“‘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 through 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. In the United States, Tyler’s version was released in 1978 around the same time as recordings by Juice Newton and Ronnie Spector. “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 the summer of 1977, and “It’s a Heartache” was cut during the very first session. “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”. Producer David Mackay recalled that RCA was reluctant to release the single. The label was preoccupied 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. “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. The release of “It’s a Heartache” had music critics comparing Tyler’s voice to Rod Stewart’s who would eventually cover the song.[5] 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.”