Retro Spins: Bonnie Tyler - Hide Your Heart (AKA Notes From America)

 

Today wraps up my listening sessions of Bonnie Tyler's 80's discography. What constitutes as an icon and / or legacy artist? The industry would have you believe that Tyler qualifies for these titles, yet when you stand back and look at her career as a whole, she only had one number one Billboard Hot 100 hit, Total Eclipse Of The Heart. Her remaining singles from the 80's peaked between thirty-three and seventy-seven. I don't know. I hate to be so mean, especially on the heels of her unfortunate passing, but that just doesn't scream iconic to me.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Ace Of Base popularized the song, Don't Turn Around in the 90's, but it was originally recorded as a B-side by Tina Turner for her single, Typical Male in 1986. Bonnie Tyler would then record her own version of the song in 1988 for her studio album, Hide Your Heart. That album would be retitled to Notes From America when released in the USA. It turns out that Tina would in turn borrow from Bonnie, as this album would include Tyler's original recording of The Best, which Turner would then use for her 1989 record, Foreign Affair.

In addition to this, Bonnie would also record the Paul Stanley / Holly Knight written, Hide Your Heart, which Kiss would later use on their Hot In The Shade album the following year. Lastly, she would also record a cover of the Bee-Gee's 1967 second single, To Love Somebody.

Things start off with the roar of a live audience, giving the impression that you've been bamboozled into listening to a concert album, versus studio. However, as the song picks up, the crowd fades out, and the crisp studio recording takes over. Opening track, Notes From America is decent, but definitely nothing worth jumping up and down for.

Her version of Hide Your Heart was decent, but in retrospect, I dig Kiss's version more. This isn't surprising since it's not only the version I heard first, but it would make sense that the artist who wrote it would be able to produce the better rendition. This is my same impression of her cover of the Bee-Gee's tune, To Love Somebody, which honestly just feels unnecessary. Bonnie adds her own flourish to it, but frankly, it's just not good. She's literally just yelling through it.

Having heard it first is also the problem I have with tracks Don't Turn Around, and The Best. I'm sorry to say that Ace Of Bass does the first better, and Tina Turner owns The Best at this point. One I've yet to mention yet is her cover of Big Brother And The Holding Company's Turtle Blues. Tyler can definitely match the vocals of Janis Joplin, but does she achieve a better song in the long run? No, not really. Janis nails the rhythm and blues sound of the original, and it just fist more, time period wise with its 1968 roots.

USA album cover and title

Michael Bolton and Desmond Child contribute the song, Take Another Look At Your Heart, and you can definitely tell in listening to it that it's a Bolton song. It has his signature style to the lyrics. The unfortunate part for Bonnie, is that it prompted me to look if he ever recorded his own version of it, and sadly, he did not. I'd much prefer to hear him sing it.

Okay, so let me try and say something positive. I suppose the opening track was decent, and Shy With You is a poppy treat. They're about the only two tracks that really stood out in a good way among the rest. But, overall, the album just feels like a series of throw away tracks.

Columbia Records ended up dropping Bonnie from their roster when her contract expired, and while she would go on to release eleven more albums through 2021, it would be for a series of varying labels. She would also experience an uptick in sales in the 90's, with her three albums released between 1991 and 1993 going platinum on the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Specifically, the Norwegian branch. However, her days on the Billboard Hot 100, and charting in the USA in general, were long over by this point.

Still, Bonnie Tyler remained highly popular around the world, and anyone who tells you otherwise is flat out lying or trying to fool themselves. She remained incredibly active through 2026, performing her last live show on March 19, 2026, in London. Had it not been for a tear in her bowel, which put her in the hospital, she would have been back on the road in May. Unfortunately, her health took an unexpected turn, leading to her sadly passing away on July 8, 2026, just one month to the day after her birthday.

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Retro Spins: Bonnie Tyler - Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire

 

Leaping over 1983's Faster Than The Speed Of Night, which I've already done a Retro Spin on, today, I come to 1986's Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire. While it's Bonnie Tyler's sixth studio album to date, it was only her second with Columbia, having left RCA after releasing 1981's Goodbye To The Island.

Many tracks that would encompass the album would come from Tyler continuing to work with Jim Steinman between 1983 and 1986. It's during these sessions that the song, Holding Out For A Hero would be recorded, and contributed to the 1984 Kevin Bacon film, Footloose. As such, it's a bit odd that it would get dusted off and added to her studio album two years later. At that point, it was more than readily available on that soundtrack and had candidly run its course.

Steinman in turn recruited Desmond Child to assist with writing tracks, and in doing so, made a very specific request for one song. He wanted a song about androgyny. The verses have to sound like Tina Turner, the B Section has to sound like The Police, U2, or Hall & Oates, and the chorus has to sound like Bruce Springsteen. The directive spawned the song, If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man). The album would also include the track, Ravishing, which Steinman originally wrote and contributed as Hulk Hogan's theme for the World Wrestling Federation compilation album released in 1985, appropriately titled, The Wrestling Album.

Upon its release, it received very mixed reviews, with most negativity being directed towards Jim Steinman. Some critics were just flat out rude about it, such as Steven Wine, who stated, "Only Bonnie Tyler's parents would want to listen to her sing the same song for six minutes, but three of the eight tunes on [the album] exceed that span." He'd go on to say the album was a, "bombastic bore."

Things didn't settle down from there. Tom Ford stated that "although Tyler proves able to do some interesting things, she is outdistanced by the tiresome ponderousness of the material," concluding that "the prissy, self-indulgence here is just too much to stand." Meanwhile, Paul Speelman opined that Tyler and Steinman were "deeply entrenched in a rut," and found the music to be excessive. He would say, "There are banks of synthesizers, layers of percussion, dramatic electronic gimmickry and huge production: no wonder poor old Bonnie had to yell to be heard above that lot."

Say what you will, the music video for If You Were A Woman, And I Was A Man is an absolute 80's banger! I mean, come on. There's a guy in full shoulder pads, and head gear playing a violin that eventually starts smoking. It makes absolutely no sense, but at the same time, it makes complete sense. It's the 80's, baby!

On that note, let's dive right in!

First and foremost, what you listen to depends on which version you buy. The original vinyl featured eight tracks, which were also included on the CD and cassette releases. However, the CD includes one additional track, Before This Night Is Through. The cassette version includes all nine of these songs, plus Under Suspicion.

Right here is where I'm going to get potentially controversial for Bonnie Tyler fans.

Yes, the CD and vinyl formats had the most restriction back then, in terms of runtime. It's because of this that there are not only omitted track, as noted above, but many of the songs vary in run times from version to version. The best example of this is Loving You Is A Dirty Job (But Somebody's Got To Do It). On the vinyl, this track is seven minutes twenty-eight seconds. On CD, it's seven minutes forty-seven seconds, and on cassette, it's seven minutes forty-nine seconds. I would argue that finding a standard runtime for songs, probably the shorter versions, and omitting the 1984 track, Holding Out For A Hero, would have allowed for the remaining nine tracks to fit on all three formats. It just doesn't make sense to have this varying degree of alternate versions.

Further, I will echo what the critics said, the runtime of a lot of songs is way bloated. You just don't need a seven-minute Bonnie Tyler song. Her tunes should be to the point, and radio edit friendly. I daresay this is what led to them including Holding Out For A Hero on the album. Without it, there's nothing really to put out there for airwaves to promote the record. But again, its inclusion is unnecessary from being readily available for the prior two years at this point, and let's face it, everyone owned the Footloose soundtrack. Candidly, it's also just lazy to include it.

For me, If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man), and Rebel Without A Clue are the only two standout tracks. I wanted to like Ravishing, mainly because it did take me back to the 80's of watching WWF on cable. But ultimately, I prefer my version to be from Hulk Hogan's Rockin' Wrestling.

The version on Tyler's album is hindered by two thing. First, the lyrics are dumb. Second, at six minutes twenty to twenty-four seconds (depending on the format you're on) it's too freaking long. That's actually ironic for me to say, since Rebel Without A Clue has a runtime over eight minutes.

Of course, since we're on the subject, if you're down with the Hulkster, and a true Hulkamaniac, then you can't top his true theme, Real American!

Better watch out, Bonnie Tyler, Hulk Hogan is high jacking your post. But actually, that's not a bad thing, as I honestly don't really have anything else to say about Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire. It's just not that good, and I can understand where the critics came from with this one. Sure, they didn't have to be so mean about the way they put it, but the bottom line is it's bloated, and kind of boring.

Bonnie released one final album in the 80's, 1988's Hide Your Heart, or Notes From America, as it was called when released in the USA. That's where I'll pick up, and subsequently end my journey through her discography.

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Retro Spins: Bonnie Tyler - Goodbye To The Island

Prior to listening to her album, Faster Than The Speed Of Night, I think I could count the number of Bonnie Tyler songs I knew on one hand of a Ninja Turtle; Total Eclipse Of The Heart, and I Need A Hero. An interesting tidbit about the latter was that while it came out in 1984 on the Footloose soundtrack, was that it would be dusted off for her 1986 studio release, Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire.

But I'm getting way too far ahead.

Born Gaynor Hopkins on June 8, 1951, she was discovered by Roger Bell at the age of twenty-four (1975) performing with her band, Imagination under the name, Sherene Davis. It was the name she'd switched to in 1969 to avoid confusion with Welsh folk singer, Mary Hopkins. However, when RCA Records began negotiating her contract shortly thereafter, she was once again prompted to change it, selecting Bonnie Tyler.

RCA would choose a unique strategy to promote their new artist, inviting thirty journalists to meet her over a four-course meal. This was followed by the single, Lost In France, which would climb the local charts to number nine, prompting an appearance on Top Of The Pops. The release of her next single, More Than A Lover would not be as favorable, and actually be banned by the British children's TV series, Get It Together. Tyler would actually be grateful for the offhanded exposure and publicity.

Folling this, her 1977 debut, The World Starts Tonight would hit store shelves. While it would fail to chart in the UK, it would peak at number two in Sweden. However, persistent singing would lead her to visit a doctor for a chronic sore throat. It was here that she learned that nodules had grown on her vocal cords, necessitating surgery. Though the procedure was successful, she was instructed to rest her voice for six weeks. During this recovery period, frustration would lead her to screaming out, creating her permanent raspy tone.

1978's Natural Force, issued in the USA as It's A Heartache would be the first to feature her new, and signature vocals. The album would go gold in the USA, and platinum in Canada. While this prompted her first US tour, RCA also wanted another album straight away, leading to 1979's Diamond Cut. By this time, Tyler was growing frustrated with the label, feeling they were pushing her to record country-oriented music, something she didn't want to do. Though she'd finish her contract with them with 1981's Goodbye To The Island, upon being invited to renew for an additional five albums, she'd instead walk away.

It's interesting that Tyler felt this way, because as I was playing through the album, my mind kept trying to decipher what it sounded like. It was upon reading about the reference to country music that it clicked, and felt very much so prevalent with the current track I was on, At first, Wild Side Of Life, and the one that followed, Whiter Shade Of Pale.

That aside, what it definitely sounds is dated. Mind you, I'm not saying it's bad. It just doesn't hold up well, quality wise. You know how some old albums have that flat sound to them?

Music Lesson: Old albums often sound flat because they lack dynamic range and deep bass. Vinyl physical limitations required cutting low-end frequencies so the needle wouldn't skip. Early recording equipment (like primitive tape machines), mono mixing, and mastering meant for AM radio also restricted the overall depth.

There were physical and historical limitations. These included:

Vinyl Mastering: To keep the needle from jumping out of the groove, engineers rolled off low-end frequencies and compressed the audio.

Frequency Roll-Off: Early microphones, analog tape, and cutting lathes simply couldn't capture the ultra-low or ultra-high frequencies we are used to today.

Dynamic Range: Unlike modern music created during the "loudness wars" which pushes overall volume to the max, older records have a lower average volume.

So, yeah, basically the vinyl mastering is what this one has. But with all that aside, there's still good songs to be found. For me, these were I'm Just A Woman, Wild Love, and Sitting On The Edge Of The Ocean. No, it's not the best I've heard from Bonnie Tyler, but it's serviceable.

After her contract expired, Tyler obtained a record deal with Columbia, who prompted her to begin the search for a producer that she wanted to work with. Though her first choice was Meat Loaf alum, Jim Steinman, she also considered Phil Collins, Jeff Lynne and Alan Tarney. With Steinman flat out declining, she may have indeed had to go with a backup plan. However, after sending him some rock demos she was working on, and meeting with him, he would ultimately agree, leading to her biggest album at the time, the aforementioned 1983's Faster Than The Speed Of Night.

As I noted above, I've already played through that one, so my next stop is her 1986 released, Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire. But before I head there, fun fact. Did you know that after the second verse of the song, Getting So Excited from Faster Than The Speed Of Night, that Jim Steinman speaks the words, "I'd do anything for love, but I won't do that"? Foreshadowing to Meat Loaf's comeback song? You decide.

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Retro Spins: The Human Leage - Hysteria

 

Before we start, I have to say a sad farewell to Mrs. Bonnie Tyler. May she rest in peace.

Bonnie passed away on July 8, 2026, after complications from an illness she was being treated for in a Portugal hospital. She had just celebrated her seventy-fifth birthday one month (to the day) earlier.

Fun fact: Ace Of Base popularized the song, Don't Turn Around in the 90's, but it was originally recorded as a B-side by Tina Turner for her single, Typical Male in 1986. Bonnie Tyler would then record her own version of the song in 1988 for her studio album, Hide Your Heart. That album would be retitled to Notes From America when released in the USA.

Okay, now back to today's post.

Third times the charm? Maybe. So far, my journey through The Human League has been lackluster at best. I've found no new tunes to add to my shuffle list, and candidly, have been quite bored with what I've been hearing.

When I last left off on the history of the band, founding members Ian Craig Marsh, and Martyn Ware departed the group over musical direction disagreements with singer, Philip Oakey. While Marsh and Ware wanted to stay true to their original roots, Oakey in turn was leaning more towards a commercial new wave sound. Though their manager, Bob Last attempted to reconcile the trio, it was ultimately agreed that Oakey could continue performing as The Human League, but that in doing so, he would need to pay the other two members one percent of the royalties from the next album. Further, in doing so, he remained under contract with Virgin Records, assuming all of the band's debt. Ware and Marsh would go on to create Heaven 17 with Glenn Gregory, who was actually their first choice as singer for The Human League.

Word quickly began to spread that the group had broken up, and was ultimately finished. One reporter would even go so far as to state that all of the talent had departed. Rude.

It was mere days before a scheduled tour was to occur, leaving Oakey scrambling for backup singers. Deciding he needed a female to match the higher ranger of Ware, he and his girlfriend frequented clubs in the area, looking for anyone who could fit the bill. He found this in Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley, who were dancing together at the Crazy Daisy Nightclub. Finding out they were both friends, and only seventeen, he decided to hire them both, so that they could look after each other on the tour. For final approval, he also visited their parents, and got not only their approval, but permission from the schools they were attending at the time.

Lastly, Ian Wright was brought in to fill the gap as synthesizer player. With the lineup complete, the tour was successfully completed. Based on its success, and the girl's professionalism, Oakey and Last offered them a full time role in the group.

Things, however, were not well for the band. Heavily in debt to Virgin Records, both Oakey and Wright new they needed a hit. For this, they knew they needed a musician, and found this in Ian Burden. They released the single Boys And Girls, which reached number 47 in the UK, and restored some faith from the label in them.

Producer Martin Rushent was brought in to guide them on further singles, and under him, they released, The Sound Of The Crowd, which would become their first top forty UK hit, peaking at number twelve. Feeling the group could utilize the talents of another musician, Jo Callis was then brought into the fold as their sixth member. This was followed by the single, Love Action (I Believe in Love), which outperformed their previous, peaking at number three in the UK. This surge in popularity caused their first two albums to start selling again, and both would chart for the first time, eventually going gold.

Another top ten would follow with the single, Open Your Heart, and then came the 1981 studio album, Dare, their most successful to date. It would reach number one in the UK, stay their for four weeks, and in total spend seventy-seven weeks on the charts.

For Dare, the group had recorded what Oakey referred to as a weak filler track. That song, Don't You Want Me, was selected by the label to be released as a single, which Oakey fought against, claiming it would damage the band's reputation. Overruled, a music video was also put into production. That little throw away track would skyrocket to number one. It would also become their first to chart in the USA, also reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

The band headed out on a massive international tour, with Dare being the first of their albums released in the USA by A&M Records. The Human League had just achieved their breakthrough. But perhaps that's another good stopping point. For now, let's dive into 1984's Hysteria.

Things actually start off pleasantly, with I'm Coming Back and I Love You Too Much sounding like a different band than previous albums. With track three, Rock Me Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and Again (Six Times), I found myself enjoying it.

The Lebanon, and Don't You Know I Want You, were decent tracks, but for the most part, everything else fell into relative background music. As a whole, the album wasn't as interesting as I hoped it would be. Especially after such a massive start. Still, better than what I expected.

It's interesting how a group can start out, be kind of blah, but then with a lineup shift, skyrocket into legacy status. I can't help but wonder how the original members feel in that scenario. It's kind of like changing lanes when yours isn't moving, just for the lane you just departed to start moving, and your new lane to stop. It makes you wonder, "Oh, was I the problem?" In this case, I can't help but ponder if Ware and Marsh were like, "Oh, we were the ones who stunk the band up." I don't know. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

The problem with a successful album is that the label then wants you to follow up with something bigger and better. This put immense pressure on the band, and they struggled to come up with material. To fill the gap, their label released the EP, Fascination! in 1983, which contained the top ten hit, (Keep Feeling) Fascination, and the minor hit, Mirror Mirror. Hysteria was finally completed and released in 1984, but would under perform, producing no hits in the USA. It did, however, fare better in the UK, where The Lebanon, and Life On Your Own.

It was at this point in my historical search of the band that it finally dawned on me where I was more familiar with the name Philip Oakey...

Following Hysteria, Oakey would work with a personal idol to him, Giorgio Moroder, to record the single, Together In Electric Dreams for the soundtrack to the film, Electric Dreams. It would become another hit for him. This would lead them to record the album, Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder, for Virgin Records. However, it would not be as successful.

That's a nice positive note for things to end on. Tomorrow I wrap up my 80's adventure through The Human League with 1986's Crash.

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Retro Spins: Bonnie Tyler - Faster Than The Speed Of Night

I'm a fan of educating myself. Especially when it comes to 80's toys, comics and music. Today was a day in class for me.

First and foremost, I didn't know Bonnie Tyler was Welsch. When I read this bit of information, I immediately called a time out and headed for any interview video I could find with her. Sure enough, when she's talking, there was a thick accent behind every word she said. Blew me away, but that was only the start of it.

As I listened to Faster Than The Speed Of Night, the title track stuck out to me almost immediately. I found myself saying, "That sounds like a Meat Loaf song." So further I dug into the album's history. While it wasn't a Meaty Meat Meat song, it was written by his long time songwriter, Jim Steinman. As such, it made perfect sense as to why it sounded the way it did.

Looking even further at the album's writing credits, I came to find out that even Tyler's most popular song of all time, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, was also written by Jim Steinman. As if to predict the future of Meat Loaf, Getting So Excited, AKA track number three, has a spoken portion where someone says, "I would do anything for love, but I won't do that." The song wasn't written by Steinman, but it was a freaky moment.

The album features a fair amount of cover tracks, which included, Creedence Clearwater Revival's Have You Ever Seen the Rain, Blue Öyster Cult's Goin' Through the Motions, Bryan Adam's Straight from the Heart and Billy Cross's Take Me Back. In fact, Tyler herself has zero writing credits on Faster Than The Speed Of Night. You know what that means? All she gets is performance royalties. Ouch. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure she's well off, but a lot of people got richer in the process.

What's interesting about the album itself is Tyler's unique voice. It has this interesting ability to make a song sound really good that would otherwise be one you would skip, while at the same time making good songs sound really bad. This is more so prevalent on the covers she is destroying paying homage to.

Overall, Bonnie Tyler walks away with more of my respect than I initially had for her, not that she cares. I used to think she was just that chick with the two silly 80's songs that had grown tired over time. However, knowing that Jim Steinman was the man behind one of them somehow makes it more so appreciable and, dare I say, good. I enjoyed hearing this record, and even pulled a fair amount of tracks for my shuffle list.

Okay, Bonnie Tyler. I'm listening. Show me more of what you've got.

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