From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Eyes Without a Face"
Eyes Without a Face by Billy Idol
Single by Billy Idol from the album Rebel Yell
Released	May 1984
Format	Vinyl (7" and 12")
Recorded	Studio A, Electric Lady Studios, New York
Genre	Rock
Length	4 m 58 s
Label	Chrysalis Records
Producer	Keith Forsey
Billy Idol singles chronology
"Rebel Yell" (1984) "Eyes Without a Face" (1984) "Flesh for Fantasy" (1984)
Audio sample
Info (help·info)

"Eyes Without a Face" is a song by Billy Idol, co-written with guitarist Steve Stevens from Idol's 1984 album Rebel Yell. The song is softer and more ballad-like than most of the album's other singles.

Released in May of 1984, this was the second single from the Rebel Yell album. It was very successful and reached a high of #4 on the Billboard Charts becoming Idol's first Top 10 hit in the U.S.

In the liner notes for the Expanded Edition of Rebel Yell, Billy Idol notes that this song was one of the first three written for the album (the other two being the title track and "(Do Not) Stand In The Shadows." The original track was recorded in Studio A at Electric Lady Studios in New York, with a Linn drum machine and the bass parts played by Steve Webster. ^[1]

The song is notable for the female voice of Perri Lister that sings 'Les yeux sans visage' (French for 'eyes without a face') as a background chorus.

The video was directed by David Mallet and begins with a close-up of Idol's sneering face, interspersed with three unidentifiable ('faceless') female singers. Later during the song's bridge, the scene changes to Steve Stevens shredding on guitar and Idol in familiar punk poses while dancing in a flaming hexagon surrounded by hooded acolytes. The imagery of the video contrasts with the relative softness of the song and its lyrics of longing.

Reportedly filmed in a marathon 30-hour session, the video was released in June 1984 and subsequently nominated for MTV Video Music Awards for 'Best Editing' and 'Best Cinematography'.

"Eyes Without a Face" was written by Billy Idol and Steve Stevens and produced by Keith Forsey. Credits on the song include:

• Vocals - Billy Idol
• Guitars - Steve Stevens
• Bass - Sal Cuevas
• Drums - Thommy Price
• Keyboards - Judi Dozier
• Background vocals - Perri Lister
• Engineered by Dave Wittman

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• The title and subject matter seem to relate to the 1960 film of the same name, "Les Yeux Sans Visage" by French film maker Georges Franju - the story of a doctor who attempted to replace the disfigured face of his daughter with those of murdered women.^{[original research?]}
• The song has been covered by Scooter on their 1998 album No Time to Chill and by Paul Anka on his 2005 album Rock Swings. It was also covered by Tori Amos live the same year.
• There is an episode on Degrassi:The Next Generation that has the same title.

• Song review - All Music Guide
• Songfacts
• Video facts
• Music video courtesy of YouTube