Private Dancer
Released May 29, 1984
Recorded 1983–1984
Studio Farmyard Studios, Mayfair Studios, Wessex Sound Studios, Good Earth Studios, Abbey Road Studios & CBS Studios (London, England).
Genre
Pop rock new wave R&B
Length 44:02
Label Capitol
Producer
Terry Britten John Carter Leon “Ndugu” Chancler Wilton Felder Rupert Hine Joe Sample Greg Walsh Martyn Ware
Private Dancer is the fifth solo studio album by Tina Turner. Marking her debut with the record company, it was released by Capitol Records in May 1984. Recording sessions for the album took place at several studios in England and was overseen by four different production teams, including Rupert Hine, and Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh of Heaven 17. A radical departure from the rhythm and blues sound Turner had performed with her former husband and performing partner Ike Turner, the tracks in the album are a mixture of uptempos and ballads, which are basically inspired by pop and rock genres; it also features elements of smooth jazz and R&B.
After several challenging years of going solo after divorcing Ike, Private Dancer propelled Turner in becoming a viable solo star, as well as one of the most marketable crossover singers in the recording industry. It became a worldwide commercial success, earning multi-platinum certifications in Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. To date, it remains her best-selling album in North America. Private Dancer produced seven singles, including “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, “Better Be Good to Me”, “Private Dancer”, and “Let’s Stay Together”. Positively received by critics on release for Turner’s ability to give energy and raw emotion to slickly produced professional pop/rock songs; its long term legacy is that the softening of her raw Southern soul style produced a “landmark” in the “evolution of pop-soul music”. The album was promoted throughout 1985 in a 177-date worldwide tour called the Private Dancer Tour.
Track listing
Original US vinyl/cassette edition
Side one
“I Might Have Been Queen” (Hine, Obstoj, West-Oram) – 4:10
“What’s Love Got to Do with It” (Britten, Lyle) – 3:49
“Show Some Respect” (Britten, Shifrin) – 3:18
“I Can’t Stand the Rain” (Bryant, Miller, Peebles) – 3:41
“Better Be Good to Me” (Chapman, Chinn, Knight) – 5:10
Side two
“Let’s Stay Together” (Green, Jackson, Mitchell) – 5:16
“1984” (Bowie) – 3:09
“Steel Claw” (Brady) – 3:48
“Private Dancer” (Knopfler) – 7:11
Original international edition
1. “I Might Have Been Queen” Jeanette Obstoj, Rupert Hine, Jamie West-Oram 4:10
2. “What’s Love Got to Do with It” Terry Britten, Graham Lyle 3:48
3. “Show Some Respect” Britten, Sue Shifrin 3:18
4. “I Can’t Stand the Rain” Ann Peebles, Don Bryant, Bernard Miller 3:41
5. “Private Dancer” Mark Knopfler 7:11
6. “Let’s Stay Together” Willie Mitchell, Al Green, Al Jackson, Jr. 5:16
7. “Better Be Good to Me” Holly Knight, Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman 5:11
8. “Steel Claw” Paul Brady 3:48
9. “Help!” John Lennon, Paul McCartney 4:30
10. “1984” David Bowie 3:09
Personnel
Tina Turner – lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (1, 7, 8)
Gary Barnacle – saxophone (6)
Jeff Beck – guitar (5, 8)
Terry Britten – guitar (2, 3, 4), background vocals (2, 3)
Graham Broad – drums (4)
Alex Brown – background vocals (9)
John Carter – percussion (5)
Leon “Ndugu” Chancler – drums (9)
Alan Clark – keyboards (5, 8), percussion (5)
Mel Collins – saxophone (5)
David Cullen – string arrangements (10)
Cy Curnin – background vocals (1, 7)
Jullian Diggle – percussion (5)
David Ervin – synthesizer, programming (9)
Gwen Evans – background vocals (9)
Charles Fearing – guitar (9)
Guy Fletcher – synthesizer (5, 8)
Wilton Felder – bass guitar (9), saxophone (9)
Nick Glennie-Smith – keyboards (2, 3, 4)
Glenn Gregory – background vocals (6, 10)
Rupert Hine – bass guitar (1, 7), keyboards (1, 7), percussion, programming (1, 7), background vocals (1, 7)
Graham Jarvis – drums (2, 3)
John Illsley – bass guitar (5, 8)
Hal Lindes – guitar (5, 8)
Billy Livsey – keyboards (2, 3)
Trevor Morais – drums (1, 7)
Simon Morton – percussion (2)
Tessa Niles – background vocals (2, 3)
Frank Ricotti – percussion (6)
Ray Russell – guitar (6)
Joe Sample – synthesizer (9), piano (9)
David T. Walker – guitar (9)
Martyn Ware – programming, electronic drums (6, 10), arrangements (6, 10), background vocals (6, 10)
Greg Walsh – programming (6, 10), arrangements (6, 10)
Jamie West-Oram – guitar (1, 7)
Jessica Williams – background vocals (9)
Terry Williams – drums (5, 8)
Nick Plytas – piano, synthesizer (6, 10)
Richie Zito – guitar (8)
Production
Terry Britten – producer (2, 3, 4)
John Carter – producer (5, 8)
Leon “Ndugu” Chancler – producer (9)
Wilton Felder – producer (9)
Rupert Hine – producer (1, 7)
Joe Sample – producer (9)
Greg Walsh – producer & engineer (6, 10)
Martyn Ware – producer (6, 10)
F. Byron Clark – engineer (9)
John Hudson – engineer & mixing (2, 3, 4)
Walter Samuel – engineer (6, 10)
Stephen W. Tayler – engineer & mixing (1, 5, 7, 8)
Humberto Gatica – remixing (5, 8)
Alan Yoshida – mastering
Akira Taguchi – compilation producer
Sam Gay – creative director
Roy Kohara – art direction
John O’Brien – design
Peter Ashworth – photography
Roger Davies – management
Chip Lightman – management
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