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Private Dancer

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Private Dancer
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 29, 1984 (1984-05-29)
Recorded1983–1984
StudioFarmyard, Mayfair, Wessex, Good Earth, Abbey Road, CBS (London, United Kingdom)
Genre
Length44:02
LabelCapitol
Producer
Tina Turner chronology
Love Explosion
(1979)
Private Dancer
(1984)
Break Every Rule
(1986)
Singles from Private Dancer
  1. "Let's Stay Together"
    Released: November 7, 1983 (UK)[2]
  2. "Help!"
    Released: February 13, 1984 (UK)[3]
  3. "What's Love Got to Do with It"
    Released: May 1984
  4. "Better Be Good to Me"
    Released: September 1984
  5. "Private Dancer"
    Released: October 1984 (EU)[4]
  6. "I Can't Stand the Rain"
    Released: February 1985 (UK)
  7. "Show Some Respect"
    Released: April 1985 (US)

Private Dancer is the fifth solo studio album by American singer Tina Turner. It was released on May 29, 1984 by Capitol Records and was her first album released by the label. After several challenging years of going solo after divorcing Ike Turner, Private Dancer propelled Turner into 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, and remains her best-selling album in North America to date.

In 2020, the album was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[5]

Background and production

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A&R man John Carter of Capitol Records is credited with relaunching the career of Tina Turner in the 1980s.[6] In 1983, despite opposition from within Capitol, he signed her and managed her first album for the label, Private Dancer. Recording sessions were overseen by four different production teams and took place at several studios in England, including Rupert Hine, and Martyn Ware of Heaven 17.[7] 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, inspired by pop and rock genres; it also features elements of smooth jazz and R&B.

"Let's Stay Together" was produced by Martyn Ware of British band Heaven 17. Terry Britten produced the reggae-tinged "What's Love Got to Do with It". Rupert Hine produced "Better Be Good to Me", which had been written by Holly Knight, Mike Chapman, and Nicky Chinn, and most of the other songs.[8] John Carter produced "Private Dancer", which was written by Mark Knopfler and has a guitar solo by Jeff Beck. "Help!" was recorded with The Crusaders.

Release and promotion

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In 1997, EMI, the parent label of Capitol Records, released a digitally remastered Centenary Edition of the Private Dancer album on CD. This version includes four additional demo tracks recorded in late 1983 and early 1984 with the producer John Carter, first released as B-sides to some of the Private Dancer singles; it also includes three extended 12" remixes.

In 2015, the 30th Anniversary edition of this album was released by the Parlophone Records unit of Warner Music Group which now controls this album.[9]

Promotion

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A 177 date tour to promote the album took place from February 8, 1985, to December 28, 1985. Called the Private Dancer Tour, there were 60 shows in Europe, 105 in North America, 10 in Australia, and 2 in Japan. Opening acts in North America included Glenn Frey and Mr. Mister. As well as songs from the album, Turner performed hits from her time with Ike & Tina, such as "River Deep – Mountain High", "Nutbush City Limits", and "Proud Mary".

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
American Songwriter[11]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[12]
Goldmine[13]
Los Angeles Times[14]
Mojo[15]
Q[16]
Rolling Stone[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[17]
The Sydney Morning Herald[18]

The album received a positive reception from critics. The Los Angeles Times wrote that Turner's voice "melts vinyl".[19]

Debby Miller, in a July 1984 Rolling Stone review, felt that the album was a powerful comeback, with Turner's voice "rasping but strong", and a range of songs that were all good in a "modern rock setting" that was "neither detached nor very fussy".[8] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice felt that she embraced the "middlebrow angst of contemporary professional songwriting". He said that "four different production teams" on the project was a "sign of desperation", despite the resulting "seamless authority" of the album.[20]

Legacy

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Alex Henderson, in a retrospective AllMusic review, says that the album was slicker than her R&B classics recorded with Ike & Tina, but she was still able to sing with a throaty passion to deliver her finest solo production.[10] Stephen Holden has written in The New York Times that by using her English producers to soften her raw Southern soul style, discarding the "blaring horns, frenzied percussion and gospel calls and responses", the album became a "landmark" in the "evolution of pop-soul music".[7]

Michael Lydon, in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, says that the album's lyrical themes embodied her persona of a "tough, sexy woman schooled in a tough world", and that her vocal delivery overcomes the slick production, with her "indomitable soul" unifying the multiple producers.[21] In 1989, the album was ranked number 46 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 100 Greatest Albums of the '80s. In 2001, VH1 named Private Dancer the 95th greatest album of all time. Slant Magazine listed the album at number 63 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s", saying, "Both a personal liberation and sonic redemption, Private Dancer established Turner not only as a genuine diva, but a bona fide force of nature".[22]

Track listing

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US edition

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Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength
6."Let's Stay Together"
5:16
7."1984"David Bowie
  • Walsh
  • Ware
3:09
8."Steel Claw"Paul BradyCarter3:48
9."Private Dancer"Mark KnopflerJohn Carter7:11

International edition

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No.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength
1."I Might Have Been Queen"
  • Obstoj
  • Hine
  • West-Oram
Hine4:10
2."What's Love Got to Do with It"
  • Britten
  • Lyle
Britten3:48
3."Show Some Respect"
  • Britten
  • Shifrin
Britten3:18
4."I Can't Stand the Rain"
  • Peebles
  • Bryant
  • Miller
Britten3:41
5."Private Dancer"KnopflerCarter7:11
6."Let's Stay Together"
  • Mitchell
  • Green
  • Jackson, Jr.
  • Walsh
  • Ware
5:16
7."Better Be Good to Me"
  • Knight
  • Chinn
  • Chapman
Hine5:11
8."Steel Claw"BradyCarter3:48
9."Help!"4:30
10."1984"Bowie
  • Walsh
  • Ware
3:09

Remastered editions

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1997 Centenary Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength
11."I Wrote a Letter"Inga RumpfCarter3:24
12."Rock 'n Roll Widow"Tom SnowCarter4:45
13."Don't Rush the Good Things"Neil GammackCarter3:46
14."When I Was Young"Carter3:11
15."What's Love Got to Do with It" (Extended 12" Remix)
  • Britten
  • Lyle
Britten5:48
16."Better Be Good to Me" (Extended 12" Remix) (edit)
  • Knight
  • Chinn
  • Chapman
Hine7:03
17."I Can't Stand the Rain" (Extended 12" Remix)
  • Peebles
  • Bryant
  • Miller
Britten5:45
2015 30th Anniversary Edition bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength
1."Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" (with B.E.F.)
  • Walsh
  • Ware
4:13
2."I Wrote a Letter"RumpfCarter3:24
3."Rock 'n Roll Widow"SnowCarter4:45
4."Don't Rush the Good Things"GammackCarter3:46
5."When I Was Young"
  • Burdon
  • Briggs
  • Weider
  • McCulloch
Carter3:11
6."Keep Your Hands Off My Baby"Carter3:31
7."Tonight" (Live with David Bowie) (Live at The NEC, Birmingham)Britten4:01
8."Let's Pretend We're Married" (Live)PrinceBritten4:13
9."What's Love Got to Do with It" (Extended 12" Remix)
  • Britten
  • Lyle
Britten5:45
10."Better Be Good to Me" (Extended 12" Remix) (edit)
  • Knight
  • Chinn
  • Chapman
Hine7:04
11."I Can't Stand the Rain" (Extended 12" Remix)
  • Peebles
  • Bryant
  • Miller
Britten5:43
12."Show Some Respect" (Extended Mix)
  • Britten
  • Shifrin
Britten5:45
13."We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" (Single Edit)Britten
  • Britten
  • Lyle
4:16
14."One of the Living" (Single Remix)KnightMike Chapman4:13
15."It's Only Love" (with Bryan Adams)
  • Adams
  • Vallance
3:18

Personnel

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Production

  • Terry Britten – producer (2,[23] 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,[23] 3, 4)
  • Walter Samuel – engineer (6, 10)
  • Stephen W. Tayler – engineer & mixing (1, 7)
  • Humberto Gaticaremixing (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

Commercial performance

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The album was released on May 29, 1984, and became an outstanding global commercial success.[24][25][26] The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 chart for ten consecutive weeks[27] and remained in the top ten for 39 weeks from August 1984 to May 1985. In the United States it was certified 5× platinum.[28] In Germany, the album went 5× gold becoming one of the best selling albums in history. It peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart, where it was certified 3× platinum, remaining on the charts for 150 total weeks. It was certified 7× platinum for the shipment of over 700,000 copies in Canada by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. The album has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.[29][30] At the 1985 Grammy Awards, Private Dancer won four of the six awards for which it was nominated.

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Certifications and sales for Private Dancer
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[74] Platinum 200,000[73]
Austria (IFPI Austria)[75] 2× Platinum 100,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[77] 7× Platinum 800,000[76]
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[78] Gold 33,464[78]
France (SNEP)[79] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[80] 5× Gold 1,250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[74] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[81] Platinum 15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[82] Platinum 100,000^
Sweden (GLF)[74] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[83] 3× Platinum 900,000^
United States (RIAA)[84] 5× Platinum 5,000,000^
Summaries
Europe 4,000,000[85]
Worldwide 12,000,000[29][30]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

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Grammy Awards

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Year Winner Category
1985 "Better Be Good to Me" Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
1985 "What's Love Got to Do with It" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
1985 "What's Love Got to Do with It?" Record of the Year
1985 "What's Love Got to Do with It?" Song of the Year

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Gerard, Chris (July 7, 2015). "The 50 Greatest Pop Songs of the '80s". Metro Weekly. Retrieved April 13, 2024. Private Dancer, a tour de force of pop, rock and R&B.
  2. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 847. ISBN 9780862415419.
  3. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 14.
  4. ^ "German Charts".
  5. ^ "National Recording Registry Class Produces Ultimate 'Stay at Home' Playlist". Library of Congress. March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  6. ^ "Passings: Bill Summers, John S. Carter, Ruth C. Cole". Los Angeles Times May 24, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  7. ^ a b Stephen Holden (2012). "Tina Turner News". The New York Times. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c Miller, Debby (July 5, 1984). "Private Dancer". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  9. ^ "Private Dancer [30th Anniversary Edition] - Tina Turner | Release Info". AllMusic.
  10. ^ a b Henderson, Alex. "Private Dancer – Tina Turner". AllMusic. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  11. ^ Gleason, Holly (May 1, 2008). "Tina Turner > Private Dancer". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  12. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "Tina Turner: Private Dancer". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. p. 414. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  13. ^ Gaar, Gillian G. (October 7, 2015). "Album Review: Tina Turner, 'Private Dancer' reissue". Goldmine. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  14. ^ Hilburn, Robert; Hunt, Dennis; Cromelin, Richard; Feather, Leonard; Atkinson, Terry; Johnson, Connie; Pond, Steve; Damsker, Matt; Grein, Paul; Waller, Don; Willman, Chris; Gurza, Agustin; Matsumoto, Jon; Baker, Chris; Shapiro, Marc; Reeves, Jim (December 16, 1984). "Guiding the Uninitiated Through the Top 40". Los Angeles Times.
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  16. ^ "Tina Turner: Private Dancer". Q. No. 109. October 1995. p. 150.
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  80. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Tina Turner; 'Private Dancer')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
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Bibliography

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