Holding Out for a Hero
Encyclopedia
"Holding Out for a Hero" is a song written by Jim Steinman
and Dean Pitchford
, originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler
. It was released in 1984 on the soundtrack
to the film Footloose. It later appeared on Tyler's Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
album. It hit #96 for the first time in UK in 1984, #2 in 1985, #69 in 1991. The opening couplet - "Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods?/ Where's the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds?" - could be seen as an example of the Ubi Sunt
motif in literature.
At the beginning of the music video, Bonnie Tyler escapes from a burning house; the video is set primarily in the vicinity of the burning house and on the edge of the Grand Canyon -- interspersed with shots of angelic background singers dressed all in white. Evil cowboys dressed in black, carrying neon whips appear before Tyler, threatening her; a cowboy hero dressed in white, brandishing a pistol, appears on horseback and the evil cowboys flee on horseback, with the hero in pursuit. As the song fades out, the hero cowboy appears in front of Bonnie Tyler.
1984 12" single
1991 12"/CD single
Bonnie Tyler re-recorded the song on her 2004 album Simply Believe
. She always includes this song on her setlist on stage and has performed it on the UK TV spin-off series Hollyoaks Later from Hollyoaks
. She acted during the scene and performed the song as a duet.
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
and Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford is an American songwriter, screenwriter, director, actor, and novelist. His work has earned him an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three additional Oscars, two more Golden Globes, seven Grammy Awards and two Tony Awards.-Early life:Pitchford was born in...
, originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
. It was released in 1984 on the soundtrack
Footloose (soundtrack)
Footloose is the original soundtrack of the Paramount motion picture Footloose. The original nine-track album was released in 1984 and reached Number One on the Billboard 200 Pop Album chart on April 21, 1984, where it stayed until June 30, 1984. When it was re-released in 1998, four bonus tracks...
to the film Footloose. It later appeared on Tyler's Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire is the sixth studio album by Bonnie Tyler. Released in 1986 peaked at no.24 on the UK album chart and no.106 in the US, though the album gained success in continental Europe....
album. It hit #96 for the first time in UK in 1984, #2 in 1985, #69 in 1991. The opening couplet - "Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods?/ Where's the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds?" - could be seen as an example of the Ubi Sunt
Ubi sunt
Ubi sunt is a phrase taken from the Latin Ubi sunt qui ante nos fuerunt?, meaning "Where are those who were before us?"...
motif in literature.
Music video
Produced by Jeffrey Abelson, Directed by Doug Dowdle, Concept by Keith Williams -- the first music-video that successfully promoted a movie while having no movie footage in the video.At the beginning of the music video, Bonnie Tyler escapes from a burning house; the video is set primarily in the vicinity of the burning house and on the edge of the Grand Canyon -- interspersed with shots of angelic background singers dressed all in white. Evil cowboys dressed in black, carrying neon whips appear before Tyler, threatening her; a cowboy hero dressed in white, brandishing a pistol, appears on horseback and the evil cowboys flee on horseback, with the hero in pursuit. As the song fades out, the hero cowboy appears in front of Bonnie Tyler.
Awards
BPI http://www.bpi.co.uk/- Silver Certification (Single), September 1, 1985
- Top Selling Single #31 from 1985 (367.000).
Soundtrack appearances
- Cover Up (TV series) Series theme song (September 22, 1984 to April 6, 1985)
- FootlooseFootloose (soundtrack)Footloose is the original soundtrack of the Paramount motion picture Footloose. The original nine-track album was released in 1984 and reached Number One on the Billboard 200 Pop Album chart on April 21, 1984, where it stayed until June 30, 1984. When it was re-released in 1998, four bonus tracks...
1984 (US #1) - Short Circuit 2Short Circuit 2Short Circuit 2 is a 1988 comedy science fiction film, the sequel to 1986's film Short Circuit. It was directed by Kenneth Johnson, and starred Fisher Stevens as Ben Jahrvi , Michael McKean as Fred Ritter, Cynthia Gibb as Sandy Banatoni, and Tim Blaney as the voice of Johnny 5 Short Circuit 2 is a...
1988 - Who's Harry Crumb?Who's Harry Crumb?Who's Harry Crumb? is a comedy-mystery film featuring John Candy as the title character.Paul Flaherty directed the film, which co-stars Annie Potts, Jeffrey Jones and Shawnee Smith...
1989 - Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action American television series based on the Superman comic books...
[TV Series] Pilot (September 12, 1993) - BanditsBanditsBandits is a 2001 American crime-comedy drama film directed by Barry Levinson. It stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett. Filming began in October 2000 and ended in February 2001. It helped Thornton earn a National Board of Review Best Actor Award for 2001...
2001 (US #165, top soundtracks #15) - Shrek 2 2004
- Nacho LibreNacho LibreNacho Libre is a 2006 comedy film directed by Jared Hess. It is a production of Nickelodeon Movies.The script was written by Jared Hess, Jerusha Hess and Mike White. It was loosely based on the story of Fray Tormenta , aka Rev. Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, a real-life Mexican Catholic priest who had a...
2006 - SmallvilleSmallvilleSmallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
[TV Series] Episode 8, Season 9 Idol (November 13, 2009) - Saints Row: The Third (November 15, 2011)
Video
- The Magic of David Copperfield VI Floating Over the Grand Canyon 1984, David Copperfield & Bonnie Tyler
- Bonnie Tyler The VideoBonnie Tyler The VideoBonnie Tyler The Video is a compilation of Bonnie Tyler video clips from 1983 to 1986. It was released in 1986.-Track listing:# "Total Eclipse of the Heart"# "Faster Than the Speed of Night"# "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"...
1986 - 50 Jahre Rock 2004
- Discomelodies and Rhythms in Russian 2005
Track listings and formats
1984 7" single- "Holding Out for a Hero" – 4:22
- "Faster Than the Speed of Night" – 4:40
1984 12" single
- "Holding Out for a Hero" (Extended Remix) – 6:19
- "Holding Out for a Hero" (Instrumental) – 5:15
- "Faster Than the Speed of Night" – 4:40
1991 12"/CD single
- "Holding Out for a Hero" – 4:41
- "Faster Than the Speed of Night" – 4:40
- "Total Eclipse of the Heart" – 6:49
Charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 34 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 19 |
| German Singles Chart | 19 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 19 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 44 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 33 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 30 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 19 |
| UK Singles Chart | 96 |
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 2 |
| EURO CHARTS | 12 |
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart | 69 |
Cover versions
It has been covered by a number of artists, including- Demon KogureDemon Kogure, previously known as Demon Kogure, is a Japanese musician, entertainer, journalist and sumo commentator. He is the frontman of the heavy metal band Seikima-II, and is known for always working entirely in character....
for his 2008 album GIRLS' ROCK √Hakurai - EmeryEmery (band)Emery is an American four-piece post-hardcore band from Rock Hill, South Carolina currently signed to both Tooth & Nail Records and Solid State Records and based in Seattle, Washington. Emery was founded in Rock Hill, South Carolina with the original lineup consisting of Toby Morrell, Devin...
for the 2005 compilation Punk Goes 80'sPunk Goes 80'sPunk Goes 80s is part of the Punk Goes... compilation series created by Fearless Records, featuring cover versions of songs from the 1980s. It was released on June 7, 2005.-Track listing:... - Darren Maycock a.k.a. Alk-E-D for the eurodanceEurodanceEurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
compilation series DancemaniaDancemaniaDancemania is a series of remix compilation albums by i-DANCE. The series deals primarily with dance music, especially eurodance. Despite its tracks have been made by various musicians from all over the world mainly from the European continent, the albums have been released exclusively in Japan.The...
, specifically Dancemania SPEED 7Dancemania SpeedDancemania Speed is a sub-series of Toshiba EMI's Dancemania compilation series. This series features faster, further remixed versions of recordings from previously released Dancemania albums or faster remixed covers of various famous songs...
released in 2001, with the different name Hero 2001. - Joss StoneJoss StoneJocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
- Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
for their TV seriesAlvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated television series featuring The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises from 1983–87, and DIC Entertainment from 1988-90....
episode "Three Alarm Alvin." - GravewormGravewormGraveworm is a symphonic black metal band from Bruneck, Italy with strong influences from gothic metal .-History:...
- Frou Frou and Jennifer SaundersJennifer SaundersJennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
on the Shrek 2 soundtrack - SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n punk rock band Six PackSix Pack (band)- 1990s :The band was formed in early 1993 by Branko Mitrović , Milan Radojević , Dragan Bojić "Bojke" , Saša Bogdanović "Bogda" , Miloš Novaković and Vladimir Čupić "Čupa" , and got the name by the Black Flag song of the same name.The band recorded their first eight-song demo during the late...
recorded a version on their 2008 covers album Discover. - Opera Magna, a Spanish power metal band.
- Yuko NakazawaYuko Nakazawais a Japanese pop and enka singer, and actress, best known as one of the original members of the all-female J-pop group Morning Musume. She is currently a member of Dream Morning Musume.- Biography :...
, in Japanese. - Pop punkPop punkPop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band Amazing Transparent ManAmazing Transparent ManAmazing Transparent Man was a pop punk band on the Springman Records label from 1997 to 2004. They hailed from DeKalb, Illinois. The original members were Rick Muermann , Tony D'Amato , Brad Riverdahl and Casey Sons...
covered it for their 2003 EP, Taking Back The Covers. - Asakura Miki on the Japanese TV Drama School Wars 1984
- Melba MooreMelba MooreBeatrice Melba Smith , known by her stage name, Melba Moore is an American disco, R&B singer and actress. She is the daughter of saxophonist Teddy Hill and R&B singer Bonnie Davis.-Early life:...
covered the song in a public appearance during Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
1989 Thanksgiving Day ParadeMacy's Thanksgiving Day ParadeThe Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
, on a float with actors dressed as Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
superheroes. - Lucie VondráčkováLucie VondráckováLucie Vondráčková is a Czech singer and actress. She is the niece of Czech singer Helena Vondráčková. She played in Czech Lion award-winning film Snowboarďáci. She also gained considerable fame as a pop-singer in the Czech Republic especially for her song Strach.Lucie Vondrácková comes from a...
- Czech female pop singer covered the song with Czech lyrics titling the song "Vítr" (translates as "The Wind"). - The NolansThe NolansThe Nolans are an Anglo-Irish all-female band consisting of a group of sisters. The group, best known for their song "I'm In the Mood for Dancing", gained prominence as guest performers on numerous television shows in the United Kingdom...
- Ajda PekkanAjda PekkanAyşe Ajda Pekkan is a Turkish pop singer and actress. Through a career spanning five decades thus far, Pekkan has released more than 20 albums and, with Sezen Aksu, is the most commercially successful female Turkish music artist with the sales of over 30 million copies worldwide. She is nicknamed...
, with Turkish lyrics - Icelandic musician Rúnar Eff covered the song in 2010 - watch on YouTube
- Greek power metalPower metalPower metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
band Emerald SunEmerald SunEmerald Sun is a power metal band from Thessaloniki, Greece. It was formed in 1998 and is currently active.- Discography :* High in the Sky * The Story Begins * Escape from Twilight...
covered the song on their second longplayer, Regeneration, released in February 2011. - Rockstar Steady (Japanese Singer Nanase Aikawa's project) first album Gossip bonus track, released February 16.2011.
- Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows for their album Have You Seen This Ghost?Have You Seen This Ghost?Have You Seen This Ghost? is the 10th official studio album from Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows and the second part of "A Triptychon of GHOSTS "....
(2011) - Ella Mae Bowen-2011 footloose remake
- This song was sung during a performance in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games 2011.
- Every year at Six Flag's St.Louis they perform this song in Love at First Fright. This year Nicole Peach sang it.
Bonnie Tyler re-recorded the song on her 2004 album Simply Believe
Simply Believe
Simply Believe is the 14th studio album recorded by Bonnie Tyler, released in Europe in 2004.-Track listing:# "Si demain... " 3:50 # "Simply Believe" 4:44# "Si tout s'arrête " 3:24...
. She always includes this song on her setlist on stage and has performed it on the UK TV spin-off series Hollyoaks Later from Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
. She acted during the scene and performed the song as a duet.