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It's a Heartache

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"'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, 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]

"It's a Heartache"
Single by Bonnie Tyler
from the album Natural Force
B-side"Got So Used to Lovin' You"
Released4 November 1977[1]
Genre
Length3:31
LabelRCA Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Bonnie Tyler singles chronology
"Heaven"
(1977) 		"It's a Heartache"
(1977) 		"Here Am I"
(1978)

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.

Background

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"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 mid-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]

Release

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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.[8]

Critical reception

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The release had music critics comparing Tyler's voice to Rod Stewart's.[9] 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."[10]

Other versions

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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.[11]

Dave & Sugar's 1981 rendition of "It's a Heartache" reached No. 32 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart.

Charts

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Sales and certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina — 100,000[45]
Australia (ARIA)[46] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[47] Gold 75,000^
France (SNEP)[48] Platinum 1,000,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] Gold 500,000^
United States (RIAA)[50] Gold 1,000,000^
Summaries
Worldwide — 6,000,000[5]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Kareen Antonn and Bonnie Tyler

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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.[51] In the following year, Tyler included a solo version of the song, sung entirely in English, on her album Wings.

Chart (2004) Peak
position
Belgium Wallonie Ultratop[52] 7
France Top Singles Snep[53] 12
Poland Airplay Charts[54] 7
Switzerland Singles Top 100[55] 25
European Hot 100 Singles Billboard[56] 27

Trick Pony version

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"It's a Heartache"
 
Single by Trick Pony
from the album R.I.D.E.
ReleasedJanuary 31, 2005
GenreNeotraditional country[57]
Length3:27
LabelAsylum-Curb
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Chuck Howard
Trick Pony singles chronology
"The Bride"
(2004) 		"It's a Heartache"
(2005) 		"Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You"
(2005)

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, while reaching number 18 on the Radio & Records version of the country chart.

Commercial performance

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Trick Pony's cover of "It's a Heartache" debuted on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart the week of February 12, 2005 at number 49, becoming the second highest debut of the week. Slowly, the song barely missed the top twenty, peaking at number 22 on July 30, 2005 and becoming the most successful single from the album.[58] It was their highest peaking single since "On a Mission" peaked at number 19 in 2003 and their final top forty hit to date. On the Radio & Records version of the country chart, it performed even better by peaking at number 18.[59]

Music video

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Jeffrey Phillips directed the music video.[60] The video features a couple going through a divorce, which includes cut-scenes of the members of Trick Pony. While the husband is buying wine, two robbers come in and hold the owner at gunpoint. The husband tries to stop them but is stabbed by one of the thieves. The police then break the news to the wife, who is devastated. The video ends with the wife going to her would-be ex-husband's grave.

The video began airing in late April 2005 on the Great American Country channel.[61]

Charts

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Chart (2005) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[62] 22

Year-end charts

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Chart (2005) Peak position
US Country (Radio & Records)[63] 68

Release history

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Release dates and format(s) for "It's a Heartache" (Trick Pony version)
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States January 31, 2005 Country radio Asylum-Curb Records [64]

References

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  1. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 80.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Molanphy, Chris (October 16, 2020). "Turn Around, Bright Eyes Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
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  6. ^ a b Brigg, Liam (2019). The RCA Years (booklet). Bonnie Tyler. London: Cherry Red Records. p. 15. CRPOPBOX201.
  7. ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Bonnie Tyler | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Bonnie Tyler – It's a Heartache". VG-lista. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  9. ^ van Matre, Lynn (29 July 1978). "Bonnie Tyler's Career Took Years to Build". Evening Independent. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  10. ^ Wetzel, Carol (1 June 1978). "DISCritique". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Cowles Publishing Company. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  11. ^ "Top Singles Picks". Billboard. New York City, USA: Lynne Segall. 25 March 1978. p. 158.
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  13. ^ 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.
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  28. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
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  37. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 430. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  38. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (17 July 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
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  53. ^ "Les Charts". Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  54. ^ "Pif Paf Airplay". Archived from the original on 2007-10-26. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  55. ^ "Swiss Charts". Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  56. ^ "European Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  57. ^ "It's a Heartache (song)". AllMusic. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  58. ^ Morris, Edward (October 3, 2005). "Trick Pony Gallops in With Third Album". CMT. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  59. ^ "Country Top 50" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1618. August 5, 2005. p. 44. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  60. ^ "CMT : Videos : Trick Pony : It's A Heartache". CMT. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011.
  61. ^ "National Music | Great American Country" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1604. April 29, 2005. p. 12. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  62. ^ "Trick Pony Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  63. ^ "R&R Most Heard 2005 | Country" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1636. December 9, 2005. p. 58. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  64. ^ "New Music Weekly | For the Week of Jan. 31" (PDF). Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 13, no. 4. January 28, 2005. p. 16. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
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