Bonnie Tyler's global chart-topping hit 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' was never originally intended for her and was not even written as a standalone pop song, it has emerged following the singer's death at the age of 75.
The Welsh pop star, born Gaynor Hopkins, died in hospital in Portugal after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery that left her in intensive care in an induced coma, according to a statement on her official website.
Song's Origins in Nosferatu Musical
Speaking to The Guardian in 2023, Tyler revealed that the 1983 power ballad began life as part of a planned musical based on the gothic vampire story Nosferatu. She had been determined to reinvent herself after signing to Sony, swapping country rock for a bigger rock sound inspired by Meat Loaf and songwriter Jim Steinman.
"I'd just signed to Sony and wanted to change from country rock to rock. I'd seen Meat Loaf on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test doing Bat Out of Hell, so I told Muff Winwood at Sony that I wanted to work with Jim Steinman, who wrote for and produced Meat Loaf," the singer recalled.
From Steinman's Apartment to Global Hit
Record executive Muff Winwood doubted it would ever happen, but Steinman was impressed by Tyler's voice and invited her to New York. After an initial meeting, Tyler returned to Steinman's apartment overlooking Central Park a few weeks later, where he accompanied singer Rory Dodd on piano as the pair performed the song for the first time.
"I understood immediately what an incredible song it was," she said. Tyler explained that Steinman later revealed the track had originally been conceived for a musical adaptation of Nosferatu, but had never been completed. By the time recording began, Meat Loaf had temporarily lost his voice, leaving Tyler to make the song her own.
"He told me he had started writing the song for a prospective musical version of Nosferatu years before, but never finished it. Around the time we were recording, Meat Loaf had lost his voice, and after it was a hit he always used to say: 'Dang. That song should have been mine!'"
Recording and Length Concerns
The recording sessions for 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' took place at New York's Power Station studio, with Tyler saying Steinman preferred recording multiple takes before building the song's huge, dramatic production around the strongest vocal take. The finished song was initially seven minutes long, and Tyler admitted she doubted radio stations would ever play it.
"Recently a friend unearthed a letter I'd written to her from New York back then. It says: 'I recorded an incredible song today. The trouble is, it's so long, I don't think anybody will ever play it,'" she said. Although it was edited down to around four minutes for release, Tyler said many stations still embraced the full-length album version.
Family Statement on Her Death
In a statement published on the singer's official website on July 9, her family said: "Bonnie's family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for. We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask for privacy to deal with this tragedy."
