Synopsis
Alice Cooper performs the reflective power ballad in a stark studio setting, singing directly toward the camera with restrained intensity. Intercut with his performance are dramatic scenes of a troubled woman attempting to leave an unhappy relationship. The straightforward presentation emphasizes the song's emotional vulnerability rather than Cooper's usual theatrical horror imagery. The video closes with the personal tone established by the performance, while the arrangement's prominent vocal harmonies reinforce the sense of a relationship reaching its breaking point.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Only My Heart Talkin'" appeared on Alice Cooper's 1989 album "Trash" and was issued as a single in 1990.
- Steven Tyler of Aerosmith provides the song's guest vocal, contributing the high harmony parts. He does not appear on screen in the music video.
- Cooper specifically chose Tyler because he felt Tyler could bring exceptional impact to the power ballad. Cooper described the intended vocal approach as closer to the harmony interplay associated with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards than to a conventional duet.
- The song was written by Alice Cooper, Bruce Roberts, and Andy Goldmark, with Desmond Child producing the recording.
- The single reached No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 and performed better on the mainstream rock chart, where it reached No. 19.
- The track was one of four singles released from "Trash," following the much more successful "Poison" and preceding the album's next-era transition toward "Hey Stoopid."