“Private Dancer” by Tina Turner
A peerless comeback album turns 40.
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Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s music pick marks the 40th anniversary of one of the most remarkable comeback albums ever.
Genre: R&B, Pop
Label: Capitol
Release Date: May 29, 1984
Vibe: 👸
Before Private Dancer, Tina Turner’s career was running on fumes. Struggling to pay off debts from canceled gigs after her split from Ike Turner, she seemed doomed to play half-full ballrooms on the C-list nostalgia tour circuit. There are reports that she cleaned homes to earn extra cash. Other rumors suggest she earned that money as the kind of professional she’d later sing about on this record’s title track. But, in 1983, her fortunes began to flip. Her new manager, Roger Davies, got her in the door with Capitol, who ordered a full-length effort after a cover of Al Green’s hit, “Let’s Stay Together,” cracked the Top 5 in the UK. Recorded in just two weeks, Dancer is a fiery portrait of feminist liberation. On the opener, “I Might Have Been Queen,” she sings: “I look up to my past/A spirit running free/I look down and I’m there in history/ I’m a soul survivor.”
An intriguing list of talent dots this album's songwriting and production credits. Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler, and Holly Knight (who penned hits like “Love is a Battlefield” for Pat Benatar) all contributed their talents, as did Terry Britten, who’s responsible for penning Turner’s first million-selling hit, “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” The distinctively 80s-sounding track, with its thick, gated kick drum and looping synths, made her the oldest woman ever to top the Hot 100 at that time (she was 44). It would later win Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year at the 1985 Grammys. But, with that said, this LP is far more than a one-hit wonder. From concert staple “Better Be Good to Me” to the effortless cool she brings to cuts like “Steel Claw” and “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” Tina Turner’s voice is the biggest reason to listen. Teetering between a screech and a croon, there’s never been anyone better at infusing her lyrics with a world-weary honesty without crumbling under all that baggage. Here’s a woman who, with an abusive ex-husband and soul-sucking career fallout behind her, could finally be the rawest, most enthralling version of her stage persona.
Four decades on, it’s still a uniquely captivating listen. Rest in power, Queen.
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈
This is one of my all-time favorite albums! It's filled with so much intense passion and emotion from Tina Turner. Each song is unique and yet there is a cohesive spirit to the whole project. Listen to it from start to finish for a truly enveloping experience!
It was a rare statement of purpose for women at the time, and an aged eleven boy couldn't wrap his head around it. However, as time progressed, I recognized she was a lot more than "Proud Mary."