File: Remembering Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
In February 2020, just as the pandemic was beginning to take hold, my IE Green Day interview could have been my last as we weathered the early days of the COVID-19 storm. By March, as Lockdown tightened its stranglehold on the world, I toyed with the idea of quitting, just walking away from writing to concentrate on simply surviving COVID instead, which I truly couldn’t imagine actually doing.
But I chose to not only carry on, but suspend billing for all of my editors, tag stories to album release dates — in lieu of non-existent concerts —and interview as many artists as I possibly could to inform their fans what they were up to, and how they were coping with COVID in their neck of the woods. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.
Musicians talked for as long as they wanted to, shared their sanity-saving adaptation techniques, and everyone’s Grinch-constricted heart grew multiple times larger in the process. And everyone involved — especially mortality-minded me — acquired some welcome wisdom as a bonus. And almost every chat — simply by the fact that it was happening at all in such a dark moment — turned out incredible, inspiring. And some, it must be said, still linger in my mind above the rest.
Like my -mid-pandemic talk in 2021 with Welsh rock legend Bonnie Tyler, for instance, where she — sounding totally ebullient, and just glad to be alive (like all of us survivors were) —regaled me with so many crazy career-spanning anecdotes, it felt both confessional and conspiratorial, and all accented by her hilarious, whiskey-rasped laugh.”I’m in Algarve, Portugal, and today it’s very nice,” Tyler sighed. “I have a house here, you see? And luckily for me, I flew here from the last gig I did at the 02 in London, in March of last year, and I’ve been here ever since, so I’m very lucky to have a beautiful house with a beautiful infinity pool overlooking the beach. And we’re on Lockdown at the moment, so no bars or restaurants are open, so I’ve been learning how to cook and how to swim in my infinity pool.” And she never took her estate for granted, she adds. “I know I’m totally blessed to have it, but I’ve worked very hard all my life to have it.” Tyler was what you could safely term a Gal, in the truest Rosalind Russell sense, and willing to dive headlong into any subject tossed her way. She was, you might say, the perfect PandemicPanacea. Which is why her passing this week hit me unexpectedly hard. I’d interviewed her only once before, so it wasn’t like we had a BFF dialogue established or anything. But when I heard of her death at 75 on the morning news Thursday, July 9, it sure felt like I’d lost a very good friend. And I thought that I owed her — and her diehard fans — something, so I rooted through piles of dusty transcriptions to unearth our Pandemic parlay, which I am now happy to share with you below. But first, a little expository history….
In 2021, Tyler was promoting what would become her final album, The Best Is Yet to Come, and she apologized for the understandable cancellation of its tour. “I miss my band, I miss my fans, I miss my crew, so as soon as I can get back onstage, I promise we will be there,” she vowed at the interview’s start. “And I’m determined that when we get back out there, the best IS yet to come! And the next line is, ‘We’ve got the bad days on the run,’ and that was even written before COVID! It’s unbelievable!” Bonnie Tyler was born an actual coal miner’s daughter, Gaynor Hopkins; she would change her name twice more before settling on an RCA-pleasing Bonnie Tyler. And by then she had her signatures in place —huge marshmallow-fluffy bouffant hairdo, a Rod Stewart-raspy singing voice(courtesy of a vocal-node removal as a kid), and incredibly successful collaborations with panoramic Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman, like her defining anthem “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which earned her a Grammy nomination and recently passed over one billion streams. Its enduring use in karaoke, films, television, and advertisements. Other signature singles followed, like “Holding Out For a Hero” from the ’84 film “Footloose” and “Here She Comes” from the retooled silent film“Metropolis” that same year. In 2013, the inimitable diva was invited to represent the UK at that year’s Eurovision Song Contest, and by 2022, Queen Elizabeth II awarded the blustery belter the prestigious title of Member of the Order of the British Empire. Truly, she seemed ageless, indestructible. But this May, she was admitted to a hometown Portuguese hospital for emergency surgery for a perforated intestine, which eventually required a medically induced coma to save her life. Reportedly, she succumbed to complications this week. So, for all of Ms. Tyler’s family, friends, and lifelong fans, please accept this humble offering from my Pandemic Archives.
IE: First, it’s remarkable to note that you and your husband, Robert Sullivan, have been together for several decades.
BONNIE TYLER: Yes. It’s wonderful. We’ve been together since 1973, and we travel everywhere together; we laugh a lot, and we enjoy each other’s company, and nobody can ask for more than that. We have a wonderful life, and we love doing things together — it’s worked out fantastically. The first day I saw him, I went, “Whooaa!”
IE: Any kids?
BT: I don’t. I had a miscarriage when I was 40. But I have 16 nieces and nephews, one of which lives with us in Swansea. He’s been there on his own with his boyfriend for the last year — he’s probably feeling like lord of the manor there now!
IE: You have a stables, too. Do you love horses?
BT: It’s not that I love horses. We have to find stables, and it’s one of my husband’s investments, because people rent out our stables for their horses, and the jockey clubs pay us in London — they rent from us, as well. So it’s an investment, and that’s what he does — property and things. But I would love to have a dog, let alone horses, but when you’re touring, you can’t have a dog. I could have had a dog this year, but a dog is for life — you don’t have one just for company. You have got to think about the prospect of having to leave it with a stranger or somebody when I’m on tour, and I’m never gonna do that. I did have a dog many years ago, and fortunately, when I was on tour then, my mother and father used to take care of him. But he’s now long since gone. So it would be lovely to have a dog, but I know that I’m gonna go back on the road soon, as soon as possible.
IE: Who did the Nagel-ish cover painting for The Best?
BT: Well, actually, it was a photograph that was taken of me two years ago for the (2019) album, Between the Earth and the Stars.”But they’ve done a great drawing of it, haven’t they? A Spanish guy did it. And I asked the record company, “I love that cover! It’s very ‘80s-looking. But who in the art department did it? And they said, “Actually, I got somebody from Spain to do it!”
IE: There was a Rolf Harris painting of you that was recently appraised for 50,000 pounds on Antiques Roadshow, right?
IBT: Well, that was from a helluva long time ago, before he went to jail! He was found guilty of something involving his daughter’s friend — I don’t remember the specifics. I only know that he’s out of jail now —he’s served his term. He sent me a different one, but it’s behind my wardrobe at the moment.
IE: One of the things that’s gotten me through COVID has been the fab Netflix movie “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.” It makes me stupidly happy every time I see it, and I’ve watched it 14 or 15 times now. Are you into it?
BT: Isn’t it great? We loved it! And I love that actor, anyway — Will Ferrell. But you know, there’s a lot of truth about that, about the atmosphere in the film. It was like being back there.
IE:I can’t believe you were actually the UK’s official Eurovision entry in 2013. How did that happen?
BT: It was something that I never, ever really wanted to do. But what do you say to the BBC when they ask you if you’ll represent Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest? It was years ago, and it was a good thing, the BBC, because it was a good opportunity for great songwriters to have a good, commercial song out. But it became a joke in the end — it’s just too political. And I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance even before I went there. But I had a new album coming out — so what am I gonna say? No? If I said no, they’d never play my album at all. But believe it or not, when a. I actually got there, and I really enjoyed it. It was good fun! Mind you, it was bloody hard work, as well, because everybody wanted to interview me, and I was being interviewed every 15 or 20 minutes — it was crazy! But there was an absolutely wonderful atmosphere there, and I thought the roof was gonna come off when I first walked out behind the British flag. It was awesome. Just awesome.
IE: And ironically, your entry “Believe in Me” was from your rare Nashville recording sessions.
BT: Yeah! Exactly! That was the album being recorded, and it got to the BBC, where they played it and loved that song on there. And I loved the song.I mean, I asked Desmond Child if he’d write me some songs, and “Believe in Me” is just a beautiful song. But the BBC picked that for Eurovision. And to be honest, I’ve never sung the song since doing the Eurovision, because it just doesn’t seem important anymore. But Desmond has written another song for my new album, and it’s called “Stronger Than a Man.”
IE: Do you co-write?
BT: I don’t co-write, no. So I’ve got one Desmond Child song, “Stronger”; I’ve got four or five Steve Womack songs, and he writes as though he really gets me. But he actually truly knows what I like— timeless rock. And it’s almost as if we’ve gone back to the ’80s. But I love it. And I do two cover versions — Donovan’s “Catch the Wind” and “I’m Not in Love,” the old-time 10CC number. But I hopefully made it my own.
IE: “Stuck to My Guns” sounds like you might have a little list of regrets? True?
BT: I don’t regret anything in my life. Somebody asked me that recently — Do I have any regrets? And it’s like, absolutely not. That’s the truth. But “Stuck” wasn’t written by the same guy who wrote “My Guns Are Loaded.” But there’s a beautiful panpipe player on that track that I met when I was at the Vatican for a Christmas concert in 2019, before COVID. This Indian guy was there, and he was playing the pan pipes, and I thought, “Oh! This is so beautiful! I would love it if he would play “Stuck to My Guns”! So I can’t claim to have written the lyrics because I had nothing to do with them. Steve Womack just knows what I can sing, and he gets me every time.
IE: The guitar/synth interplay on most of the songs spoofs the 1980’s sound, but modern sonic twists suggest that you’re having fun with it, while still maintaining its traditional power.
BT: Yeah! I think it’s very powerful! I think Jim Steinman would be very happy with this album. And he’s known for his mega-productions. But I’m back with my original producer, David Mackeay, who made my very first album that was successful in 1976, you know? He’s no spring chicken, either, and that’s good.
IE: But the album kind of reads like your personal life story, don’t you think?
BT: I guess it just worked out that way. I’m very particular about what I record. And of course, when I hear the demos, s sometimes I do them, and then some don’t actually make the record. I just see how they turn out. But this album was a joy to make, and David’s work ethic is great, as well. I go into the studio at about 12:00 p.m., and then it’s like a 9-5 job. But he starts early in the morning, and I go in about half past twelve, and then we work ’til 5:30 p.m., cool down, and then his wife makes a beautiful dinner, and we open some wine or champagne or whatever. And we have a lot of fun making the album. It’s always a joy going to his studio because it’s at his home, you know?
IE: Looking back at your childhood, you actually were a coal miner’s daughter!
BT: Ha! Yeah! My father worked down in the mines, but for a short time, actually. But yes, my father was a miner, and I’ve got three sisters and two brothers and sixteen nieces and nephews, and you should really see my Christmas list — it’s enormous! But we’re a very, very close family, andI’m in touch with my family daily, you know. We are very close, and we love each other very much. But we got that love from our mother and our father, and my mother was just an awesome singer.
IE: Now, did you ever meet Loretta Lynn?
BT: No, but the album Rocks and Honey I recorded in America. And you’ll never guess where I did it. I did it in the cabin owned by the Man in Black, Johnny Cash. I sat in his famous rocking chair. And it’s an awesome place, but it didn’t work out like what I went there to do. But I’ll tell you what – there’s one song on this album called “You’re the One” that I tried out with Johnny’s son. But it didn’t work out, so I re-recorded it up in London, and I love it now — it’s the 11th track on the new album.
IE: Once you’d recorded your mid-‘70s Roger Bell sessions, it took RCA many silent months to get back to you in your tiny hometown in Wales, correct? And you had no idea what was going on?
BT: Yeah. I recorded the demos in 1974, and I didn’t hear anything back for two years. Two years went by, , and then I got a phone call, and we didn’t-actually have a telephone in the house —it was a call box down the road, and somebody would answer the call box, and they’d shout up, “Call Elsie’s daughter, Gaynor!” That’s my real name. And then another neighbor would shout up, “Tell Gaynor to come down to the phone!” And I went down there, and I had a message in the call box that they’d gotten a record deal for me to come to London on RCA, and did I want a record deal? And I said, “Do I want it? My God! It’s RCA!” Elvis Presley was on RCA then! It was just amazing! But it took two years, and by then I thought that they weren’t ever gonna get back to me. But then they did, and even after two years, they got me a deal. But during those two years, I was working six nights a week, every week, anyway, as I had been since I was 17, in a local band. And if I had never been discovered by Roger Bell, I would probably be in a club somewhere in Wales, still singing. Singing is in my DNA — it’s part of me, and it’s what I’ve always wanted to do. I had no idea I’d ever get a record deal — I just wanted to be a singer in a band, you know? And I was living the dream. I was working six nights a week in a band and loving it. But I was blessed. I had luck on my side and ended up having an amazing career.
IE: And you ALMOST sang a James Bond theme song?
BT: Yes. I turned it down, because I didn’t like the song.. So I have no regrets. That song was rubbish anyway, so just because it’s a Bond theme doesn’t mean I’m gonna do it. I would love to do a Bond theme — don’t get me wrong. But with that song — I can’t even remember what it was called —it was never a hit for whoever did it. It was never a hit, so I think I made the right decision. Imagine being the only female singer to record a Bond song that never even made the charts. That would piss me off even more. So I didn’t like the song, and I don’t record things I don’t like. But please! Please! Ask me again now! As long as I like the song!
IE: On your last album, you welcomed great guest vocalists like Rod Stewart, Sir Cliff Richard, and Barry Gibb. Pretty impressive roster.
BT: Yes. And I asked Rod myself. What happened was, I was on holiday in Barbados with Cliff Richard, my husband, and some friends. And we went out for lunch one afternoon, down at a place called the Lobster Pot, and it was amazing. So we were invited there for a table of 12, and the host of our table was apparently Rod’s best friend, so I said, “Oh, my God! Do me a favor! Ask Rod if he’ll do a duet with m!e!” And he’d actually recorded “It’s a Heartache” after I did it, so the guy said, “I’ll tell you what, Bonnie — you send me a demo, and I’ll pass it on to Rod, and we’ll see what happens.” So I thought, “Well, I’m gonna wait now for the right song to come my way.” So I waited a few months until I heard what I thought was a perfect song, so then I sent it to Rod’s friend, and he passed it on to Rod. And then — I couldn’t believe it — he got back to me personally and said, “Yes! Let’s do it! Why not?”So that’s how we did it. But unfortunately, we couldn’t get together to do it — he was in Los Angeles while I was in Portugal, and while I was in Germany, he was in London. So David went down to his house in Essex and recorded Rod’s vocals down there. So that was wonderful, and I really appreciated the fact that he did it with me. I was thrilled, absolutely over the moon. And David had a friend in Barry Gibb, so he asked Barry if he could sing this song with me, which he did. And then because I know him, Cliff, and he comes here to this house, or we go to his house, he was over here one night, and I played him a couple of tracks that I’d recorded, including the one with Rod, and one with Francis Rossi from Status Quo, and he said, “Hey! Why don’t WE do a duet?” And I said, Done! Okay!” So David got on the case, found the perfect song, and we did it as a duet. But he decided to put it on his own album, as well, Cliff did. But you know, Cliff is just a wonderful man, such a gentleman. And last week, I had a lovely sunrise in Barbados, and I was really glad I had some makeup on because I had FaceTime with him from there. It was lunchtime there, but it was nighttime here.
IE: What are some of the worst versions you’ve heard of “Total Eclipse of the Heart”?
BT: There are a couple of video versions on the web. There’s a Lego version — have you seen that? A Lego version of the video of “Total,” and it’s hilarious. I’m at the top of the staircase that’s made of Lego, and my head falls off! But I hear my version all over the world— they’re still playing it — it’s still evergreen.
IE: What did you learn from an aesthetic perfectionist like Jim Steinman? And what exactly is the video for “Total Eclipse” about?
BT: Well, I still don’t know what it’s about. Supposedly, it’s about vampires, but who knows what went on in Jim’s head? But he writes the most incredible storyboards. I mean, the video for “Total” was amazing, and it was on heavy rotation on MTV when it started. And Jim wrote the storyboard for it, and he filmed it at an asylum outside of London, and it was nominated for a Grammy Award, but it lost out to Michael Jackson.
IE: How have you kept your voice in such great shape?
BT: I phoned my voice coach, a great vocal coach from London, three times a week, every week, and I have done so throughout the lockdown. And when I’m on the road, I phone him every day. And he’s wonderful. He’s a great vocal coach from London, and I will be phoning him again tomorrow, and we’ll have a session on the phone. And my voice is stronger than ever now — it really is. And I’m 69 now, and I’ll be 70 in June. But I feel like I’m 48. So it’s only a number — remember that! Age is only a number!
IE: What exactly does a vocal coach do?
BT: We go through all sorts of different sounds. It’s not exactly singing — I don’t sing with him. It just sounds. And from the minute I pick up the phone, he always knows exactly what to do, and he puts me back into neutral, you know? Because my voice can be different every day, , depending on if I’m tired or if I’ve been too busy or I need to calm down a bit. He just knows. And within the first few exercises, he gets me into neutral — or this is what he says — and then we go from there. Whatever it is, it works. It works.
IE: Have you gotten more focused during COVID?
BT: Yes. I can cook now. I can swim now. And I couldn’t swim before. So I’ve had quite a long, lovely holiday, and I found out that I’m one of the lucky ones. I haven’t got little children, unlike some people who have little children to keep them company. It’s just Robert and me, and I love it. We’re having a lovely time. But we’re still looking forward to traveling again. And we hope that by this summer, touring will start up again, so everybody can get back out there. At the moment, I hear they’re doing concerts in New Zealand because they only had a few (COVID) cases there, didn’t they? Jacinda Ardern was amazing!
IE: In America, we had something quite different…
BT: Yeah. I know. And it’s been a terrible year there, absolutely. And in Wales, where I’m from, it was really getting scary. But it’s coming down now, thank God. So the best is, indeed, yet to come!
-Tom Lanham
