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A couple of weeks prior to our encounter in 1982, I had the opportunity to watch Tina Turner perform in London. As a devoted fan, I was enthralled. Despite my reputation for creating electronic music, I had an appreciation for all genres and her rendition of “River Deep, Mountain High” was my ultimate favorite. However, at the time, she did not have a music contract and relied on the “chicken-in-a-basket” tour in America to sustain her financially. It was quite remarkable – she was able to earn a decent income through this, but it was not something she wanted to do for the rest of her career.
My involvement in the project was like a perfect alignment of events. I had been working on an album featuring old songs in new arrangements, but James Brown had pulled out at the last minute due to his lawyers. Feeling frustrated, I was discussing my predicament at the Virgin Records office when the head of A&R, who happened to know Tina Turner’s new manager Roger Davies, overheard me. The next thing I knew, Glenn Gregory and I from Heaven 17 were on a flight to LA to meet Tina Turner in her own home. The idea of two inexperienced guys from Sheffield meeting such a talented and accomplished icon seemed unbelievable.
Tina was a kind and hospitable host, offering us tea and biscuits. Her home was a cozy wooden ranch-style house in the hills, though it wasn’t the largest. Despite her recent divorce from her abusive husband Ike in 1978, she appeared at ease with herself. She didn’t share too much but also didn’t shy away from discussing difficult topics. She revealed to me the challenges of being in a relationship with Ike, including his drug addiction and how he would force everyone in the studio to consume piles of cocaine until it was gone, with only him indulging.
Reworded:
Working in the studio with her was an amazing experience from the beginning. When she first entered, she immediately went to where the band was and got right to work. We recorded both Ball of Confusion and her 1983 comeback single, Let’s Stay Together, which I produced, in just one take. It’s hard to put into words, but it was like listening to a familiar record being created right before our eyes – she was that talented. We all knew that we had created something special that would stand the test of time. I have never had an experience like that again in my life.
When we played on Channel 4’s The Tube with Tina, her long experience of being live on stage and TV was obvious so quickly. She knew how to work every camera angle, and I realised that her humility was a large part of her ability to connect with an audience on a gigantic scale. She was never someone who’d go on stage and say “Hello, Houston.” She wanted to have a direct personal connection with every single person watching her concert, or at home watching her on a small screen. You could see her looking out for them.
She requested that we compose songs for her upcoming album, ultimately known as Private Dancer, which went on to sell millions. However, we were unable to fulfill her request as we were fully focused on our own project at the time and felt intimidated by the thought of writing for her. Instead, we proposed that she cover songs such as David Bowie’s 1984, which she did exceptionally well. Do I wish we had written for her? No, but I do wish we had received the royalties!
Tina clearly had a desire to challenge herself and claim the power of rock’n’roll, a traditionally masculine theme. And she succeeded. Unlike many current pop stars, she did not become entangled in celebrity culture or seek self-promotion. She did not seek attention in the media, yet people were naturally drawn to her.
We stayed connected throughout the years – I would attend her performances in London and we would greet each other. Our most recent encounter was in 2018, briefly, at the debut of Tina, the musical. It was a somber occasion as she was not feeling well. However, before that, I attended her second-to-last show at the O2 in London back in 2009. She put on a full two-and-a-half-hour performance with dancing and singing. I was amazed by her energy at almost 70 years old – and later learned that she had been battling the flu.
I’m incredibly proud to have been part of that journey as one of hundreds of people who helped her. I still have her letters. Funnily enough, Roger Davies’s office got in touch the other day – they wanted to send a letter from her to me that they’d found recently. I bet it’s a good one.
Source: theguardian.com
