# Natural Force

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Natural_Force
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Natural_Force.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Force
> Source revision: 1310854720
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

This article is about the album by Bonnie Tyler. For nature phenomena in general, see [Natural environment](/source/Natural_environment).

***Natural Force*** is the second [studio album](/source/Studio_album) by [Welsh](/source/Welsh_people) singer [Bonnie Tyler](/source/Bonnie_Tyler), released in May 1978 by [RCA Records](/source/RCA_Records). The album was issued in the United States under the title of ***It's a Heartache***, with alternate cover art. As with her [debut](/source/The_World_Starts_Tonight), [Ronnie Scott](/source/Ronnie_Scott_(songwriter)) and Steve Wolfe wrote most of the tracks on the album. [David Mackay](/source/David_Mackay_(producer)) again produced the album, with Scott and Wolfe. Other songs include covers of American artists [Stevie Wonder](/source/Stevie_Wonder) and [Carole King](/source/Carole_King).

Five singles were released from *Natural Force*. The second single, "[It's a Heartache](/source/It's_a_Heartache)", is among the [best-selling singles of all time](/source/List_of_best-selling_singles), 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](/source/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America) (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](/source/Top_Country_Albums) chart, and number 16 on the [*Billboard* 200](/source/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](/source/Heaven_(Bonnie_Tyler_1977_song))" following her debut album *[The World Starts Tonight](/source/The_World_Starts_Tonight)* in February of the same year. *Natural Force* sustained the style of its predecessor, with [pop rock](/source/Pop_rock) songs composed by Tyler's producers and managers, [Ronnie Scott](/source/Ronnie_Scott_(songwriter)) and Steve Wolfe, and the addition of a small number of [covers](/source/Cover_version). *Natural Force* became the best-selling of her four albums with [RCA Records](/source/RCA_Records), with over 500,000 copies sold in the United States.

## Singles

"[Heaven](/source/Heaven_(Bonnie_Tyler_1977_song))" was released as the album's [lead single](/source/Lead_single) in July 1977. The song was criticised for having "less impact" than her previous singles.[2] It was only a hit in Germany, where it reached number 24.[3] Phil Hendricks of Cherry Red Records suggested that the death of [Elvis Presley](/source/Elvis_Presley) 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.[2]

"[It's a Heartache](/source/It's_a_Heartache)" became the second single from *Natural Force* in November 1977. Tyler's raspy vocal quality had her compared to [Rod Stewart](/source/Rod_Stewart),[4] with critics viewing the song as superior to "[Lost in France](/source/Lost_in_France)".[5] "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](/source/List_of_best-selling_singles).[6] The song became Tyler's first hit in the United States, reaching number three on the [*Billboard* Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100). It also reached number four in the United Kingdom,[7] and number one hit in countries such as Canada,[8] France[9] and Norway.[10]

"[Here Am I](/source/Here_Am_I_(Bonnie_Tyler_song))" 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](/source/Record_Mirror)* stated that the song lacked the "irresistible hook of "It's a Heartache"."[2]

"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.

## 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](/source/Mike_Gibbins) — drums, percussion
- Peter King — background vocals
- [David MacKay](/source/David_Mackay_(producer)) — engineer

## Charts

### Weekly charts

Chart (1978) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] 60 Canada RPM (magazine)[12] 5 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 1

### Year-end charts

Chart (1978) Position Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[14] 61

## Release history

Country Date Format(s) Label Ref. Europe 1978 Vinyl RCA United States Chrysalis Europe 1991 CD Castle Classics United Kingdom 2009 CD digital download 7T's United States 17 April 2012 Digital download Rdeg

## References

1. ["Music Week"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1978/Music-Week-1978-06-24.pdf). p. 53.

1. Hendriks, Phil (2009). "Natural Force". In ''Natural Force'' (pp. 3–9) [CD booklet]. London: Cherry Red Records.

1. ["Officialcharts.de – Bonnie Tyler – Heaven"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140813101024/http://www.officialcharts.de/song.asp?artist=Bonnie+Tyler&title=Heaven&cat=s&country=de). [GfK Entertainment](/source/GfK_Entertainment). Archived from [the original](http://www.officialcharts.de/song.asp?artist=Bonnie+Tyler&title=Heaven&cat=s&country=de) on August 13, 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

1. van Matre, Lynn (29 July 1978). ["Bonnie Tyler's Career Took Years to Build"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19780729&id=mbdaAAAAIBAJ&pg=3603,3366784). *[Evening Independent](/source/Evening_Independent)*. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

1. Wetzel, Carol (1 June 1978). ["DISCritique"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19780601&id=jvpLAAAAIBAJ&pg=4404,500137). *[Spokane Daily Chronicle](/source/Spokane_Daily_Chronicle)*. [Cowles Publishing Company](/source/Cowles_Publishing_Company). Retrieved 8 April 2015.

1. ["Bonnie Tyler"](http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20085601,00.html). *[People](/source/People_(magazine))*. Vol. 45, no. 24. 17 June 1996. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

1. ["It's a Heartache – Bonnie Tyler"](http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/IT%27S%20A%20HEARTACHE/). *Official Charts Company*. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

1. ["Volume 29, No. 15, 8 July 1978"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141106012518/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4614a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=u9874ano8k0c5b6bkp4r8qrbp3). *[RPM](/source/RPM_(magazine))*. [Library and Archives Canada](/source/Library_and_Archives_Canada). Archived from [the original](http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4614a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=u9874ano8k0c5b6bkp4r8qrbp3) on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

1. ["Lescharts.com – Bonnie Tyler – It's a Heartache"](http://www.lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Bonnie+Tyler&titel=It%27s+a+Heartache&cat=s) (in French). *[Les classement single](/source/Syndicat_National_de_l'%C3%89dition_Phonographique)*. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

1. ["It's a Heartache – Bonnie Tyler"](http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Bonnie+Tyler&titel=It%27s+A+Heartache&cat=s). *norwegiancharts.com*. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

1. 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.

1. ["Canada RPM Albums"](https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4604a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4604a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4604a). *[Library and Archives Canada](/source/Library_and_Archives_Canada)*. 17 July 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2019.

1. Pennanen, Timo (2021). ["Bonnie Tyler"](https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf#page=267). *Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021* (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 267. Retrieved 24 August 2022.

1. ["RPM Top 100 Albums of '78"](https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0069&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0069.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0069). *[Library and Archives Canada](/source/Library_and_Archives_Canada)*. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2025.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Natural Force](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Force) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Force?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.