Faster Than the Speed of Night
1983 studio album by Bonnie Tyler
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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.
September 1983 (United States)
- Power Station, New York City
- Greene Street, New York City
- Right Track Studios, New York City
| Faster Than the Speed of Night | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1983 (United Kingdom)[1] September 1983 (United States) | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
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| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 43:14 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producers |
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| Bonnie Tyler chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Faster Than the Speed of Night | ||||
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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.
On initial U.S. editions, the sleeve photo does not include the beam of light going through Tyler's head.
Content
The album contains six dramatically re-worked cover songs, produced in the model of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound,[4] including the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?".[5] "Goin' Through the Motions" is a cover of the song by Blue Öyster Cult from their 1977 album Spectres,[6] 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.[5] "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").[7] 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.[8] 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 the band Three Dog Night for their 1983 EP It's a Jungle.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" | John Fogerty | 4:08 |
| 2. | "Faster Than the Speed of Night" | Jim Steinman | 6:44 |
| 3. | "Getting So Excited" | Alan Gruner | 3:33 |
| 4. | "Total Eclipse of the Heart" | Jim Steinman | 6:57 |
| 5. | "It's a Jungle Out There" |
| 4:39 |
| 6. | "Goin' Through the Motions" | 4:09 | |
| 7. | "Tears" (with Frankie Miller) | Frankie Miller | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Take Me Back" | Billy Cross | 5:24 |
| 9. | "Straight from the Heart" |
| 3:42 |
| Total length: | 43:14 | ||
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 guitar
- 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
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[26] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[27] | Gold | 100,000* |
| Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[28] | Gold | 10,000* |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[29] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[30] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Sweden (GLF)[30] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[31] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[32] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
| Summaries | ||
| Worldwide | — | 3,000,000[33] |
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* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||