Tomorrow's the big day ...
And Chuck has a few more thoughts to share ...
So now, from deep in our Official Forgotten Hits Vampire Crypt, take some time to devour this "Pre-Halloween Treat" from our in-resident Ghoul, Chuck Ghoul! Uhh, "Chuck Buell!"
“Monster Mash” may be the quintessential Forgotten Hit Halloween Anthem, but Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 four-week Number One Forgotten Hit, “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” could be a subtle second.
While it certainly is a song about heartbreak, the lyrics are just vague enough that it’s not entirely clear what the heartbreak is. That is, until the song’s writer, Jim Steinman, said he wrote it “to be a Vampire Love Song.” In fact, his original title was, “Vampires in Love,” because he was working on a musical about a Vampire! He suggested if we listen to his song with that thought in mind, we can hear that his lyrics are really Vampire lines all about darkness, its power and love's place in the dark.
Later, he revived the idea for another musical called Dance of the Vampires.
It opened on Broadway in December, 2002, and starred Michael Crawford, so well-known for his role in the Phantom of the Opera. But even his star power wasn’t enough. After only 56 performances, the show was categorically designated a flop. It cost $600,000 a week to produce and ended up creating a loss of $12 million. It was one of the most expensive Broadway failures of all time.
On the other hand, Tyler’s Power Ballad became a Grammy-Nominated Song of the Year for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and has become one of the most enduring songs of the 1980s. It still maintains a strong prominence in 1980s formatted radio and in personal playlists around the world.
And there's your Halloween Treat for today, Bright Eyes!
Today’s Chuck Ghoul Halloween Story could have been brought to you in part by “Vampire Wine,”
With an enticing choice of three Red Wines, all with individual and definitive inviting fruity aromas and a smooth finish that doesn't bite!
Yes, they ARE legitimate fermentations and quite possibly available (with Cape!) at an Adult Beverage Outlet near you!
CB ( which stands for “Chuck Boo-ell!”)
I never really thought of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" in a Halloween context before ... but you're right, it works ...
It was originally intended for (as were so many of Jim Steinman's compositions) Meatloaf, who reportedly was quite upset that Bonnie Tyler was the one who got to cut it ... and have a hit with it.
Steinman's work was so theatrical that it's easy to see this working on a multitude of levels. (I looked but couldn't find so much as a Meatloaf demo. It would have been really cool to hear what HE would have done with the song!) kk
