Natural Force
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''Natural Force'' is the second
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by Welsh singer
Bonnie Tyler Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer. Known for her distinctive husky voice, Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album '' The World Starts Tonight'' and its ...
, released in May 1978 by
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
. The album was issued in the United States under the title of ''It's a Heartache'', with alternate cover art. As with her debut,
Ronnie Scott Ronnie Scott Order of the British Empire, OBE (born Ronald Schatt; 28 January 1927 – 23 December 1996) was a British jazz Tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner. He co-founded Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London's Soho district ...
and Steve Wolfe wrote most of the tracks on the album. David Mackay again produced the album, with Scott and Wolfe. Other songs include covers of American artists
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
and
Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her extensive contributions to popular music. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billbo ...
. Five singles were released from ''Natural Force''. The second single, "
It's a Heartache "'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 by RCA Records. The song topped the charts in Australia, ...
", is among the best-selling singles of all time, with sales of over 6 million copies. It became Tyler's first charting single in the United States, where it was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). Many other singles from ''Natural Force'' also fared well in Europe. ''Natural Force'' became Tyler's most successful album for RCA. In the United States, it reached number 2 on the
Top Country Albums Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales ...
chart, and number 16 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album was also a success in Europe, but like its predecessor, it failed to chart in the United Kingdom.


Background

Tyler began recording songs for ''Natural Force'' in 1977, which resulted in the release of "
Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
" following her debut album '' The World Starts Tonight'' in February of the same year. ''Natural Force'' sustained the style of its predecessor, with
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
songs composed by Tyler's producers and managers,
Ronnie Scott Ronnie Scott Order of the British Empire, OBE (born Ronald Schatt; 28 January 1927 – 23 December 1996) was a British jazz Tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner. He co-founded Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London's Soho district ...
and Steve Wolfe, and the addition of a small number of covers. ''Natural Force'' became the best-selling of her four albums with
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
, with over 500,000 copies sold in the United States.


Singles

"
Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
" was released as the album's
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
in July 1977. The song was criticised for having "less impact" than her previous singles.Hendriks, Phil (2009). "Natural Force". In ''Natural Force'' (pp. 3–9) D booklet London: Cherry Red Records. It was only a hit in Germany, where it reached number 24. Phil Hendricks of Cherry Red Records suggested that the death of
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
on 16 August 1977 may have been a contributing factor to the song's lack of success, due to the diversion of RCA's promotional capabilities. "
It's a Heartache "'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 by RCA Records. The song topped the charts in Australia, ...
" became the second single from ''Natural Force'' in November 1977. Tyler's raspy vocal quality had her compared to
Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...
, with critics viewing the song as superior to " Lost in France". "It's a Heartache" was a commercial success, selling over 6 million copies worldwide, establishing itself among of the best-selling singles of all time. The song became Tyler's first hit in the United States, reaching number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It also reached number four in the United Kingdom, and number one hit in countries such as Canada, France and Norway. " Here Am I" was released as the third single from ''Natural Force'' on 7 April 1978. The song was not as commercially successful as "It's a Heartache", only charting in Germany and Norway. ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...
'' stated that the song lacked the "irresistible hook of "It's a Heartache"." "Hey Love (It's a Feelin')" was released as the fourth single in June 1978, and failed to chart worldwide. "If I Sing You a Love Song" was released as the fifth and final single from ''Natural Force'' in August 1978, and only reached number 103 on the ''Billboard'' Bubbling Under Hot 100.


Track listing


Personnel

*Bonnie Tyler - vocals * Ray Taff Williams — guitar, background vocals * Taff Williams — acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals * Steve Wolfe — acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals * Kevin Dunn — bass * Roger Bara — keyboards *
Mike Gibbins Michael George Gibbins (12 March 1949 – 4 October 2005) was a Welsh musician, most notable for being the drummer of Badfinger. The Iveys Michael George Gibbins started playing drums while in the sea cadets. He played around South Wales for ...
— drums, percussion * Peter King — background vocals * David MacKay — engineer


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Natural Force 1978 albums Bonnie Tyler albums Albums produced by David Mackay (producer) RCA Records albums