The World Starts Tonight Explained

The World Starts Tonight
Type:studio
Artist:Bonnie Tyler
Cover:The world starts tonight front newcd.jpg
Released:4 February 1977
Recorded:1976
Genre:Pop
Length:37:02
Label:RCA Victor
Next Title:Natural Force
Next Year:1978

The World Starts Tonight is the debut studio album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, released in February 1977 by RCA Records. Most of the songs were written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe, who worked as her managers while she was signed to RCA. They also produced the album alongside David Mackay. Musically, the album features country and pop songs.

Two singles were released from the album. The first, "Lost in France", was certified silver by the BPI for sales of over 250,000 copies. "More Than a Lover" was also a hit, but failed to make progress in the UK Singles Chart after the BBC banned the song for its controversial lyrical content. Shortly after recording the album, Tyler had surgery to remove nodules from her vocal cords. The operation left Tyler with a permanently raspy voice.

The World Starts Tonight was received positively by contemporary critics, who praised Tyler for releasing a "promising debut". The album was hugely popular in Sweden, where it reached number two. Despite this, it failed to chart in any other country.

Background

Bonnie Tyler (then known as Gaynor Hopkins) spent seven years performing in local pubs and clubs around South Wales between 1969 and 1976, first as part of Bobbie Wayne & the Dixies, and then with her own band Imagination.[1] In 1975, she was discovered singing with Imagination by talent scout Roger Bell.[2] She was invited to London to record two demos; "My! My! Honeycomb" and "Lost in France". After months passed, RCA Records contacted Tyler announcing that they would be releasing "My! My! Honeycomb" as a single in April 1976.

Recording

Tyler recorded The World Starts Tonight in Morgan Studios and Roundhouse Recording Studios in London between 1975 and 1976. The session began with recording four demos; "My! My! Honeycomb", with its B-Side "Got So Used to Loving You", and "Lost in France", with its B-Side "Baby I Remember You". Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe wrote most of the songs from the album, and produced it with David Mackay.

Critical reception

Tomas Mureika of AllMusic has retrospectively described The World Starts Tonight as "filled with promise and indications of great things to come". He called the album a "formidable debut" but that it only paved the way for her pairing with Jim Steinman in the 1980s.[3] The Sydney Morning Herald gave a positive contemporary review, naming "Lost in France" the "stand-out track", whilst praising her cover of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart".[4]

Commercial performance

On the week ending 10 March 1978, over a year since its release, The World Starts Tonight debuted at number thirteen on the Swedish Albums Chart. It reached its peak position at number two in the following week, remaining there for a total of three weeks. In the fifth running week on the chart, The World Starts Tonight fell to number six, replaced by Tyler's second studio album Natural Force. Following this, The World Starts Tonight slowly fell from the Swedish Albums Chart, after a total of eight weeks on the chart.

Singles

"Lost in France" was released as the lead single from The World Starts Tonight in September 1976.[5] The Sydney Morning Herald described the song as the "stand-out track" from the album.[6] "Lost in France" became Tyler's first charting single, peaking at no. 9 in the UK.[7] It was certified silver by the BPI for sales of over 250,000 copies.

"More Than a Lover" was released as the second single from The World Starts Tonight in January 1977. In December 1976, Tyler informed Record Mirror that her follow-up single to "Lost in France" would be "much more gutsy".[5] Record Mirror described the song as "more meaty" than "Lost in France", but did not think the song was as commercial as its predecessor.[5] Following a performance of the song on Top of the Pops,[8] it was banned by the BBC due to "unsuitable lyrical content".[5] The ban resulted in the song only reaching number 27 in the UK.[9]

Personnel

Credits are adapted from liner notes of The World Starts Tonight.[10]

Technical and production

Release history

CountryDateFormat(s)Label
Europe1977VinylRCA[11]
United StatesChrysalis
Europe1991CDCastle Classics[12]
United Kingdom20097T's[13]
United States17 April 2012Digital downloadRdeg[14]

Notes and References

  1. News: Saner. Emine. Bonnie Tyler: 'I'm not part of the 80s, I'm part of now'. The Guardian. London. 13 May 2013. 2 April 2015.
  2. News: Swansea University honours Bonnie Tyler. Swansea University. 2 April 2015.
  3. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000842694|pure_url=yes}} The World Starts Tonight > Review]. AllMusic. All Media Network. 3 April 2015. Tomas. Mureik.
  4. News: How Luck Changed for Bonnie . 24 July 1977 . 3 April 2015 . . .
  5. Hendriks, Phil (2009). "The World Starts Tonight". In The World Starts Tonight (pp. 2–4) [CD booklet]. London: Cherry Red Records.
  6. News: How Luck Changed for Bonnie . 24 July 1977 . 2 April 2015 . . .
  7. Web site: Lost in France – Bonnie Tyler. Official Charts Company. 2 April 2015.
  8. Top of the Pops . 8 January 2015--> . Peter . Powell . . . London . 31 March 1977 . 1 January 1964 – 30 July 2006.
  9. Web site: More Than a Lover – Bonnie Tyler. Official Charts Company. 2 April 2015.
  10. The World Starts Tonight. Bonnie Tyler. 2009. Compact disc liner notes. Cherry Red Records. GLAM CD 95 .
  11. Web site: The World Starts Tonight by Bonnie Tyler. Apple. iTunes Store. January 1977 . 2 April 2015.
  12. Web site: The World Starts Tonight: Amazon.co.uk: Music. Amazon.co.uk. 3 April 2015. 1992-06-30.
  13. Web site: The World Starts Tonight by Bonnie Tyler. Apple. iTunes Store. 2 April 2015.
  14. Web site: The World Starts Tonight: Amazon.com: Music. Amazon . 17 February 2017.