Private Dancer is one of the best selling albums of the 80'th with no less than seven single releases. After the success with Let's Stay Together in 1983, Tina’s new record company Capitol wanted a complete album, which was recorded in only two weeks in London. Al Greens Let’s Stay Together (from the 1983 B.E.F. session) and The Beatles Help, the first two singles, were produced and released before the recording of the album. What’s Love Got To Do With It was the first single to promote the album and topped the American charts while Tina was on tour with Lionel Richie. I Might Have Been Queen and Show Some Respect are very autobiographical and especially written for Tina. Better Be Good To Me (Spider), I Can’t Stand The Rain (Ann Peeples), Steel Claw (Paul Brady) and 1984 (David Bowie) are cover songs. Private Dancer was an unreleased Dire Straits song, because Mark Knopfler thought it's a song for a woman. The European single Help was not included in the original American release and the Australian edition contains the extra track Rock'n Roll Widow.
While Tina was on tour in Europe, the album was released as a wonderful Picture Disc. For promotion, Capitol Records issued a 4-Track Sampler for radio stations.
Photographer: Peter Ashworth, Brian Aris
Release: May 29, 1984
Label: Capitol / EMI
Format: Vinyl (Colored, Picture) / CD / Cassette / Digital
Charts: UK: #2 / Germany: #2 / Europe: #1 / USA: #3 (Pop), #1 (R&B) / Australia #7
Certifications: UK: 3x Platinum / Germany: 5x Gold, 2x Platinum / USA: 5x Platinum
Grammy: Album of the Year (Nomination) / Record of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocals for „What’s Love Got To Do With It“ / Best Female Rock Vocals for „Better Be Good To Me“ (1985)
Tracks
- I Might Have Been Queen 4:10
- What’s Love Got To Do With It 3:49
- Show Some Respect 3:18
- I Can’t Stand The Rain 3:41
- Private Dancer 7:11
- Let’s Stay Together 5:16
- Better Be Good To Me 5:10
- Steel Claw 3:48
- Help 4:30
- 1984 3:09
SHE'S HOT! The L.A. Times says: "She melts vinyl." People magazine calls her: "A peerless live performer." US says: "She's the "grittiest rock and roll singer in the world." And Rolling Stone gave her new album four stars. — Billboard - July 28, 1984
Anniversary Edition
The album was reissued in 2015 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the originally release with a two disc set on compact disc and a single vinyl record. It features the original European album on disc one, plus a bonus disc with all b-sides, extended mixes and some additional tracks. A 15 page booklet includes many rare Tina photos and the story behind the songs. The album was already reissued as a one disc Centenary Edition from EMI Records in 1997, with nearly the same tracks.
Release: June 2015
Label: Parlophone
Format: Vinyl / 2 CD / Digital
- Ball Of Confusion (Remix) 4:11
- I Wrote A Letter 3:24
- Rock’n Roll Widow 4:45
- Don’t Rush The Good Things 3:46
- When I Was Young 3:11
- Keep Your Hands Off My Baby 3:31
- Tonight (Live with David Bowie) 4:01
- Let’s Pretend We’re Married (Live) 4:13
- What’s Love Got To Do With It (Extended Mix) 5:48
- Better Be Good To Me (Extended Edit) 7:03
- I Can’t Stand The Rain (Extended Mix) 5:45
- Show Some Respect (Extended Mix) 5:45
- We Don’t Need Another Hero 4:16
- One Of The Living 4:13
- It’s Only Love (with Bryan Adams) 3:18
- Let’s Stay Together (Full Length) 5:16
- What’s Love Got To Do ... (Extended) 5:45
- I Can’t Stand The Rain (Extended) 5:43
- Show Some Respect (Extended) 5:47
- Better Be Good To Me (Extended) 7:47
- It’s Only Love (Live with Bryan Adams) 4:15
MTV Video Music Awards / WWF-Club / Wogan / Lørdagsbilaget / Wetten Dass..? / Countdown / Riva Del Garda / Solid Gold
TV-Appearances
Italy: Domenica in: Let’s Stay Together (November 27, 1983) / Premiatissima: Let’s Stay Together (1983) / Riva Del Garda: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Better Be Good To Me (September 28, 1984) / DeeJay: Interview (1984)
Germany: Na Sowas!: Let’s Stay Together (December 05, 1983) / Bananas: Let’s Stay Together (January 10, 1984), Private Dancer (October 02, 1984) / WWF-Club: Let’s Stay Together (January 13, 1984), What’s Love Got To Do With It (September 21, 1984) / Bei Bio: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Interview, Let’s Stay Together (September 27, 1984) / Wetten Dass…?: I Can’t Stand The Rain (May 18, 1985)
UK: The Tube: Concert (December 16, 1983) / Leo Sayer Show: Help (February 27, 1984) / Harty: Help (February 29, 1984) / Top of the Pops: Help (March 15, 1984) / Razzmatazz: Interview (April 18, 1984) / Late Late Breakfast Show: Better Be Good To Me (September 22, 1984) / BRIT Awards: What’s Love Got To Do With It (February 11, 1985) / Wogan: I Can’t Stand The Rain, Interview (February 18, 1985)
USA: Solid Gold: Let’s Stay Together (February 04, 1984), What’s Love Got To Do Wiht It (September 08, 1984), Private Dancer (February 09, 1985), Better Be Good To Me (February 23, 1985) / Late Show: Interview (May 31, 1984) / Friday Nights Video: Interview (September 14, 1984), Interview (1985) / MTV Video Music Awards: What’s Love Got To Do With It (September 14, 1984), Receiving Award (September 13, 1985) / Stars of Tomorrow: Interview (1984) / This Week’s Music: What’s Love Got To Do With It (1984) / American Music Awards: Private Dancer (January 28, 1985) / Saturday Night Live: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Private Dancer, Better Be Good To Me, Sketch (February 02, 1985) / Grammy Awards: What’s Love Got To Do With It (February 26, 1985) / Good Morning America: Interview (May 22, 1985)/ Bobbie Wygant: Interview (November 01, 1985) / An Intimate Talk with the Queen of Rock: Interview (1985) / Entertainment Tonight: Interview (1985) / MTV Videos: Host (1985) / What Makes Her Hot: Special (1985)
France: Hotel Raphael: Interview (September 24, 1984) / Cocoricocoboy: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Sketch (October 02, 1984) / Platine 45: Let’s Stay Together (February 15, 1984), What’s Love Got To Do With It (November 10, 1984) / Champs-Elysées: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Better Be Good To Me (May 11, 1985)
Spain: Cap d’any: Concert (December 31, 1983) Netherlands: Je Ziet Maar: Interview (January 27, 1984) / Countdown: Interview (1985) Australia: Countdown: Interview (October 14, 1984), Show Some Respect, I Can't Stand The Rain, Interview (December 16, 1984) Belgium: Hotel Américain: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Private Dancer (1984) Sweden: Unknown Show: Better Be Good To Me, Interview (1984) Norway: Lørdagsbilaget: Interview (February 23, 1985) Canada: Ann Rohmer: Interview (1985) / Good Rockin’ Tonite: Interview (1985) / NTV Newfoundland: Special (1985)