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Foreign Affair

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This article is about the Tina Turner album. For other uses, see Foreign affairs (disambiguation).

Foreign Affair
Studio album by
Tina Turner
ReleasedSeptember 18, 1989
Recorded1988–1989
StudioThe Hit Factory (New York, New York, US); Pathé-Marconi Studios (Paris, France)
GenrePop rock
Length52:16
LabelCapitol
Producer
Tina Turner chronology
Tina Live in Europe
(1988) 		Foreign Affair
(1989) 		Simply the Best
(1991)
Singles from Foreign Affair
  1. "The Best"
    Released: August 21, 1989[1]
  2. "I Don't Wanna Lose You"
    Released: November 6, 1989 (UK)
  3. "Steamy Windows"
    Released: November 1989 (US)
  4. "Look Me in the Heart"
    Released: March 24, 1990 (US)
  5. "Foreign Affair"
    Released: May 1990 (EU)
  6. "Be Tender with Me Baby"
    Released: October 1, 1990
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
USA Today(favorable)[3]
The Vancouver Sun[4]

Foreign Affair is the seventh solo studio album by Tina Turner, released on September 18, 1989, through Capitol Records.[5] It was Turner's third album release after her massively successful comeback five years earlier with Private Dancer and her third and last album with the label.[6] Although the album was not a major success in Turner's native United States, it was a huge international hit, especially in Europe. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, her first number one album there. Dan Hartman produced most of the tracks on the album, including the hit single "The Best", which has gone on to become one of Turner's signature songs.[7]

Composition

[edit]

Foreign Affair falls under the adult contemporary genre[8] and features a diverse range of musical styles, from pop-rock anthems ("The Best", "I Don't Wanna Lose You") to bluesy tracks ("Undercover Agent for the Blues") and power ballads ("Be Tender With Me Baby"). The album features collaborations with prominent musicians, including saxophone solos by Gary Barnacle on at least three tracks and guitar work by Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler, who co-wrote Turner's hit "Private Dancer", on the title track.[9]

Commercial performance

[edit]

While Foreign Affair did not perform as well as Turner's previous albums Private Dancer and Break Every Rule in the US, where it failed to crack the Top 30 in the Billboard 200, it was a worldwide hit, selling over six million copies.[10][11] In the UK alone the album sold over 1.5 million copies entering the UK Albums Chart at number one (Turner's first album to do so there) and staying in Top 100 for a year and a half.[12] The album also reached number one in numerous other countries including Germany and Sweden and topped the overall European Chart for four weeks.[citation needed]

In 2021, Foreign Affair was released as a box set, which includes a previously unreleased demo of "The Best".[13]

Single releases

[edit]

Six tracks from the album were released as singles, most of which became hits in various parts of Europe and, to a lesser extent, in the US. "The Best" (US No. 15; UK No. 5) was released as the first single propelling the sales of the album.[7] This was followed by "I Don't Wanna Lose You" (UK No. 8), which was released in Europe only. The album's third single (second in the US) was the opening track, "Steamy Windows" (US. No. 39; UK No. 13), which earned Turner a Grammy nomination.

Three additional singles released in various territories were the title track "Foreign Affair" (Continental Europe only), the ballad "Look Me in the Heart" (No. 8 on the US Adult Contemporary chart; UK No. 31) and the rock ballad "Be Tender with Me Baby" (UK No. 28).

Track listing

[edit]
Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength
1."Steamy Windows"Tony Joe WhiteDan Hartman4:03
2."The Best"
5:28
3."You Know Who (Is Doing You Know What)"T. WhiteHartman3:45
4."Undercover Agent for the Blues"
  • T. White
  • Leann White
Hartman5:20
5."Look Me in the Heart"
Hartman3:42
6."Be Tender with Me Baby"
Hartman4:18
7."You Can't Stop Me Loving You"
  • Hammond
  • Knight
Hartman4:00
8."Ask Me How I Feel"
  • Hammond
  • Knight
  • Hartman
  • T. Turner
4:46
9."Falling Like Rain"
Rupert Hine4:03
10."I Don't Wanna Lose You"
4:20
11."Not Enough Romance"HartmanHartman4:04
12."Foreign Affair"T. White
  • Davies
  • T. White
4:27
2021 expanded edition bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength
1."Bold and Reckless"
Hine3:48
2."Stronger Than the Wind"
4:02
3."Steel Claw" (live)Paul BradyTerry Britten4:43
4."Private Dancer" (live)Mark KnopflerJohn Carter4:55
5."Be Tender with Me Baby" (live)
  • Hammond
  • Knight
Hartman6:50
6."The Best" (Extended Muscle Mix)
  • Chapman
  • Knight
  • Hartman
  • T. Turner
  • John Luongo[a]
5:28
7."Steamy Windows" (12" vocal mix)T. White
  • Hartman
  • Justin Strauss[b]
  • Daniel Abraham[b]
6:27
8."Foreign Affair" (Heartbeat Mix)T. White
4:24
9."Look Me in the Heart" (12" remix)
  • Kelly
  • Steinberg
  • Hartman
  • Bryan "Chuck" New[b]
5:26
10."The Best" (Extended Mighty Mix)
  • Chapman
  • Knight
  • Hartman
  • T. Turner
  • Luongo[a]
6:37
11."Steamy Windows" (12" house dub mix)T. White
6:51
12."Foreign Affair" (One in a Million Club Mix)T. White
  • Davies
  • T. White
  • Pettibone[c]
6:54
13."Steamy Windows" (12" dub mix)T. White
6:37
14."Look Me in the Heart" (instrumental)
  • Kelly
  • Steinberg
  • Hartman
  • Bryan 'Chuck' New[b]
3:39
15."Foreign Affair" (Heartbeat Instrumantal)T. White
  • Davies
  • T. White
  • Pettibone[c]
4:25
16."The Best" (demo)
  • Chapman
  • Knight
Rick Nowels4:54
2021 deluxe edition third bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength
1."Steamy Windows" (live)T. WhiteHartman7:04
2."Typical Male" (live)
  • Britten
  • Lyle
Hartman4:47
3."Foreign Affair" (live)T. White
  • Davies
  • Hartman
4:11
4."Undercover Agent for the Blues" (live)
  • T. White
  • L. White
Hartman5:07
5."Ask Me How I Feel" (live)
  • Hammond
  • Knight
  • Hartman
  • T. Turner
4:18
6."We Don't Need Another Hero" (live)
  • Britten
  • Lyle
Britten4:42
7."Private Dancer" (live)KnopflerCarter7:20
8."Nutbush City Limits" (live)T. TurnerIke Turner4:18
9."Addicted to Love" (live)Robert PalmerJohn Hudson5:36
2021 deluxe edition fourth bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength
1."The Best" (live)
  • Chapman
  • Knight
  • Hartman
  • T. Turner
5:47
2."I Don't Wanna Lose You" (live)
  • Hammond
  • Lyle
  • Davies
  • Lyle
  • Hammond
5:45
3."What's Love Got to Do with It" (live)
  • Britten
  • Lyle
Britten6:33
4."Let's Stay Together" (live)
7:28
5."Proud Mary" (live)John Fogerty
9:30
6."Better Be Good to Me" (live)
Hine11:28
7."Be Tender with Me Baby" (live)
  • Hammond
  • Knight
Hartman7:01
2021 deluxe edition fifth bonus disc (DVD)
No.TitleDirectorsLength
1."Do You Want Some Action?" (live in Barcelona 1990)Egbert Van Hees100:00
2."Foreign Affair" (music video)Paula Walker4:07
3."Look Me in the Heart" (music video)Walker3:36
4."The Best" (music video)Lol Creme4:09
5."Steamy Windows" (music video)Andy Morahan4:02
6."Be Tender with Me Baby" (music video)Nick Frye4:32
7."I Don't Wanna Lose You" (music video)Dominic Sena4:15

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies additional producer
  • ^[b] signifies remix
  • ^[c] signifies post-production and remix

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

  • Tina Turner – lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (3, 7, 8, 10), arrangements (2, 8)
  • Dan Hartman – electric piano (1, 3, 4), organ (1, 4), keyboards (2, 3, 11), acoustic guitar (2, 6, 8, 11), backing vocals (2, 5), percussion programming (5), Moog bass (11), drum programming (11)
  • Jeff Bova – horn section (1, 4, 5), synth bass (3), organ (4), strings (5)
  • Phil Ashley – keyboards (2, 7), bass pulse (2), organ (6), synthesizers (6), strings (6, 7, 8), acoustic piano (8), flute (8)
  • Elliot Lewis – additional keyboards (2, 8), strings (2, 8), flute (11)
  • Philippe Saisse – additional keyboards (2, 3, 6, 8), slap bass (3), flute solo (5), keyboard mallet and chimes (7)
  • Rupert Hine – keyboards (9), bass (9), drum programming (9), backing vocals (9)
  • Nick Glennie-Smith – keyboards (10, 12), strings (10, 12), synth bass (12), drum programming (12), bell tree (12)
  • Casey Young – keyboards (10)
  • Greg Mathieson – synth bass (10)
  • Eddie Martinez – rhythm guitar (1, 3, 4), all guitars (5)
  • Neil Taylor – slide guitar (1), guitar solo (1)
  • Tony Joe White – lead guitar (1, 3, 4, 12), rhythm guitar (1, 3, 4, 12), harmonica (1, 3), synth bass (1, 4)
  • Gene Black – rhythm guitar (2, 7, 8), lead guitar (6, 7), guitar solo (6), guitar (10)
  • James Ralston – rhythm guitar (2, 6, 7, 8), guitar (10)
  • Pat Thrall – guitar solo (2), additional lead guitar fills (6), slide guitar (8), electric guitar (11)
  • Phil Palmer – guitars (9)
  • Mark Knopfler – guitars (12)
  • Carmine Rojas – bass guitar (1, 4, 5)
  • T. M. Stevens – bass guitar (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11)
  • J. T. Lewis – drums (1, 3, 4, 5)
  • Art Wood – drums (2, 6, 7, 8)
  • Geoff Dugmore – drums (10)
  • Danny Cummings – percussion (3, 4, 7), shaker (5), congas (7)
  • Albert Hammond – shaker (10), backing vocals (10)
  • Gary Barnacle – all saxophones (1, 12), saxophone solo (10)
  • Edgar Winter – saxophone solo (2)
  • Tim Cappello – saxophone solo (5, 8)
  • Roger Davies – arrangements (5)
  • Lance Ellington – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11)
  • Tessa Niles – backing vocals (2, 3, 5–8, 11)
  • David Munday – backing vocals (9)
  • Sandy Stewart – backing vocals (9)
  • Holly Knight – backing vocals (10)
  • Graham Lyle – backing vocals (10)

Production

  • Dan Hartman – producer (1–8, 11)[7][14]
  • Tina Turner – executive producer, producer (2, 8)[15]
  • Rupert Hine – producer (9)
  • Roger Davies – executive producer, producer (10, 12)
  • Albert Hammond – producer (10)
  • Graham Lyle – producer (10)
  • Tony Joe White – producer (12)[16]

Technical

  • Chris Lord-Alge – recording engineer (1–8, 11), mixing (all tracks)
  • Andrew Scarth – recording engineer (9)
  • Mike Ging – recording engineer (10, 12)
  • Tommy Vicari – recording engineer (10)
  • Nick Froome – recording engineer (12)
  • Vincent Frerebeau – additional engineer
  • John Lee – additional engineer
  • Dave O'Donnell – additional engineer
  • James Allen-Jones – assistant engineer
  • Darren Allison – assistant engineer
  • Lee Curle – assistant engineer
  • Tim Leitner – assistant engineer
  • Paul Logus – assistant engineer
  • Ray Pyle – assistant engineer
  • David Scott – assistant engineer
  • Elliot Singerman – assistant engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering

Studios

Other credits

  • Bill Burks – art direction
  • Tommy Steele – art direction
  • Glenn Sakamoto – design
  • Herb Ritts – center photography
  • Peter Lindbergh – photography

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Certifications and sales for Foreign Affair
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[52] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[53] 3× Platinum 150,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[54] Platinum 100,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[55] 2× Platinum 200,000[55]
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[56] Platinum 86,895[56]
France (SNEP)[57] 2× Gold 200,000*
Germany (BVMI)[59] 2× Platinum 1,200,000[58]
Italy (FIMI)[60] 2× Platinum 500,000[60]
Netherlands (NVPI)[61] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[62] Gold 7,500^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[63] Platinum 100,000^
Sweden (GLF)[64] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[65] 4× Platinum 200,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[66] 5× Platinum 1,500,000^
United States (RIAA)[67] Gold 500,000^
Summaries
Worldwide — 6,000,000[10]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 847. ISBN 9780862415419.
  2. ^ Bil Carpenter (September 13, 1989). "Foreign Affair - Tina Turner | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  3. ^ "The Listening Room". USA Today. October 19, 1989.
  4. ^ Mackie, John (October 7, 1989). "Recordings". The Vancouver Sun.
  5. ^ "Music and Media" (PDF). p. 18.
  6. ^ Foreign Affair - Tina Turner | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved July 22, 2021
  7. ^ a b c "Revisiting Tina Turner's 'Foreign Affair' (1989) | Retrospective Tribute". Albumism. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  8. ^ "Rediscover Tina Turner's 'Foreign Affair' (1989) | Tribute". Albumism. September 11, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Rescue, Pop (September 30, 2015). "Review: "Foreign Affair" by Tina Turner (CD, 1989)". Pop Rescue. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Dan Hartman Dies; Songwriter Was 43". The New York Times. April 7, 1994. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  11. ^ "Tina Turner". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  12. ^ "Foreign Affair | Full Official Chart History (OCC)". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  13. ^ Marchese, Joe (June 3, 2021). "Better Than All the Rest: Tina Turner's 'Foreign Affair' Set for Box Set Release - The Second Disc". The Second Disc. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  14. ^ Schoemer, Karen, ed. (December 1989). Spins: Tina Turner, Foreign Affair, Capitol. SPIN Media LLC.
  15. ^ Norment, Lynn (November 1989). Rich, Free and In Control: The 'Foreign Affairs' of Tina Turner. Ebony.
  16. ^ Erlewine, Michael (1997). All Music Guide to Country: The Experts' Guide to the Best Recordings in Country Music. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-0-87930-475-1.
  17. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Tina Turner – Foreign Affair". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
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  44. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1989". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved July 31, 2021.
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  48. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1990" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  49. ^ "Topp 40 Album Winter 1990" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
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  51. ^ "1990 Top 100 Albums". Music Week. March 2, 1991. p. 39. ISSN 0265-1548.
  52. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1990 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  53. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Tina Turner – Foreign Affair" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  54. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Tina Turner – Foreign Affair". Music Canada.
  55. ^ a b "Tina Turner receives a Danish double-platinum award" (PDF). Music & Media. June 30, 1990. p. 13. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  56. ^ a b "Tina Turner" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  57. ^ "French album certifications – Tina Turner – Foreign Affair" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved November 15, 2021. Select TINA TURNER and click OK. 
  58. ^ Mooij, Thessa (April 6, 1996). "Soul Empress Keeps Rejuvenating" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 11. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  59. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Tina Turner; 'Foreign Affair')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  60. ^ a b "Foreign Affair - 2x Platinum in Italy" (PDF). Music & Media. June 23, 1990. p. 12. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  61. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Tina Turner – Foreign Affair" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Foreign Affair in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1990 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  62. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Tina Turner – Foreign Affair". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  63. ^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
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  65. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Foreign Affair')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
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