Zoomer (2018)
Zoomer is a Canadian magazine for men and women with a mix of health, wellness, personal finance, travel and leisure, food and drink, politics and sex, launched in 2008 and published six times a year. Tina was on the cover of the last issue of 2018, photographed by Bryan Adams, including Tina’s story back from Ike Turner to her comeback, her final concert tour, retirement, medical issues right after her marriage and the loss of her son Craig.
Issue: December 2018 / January 2019
Pages: 8
Writer: Brian D. Johnson
Photographer: Bryan Adams / Jack Robinson / Jim Russell
Story: I’m One! Her fight for survival, her secret health battles & how love conquered all
Language: English
Zoomer: You wrote the 1984 hit "It’s Only Love," recorded and famously performed with Tina Turner. How did that come about?
Bryan: Tina was making the album "Private Dancer," and her producer Carter (RIP) called me up and asked me to write a song for her, but I was making the "Reckless" album at the time and didn’t have a spare song … or did I? I asked him if she’d sing on my album and hoped to hear back.
Toward the end of making my album, I heard that Tina was coming to Vancouver as the support act for Lionel Richie. As I hadn’t heard back, I sent a copy of the song to her manager, Roger Davies, who asked if I would meet Tina after her show — which I did, and it was spectacularly. There were a lot of people backstage but I could see her hair coming down the hallway above everyone. It was unmistakable. She shuffled through the crowd, and I could hear her saying, “Where is he? Which one is he?”
Zoomer: When did you become aware of her? Were you always a fan, and why?
Bryan: I became aware of her voice from hearing "River Deep, Mountain High." There were a few female voices I loved growing up, but Janis Joplin and Tina were my main ones. Then there were Carole King and Joni Mitchell, who took me to another place. I loved Tina’s voice because, like Janis, she seemed completely unbridled.
Zoomer: When and where did you do the shoot? And, what did you want to capture about Tina in the photos?
Bryan: This shoot was quite some time ago in Switzerland. Like all things with Tina, it’s best to go with the flow. I simply set up and let her do her thing … I think there was some music playing. In seeing some of her earlier photos, I wished I’d more time to get some of her really dancing.
Zommer: What is Tina like to work with, both musically and as a photographic subject?
Bryan: It was so much fun. A couple of favourite moments were in the studio producing her Grammy Award-winning performance of "Back Where You Started" and then producing her again on a song for the film "What’s Love Got To Do With It." The song was called "Why Must We Wait Until Tonight," which is another first-class vocal performance.