percussion

Additional musicians

• 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

• 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
  • Recorded at The Power Station, Greene Street Studio, Right Track Studios
• 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

Certifications and sales

References

1. "Certified Awards". Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
2. "Bonnie Tyler singles".
3. AllMusic review
4. Roberts, David (2004). British hit singles & albums (17th ed.). London: Guinness world records. p. 165. ISBN 0851121993. Bonnie Tyler, the first woman to bag a UK album chart-topper with her first hit album straight in at No.1
5. Clark, Dick (20 September 1983). "Bonnie Tyler aims for 'total eclipse' of charts". The Times-News. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
6. 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. "Music&Media" (PDF). Billboard. London, UK. 24 December 1983. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
25. "Cash Box Award Winners" (PDF). Cashbox. 3 December 1983.
26. "Canadian album certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Music Canada. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
27. "French album certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
28. "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1985". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
29. "New Zealand album certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
30. "CBS International Reaps Metal" (PDF). Cash Box. 10 December 1983. p. 18. Retrieved 7 December 2021 – via World Radio History.
31. "British album certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
32. "American album certifications – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
33. "New Straits Time". 9 March 1986. Retrieved 7 December 2021.