"'It's a Heartache'" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. Written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe, and co-produced with David Mackay, the single was released in November 1977 through RCA Records. The song topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and numerous European countries, and reached No. 3 in the US and No. 4 in the UK. Worldwide, "It's a Heartache" sold around six million copies.[5]
In the United States, Tyler's version was released in 1978 around the same time as versions of it were released by Juice Newton and Ronnie Spector.
Backgroundedit
"It's a Heartache" was recorded at The Factory Sound in Surrey, England, in 1977. Producer David Mackay finished the construction of his recording studio in the summer of 1977, and this song was cut during the very first session.[6]
"It's a Heartache" was one of the first recordings Tyler made following a surgical procedure to remove nodules from her vocal folds. The procedure left Tyler with an "unusually husky voice", which AllMusic journalist Marcy Donelson described as "an effective instrument".[7]
Releaseedit
Producer David Mackay recalled that RCA was reluctant to release the single. The label was pre-occupied with reissuing Elvis Presley's back catalogue following his recent death. Mackay, Scott and Wolfe threatened to terminate their contract with RCA if they did not release the track immediately.[6] "It's a Heartache" was released on 4 November 1977 in parts of Europe, including the United Kingdom, and March 1978 in the United States and Canada.[1]
Critical receptionedit
The release had music critics comparing Tyler's voice to Rod Stewart's.[8] Carol Wetzel from Spokane Daily Chronicle complimented Tyler's voice on "It's a Heartache", stating that her previous big hit, "Lost in France", is "no big deal, probably because it was made before her voice changed."[9]
Other versionsedit
In 1978, Juice Newton released a cover through Capitol Records, produced by John Palladino. Newton reached No. 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 91 on the Canadian RPM Singles Chart. In the same year, Ronnie Spector issued a single through Alston Records. Tyler, Newton and Spector's versions were all released in the same week in the United States, with Billboard listing each one as "recommended" tracks.[10]
Dave & Sugar's 1981 rendition of "It's a Heartache" reached No. 32 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart.
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Kareen Antonn and Bonnie Tyleredit
In 2004, Tyler released a bi-lingual duet with French singer Kareen Antonn. Renamed "Si tout s'arrête", the single reached No. 7 on the Belgian Flanders chart, No. 12 in France and No. 25 in Switzerland.[49] In the following year, Tyler included a solo version of the song, sung entirely in English, on her album Wings.
American country music group Trick Pony recorded a version of the song for their third studio album R.I.D.E. (2005). The group's record label, Asylum-Curb Records, released "It's a Heartache" as the second single from the album on 31 January 2005. Heidi Newfield sang the main vocals, and Chuck Howard produced. At the end of July 2005, the cover peaked at number 22 on the Hot Country Songs chart.[55]
A music video for the song features a couple going through a divorce (which results in the husband's untimely death) along with cut-scenes of the members of Trick Pony. The video began airing in late April 2005 on the Great American Country channel.[56]
^ abc"Bonnie Tyler – It's a Heartache". VG-lista. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^Browne, David; Greene, Andy; Hudak, Joseph; Martoccio, Angie; Sheffield, Rob; Shteamer, Hank; Spanos, Brittany (April 20, 2021). "From Meat Loaf to Celine Dion: 10 Essential Jim Steinman Songs". Rolling Stone.
^Breihan, Tom (July 27, 2020). "The Number Ones: Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse Of The Heart". Stereogum. Retrieved July 28, 2023. A year later, she had a global hit with the hardbitten, country-ish ballad "It's A Heartache," which made it to #3 in the US.
^Molanphy, Chris (October 16, 2020). "Turn Around, Bright Eyes Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
^ ab"Bonnie Tyler". People. Vol. 45, no. 24. 17 June 1996. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
^"Top Singles Picks". Billboard. New York City, USA: Lynne Segall. 25 March 1978. p. 158.
^"Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Cash Box. 26 August 1978. p. 45.
^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.
^"Bonnie Tyler – It's a Heartache" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^"Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Cash Box. 19 August 1978. p. 45.
^"Volume 29, No. 15, 8 July 1978". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^"Adult Contemporary – Volume 29, No. 14, 1 July 1978". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^"Europarade: 1978-05". Hitnoteringen. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
^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 11 July 2022.
^"Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Cash Box. 17 June 1978. p. 45.
^"The Irish Charts – Search Results – It's a Heartache". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
^"Nederlandse Top 40 – Bonnie Tyler" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^"Bonnie Tyler – It's a Heartache" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
^"Bonnie Tyler – It's a Heartache". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^"South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (T)". Rock.co.za. John Samson. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
^"Bonnie Tyler – It's a Heartache". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^"Bonnie Tyler – It's a Heartache". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^"InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Bonnie Tyler" from the artist drop-down menu. Archived from the original on 19 March 2005. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
^"Belgium Wallonie Charts". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 April 2018.