Private DancerTina Turner's fifth studio album, marked both a turning point in the diva's career, but also more generally in pop-soul music of the 1980s. Very recently, a song recorded for this album and presumed lost, was rediscovered: Hot For You, Baby. The track was broadcast for the first time on BBC Radio 2 on Thursday and will be the subject of several editions.
Love and rock
“Having something new to hear from Tina Turner is a treat for fans of all generations and a reminder of her unique talent,” commented presenter Mark Goodier before playing the song. It must be said that the song perfectly embodies the power of the voice of the superstar, who died in 2023 at the age of 83.
The music mixes rock guitar and cowbell, percussion very popular in the 1980s, while the lyrics evoke the promise of loving each other all night long. The original recording was rediscovered in a new compilation produced by Capitol Records on the occasion of a reissue for the 40th anniversary of Private Dancer.
After crossing the desert
L’album Private Dancer on which she was to appear, is one of the artist's major works. It was recorded after her nearly five-year journey through the desert, marked by the end of her abusive marriage to musician Ike Turner, the loss of her financial assets through divorce and ultimately her exclusion from the American music industry.
-The singer, however, continued to have support in England, notably through Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie. The success in Europe of his synth-pop version of the hit Ball of Confusion des Temptations ended up convincing the producers at Capitol Records to record an album, albeit with very limited means.
Soon as a single
The result will nevertheless be a major album which will focus Tina Turner's transition from soul to new wave, through titles like What’s Love Got To Do With It, Better Be Good To Me and obviously Private Dancer. This development also explains why Hot For You, Baby was not included in the album, the only piece refused. It may have come across as corny compared to the other modern productions on the album.
Produced by John Grant, the song had already been recorded in 1979 by Australian-Scottish singer John Paul Young, without success. It will soon be released as a single and will appear in a new edition of Private Dancer scheduled for March.
