Taylor Dayne — Tell It to My Heart

JUL 01 1987 · 12:00

Taylor Dayne — Tell It to My Heart (1987) Director: Scott Kalvert & S.A. Baron Era: Late MTV Golden Age / Hi-NRG Dance-Pop Breakthrough (1987) - The debut era of New York club-circuit pop crossing over to mainstream MTV rotation, defined by high-energy production, bold fashion, and the rise of female dance-pop voices on Arista Records. High curatorial value as a confirmed breakthrough promo for one of the defining female voices of late-1980s dance-pop, co-directed by a significant MTV-era director (Scott Kalvert) at the very start of his professional career. The video's quantitative fingerprint — 112 scene changes in 221 seconds, avg shot length 1.97s, warm-biased color temperature — is a near-textbook example of the kinetic, minimalist, choreography-forward studio promo that dominated MTV's 1987–1989 rotation. As a document of Taylor Dayne's originary visual identity and the Hi-NRG/freestyle crossover moment, it holds significant research and exhibition value for scholars of music video history, 1980s pop culture, and female artist branding. Context: Released July 24, 1987 on Arista Records, 'Tell It to My Heart' launched Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman) from the Long Island club circuit to national pop stardom, catching the wave of late-80s dance music and Hi-NRG crossover. The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1987, peaked at #7 in January 1988, and spent 25 weeks on the chart. It earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal, Female, and became the 23rd best-selling single of 1988 in the UK, where it reached #3. The video's heavy MTV rotation was central to establishing Dayne's visual identity — the 'big hair,' outlandish makeup, and tight black dress described in contemporary sources became defining signifiers of her brand. Producer Ric Wake and Arista president Clive Davis shepherded the project; the track took off so unexpectedly that Dayne was forced to complete her debut album in just eight weeks. Director notes: Confirmed co-directed by Scott Kalvert and S.A. Baron per IMDB (imdb.com/title/tt6664962/) and IMVDb (imvdb.com/video/taylor-dayne/tell-it-to-my-heart), with Amy Raskin credited as producer. IMDB describes the video as depicting Dayne singing and dancing alongside male dancers against a white background. The video served as the promo for Dayne's debut single released July 24, 1987 on Arista Records. It received heavy MTV and VH1 rotation and is documented as an early career breakthrough for Kalvert, who would go on to direct iconic videos across hip-hop and pop. The single itself peaked at #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal, Female.