Foreign Affair - Tina Turner

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Track 12 FOREIGN AFFAIR [4.27] [Tony Joe White]

Last, but by no means least. This is one of ASIL’s faves on the album.
Drum beat with an 18-second intro. The melody is catchy and foot tapping. And me again, slow, gravelly, and powerful. The song isn’t particularly fast paced, but fast enough for me to have a few screeching episodes.
Mark Knopfler guests on this track and so you know that the guitar solo will ...
...because we are happily subjected to a couple of them. I love working working with Mark, he’s such as great guy, and really knows his strings!
Gary Barnacle keeps us fed with the Sax all throughout the verses and giving us extra on the chorus.
The lyrics are all about a holiday romance, or maybe, several holiday romances? Or maybe you don’t even have to be on holiday, the lyrics are not only the feelings felt when abroad!

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Right well, please be kind. I don't often venture into the music cats, I really don't know much about it. I know what I like, that's it!
I’m only the Queen of Rock and Roll, so whatta I know hey? To the ones of you that know the difference between quavers and semi quavers, etc, etc. I’ll tell you now. I don’t. I should, but I just go in and sing the lyrics to the best of my ability. Don’t be expecting each track dissected beat by beat, rift be rift. It ain’t gonna happen. What you will get though, is the best of ASILs ability on this op in hand. What it sounds like? Why she likes it? And why you should have this album in your collection? If at the end of this, she has failed in providing you with entertainment, usefulness and a bloody enjoyable 5 – 6 minute read. Forgive her. She tried! (In fact, I’m trying a whole new concept!! Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, for the duration of this op, ASIL will be stepping into the shoes (bloody uncomfortable they are too!!) of non other that Miss Tina Turner!!! Did you figure that out yet?

For ASIL, this was the album that started it all. She had only ever fleetingly come across me until her Dad inadvertedly taped a concert of mine (Rio 88 ~ boy was that hot?) way back in 1989. After enjoying my performance, and 160,000 other people did you know, the natural thing for her to do was to go out and buy one of my albums. She was not very experienced in the art of buying my albums so she plumped for my latest release at the time; it was called ‘Foreign Affair’. My album sold well, and I then went on to do a world tour the year after. ASIL and Princess Diana, (don’t think they came together though?) (ASIL … we didn’t!!) came and saw me in Woburn Abbey, well, her and another 100,000 fans!! I sang many of the songs from this album on the tour.

The entire length ~ 52 minutes 21, but it took days to record. My manager, Roger Davies and myself are Executive producers, and Chris Lord – Alge mixed the final cuts. Good job he did too don’t you think? I recorded all of the tracks at the Hit Factory Times Square in New York City. But Chris finished the mixing at The Grey Room, Los Angeles. My label, and the one that has stood by me from my first solo album 23 years ago is Capitol Records, and of course they distributed this album.

Track 1 STEAMY WINDOWS [4.03] [Tony Joe White]

What a way to start an album? Especially for me! Apparently I’m known for raunch. I mean, big hair, red lips, short skirts, long legs and high heels …. Where do these people get their ideas from? Even if I say so myself, my act, and it is just an act, epitomises the words ‘rock’.
I loved the image that the lyrics conjure up, and the title starts to do magic as soon as you read then. Steamy Windows …… back seat ….. sex. Whether it’s my mind? Or the minds of the general public, my fans? Don’t we always follow that pattern of thought process? Why not? We are right. It does tell of sex in the back seat. It’s not sordid. I wouldn’t have touched it if it had explicit lyrics, you’ll never hear me swearing, I have young fans too. But what I made sure the audience did get was a bluesy number. With a capital B. It’s got a real strong beat running throughout and I love how the mouth organ, or should I say the harmonica keeps making an appearance. I love the harmonica and what it stands for. You hear these instruments and straight away I’m transported straight back to Nutbush. And I know that ASIL particularly likes this input.

Steamy windows
Zero visibility
Steamy windows
Coming from the body heat.

And although the regular beat is clear also, I make sure that I don’t let it over power the lyrics. I opted to forgo the backing vocals for this track, I don’t think that they were needed

Track 2 THE BEST [5.28] [M.Chapman/H.Knight]

Wow, this is a track that should not, I repeat, should not be played quietly. This should be played at the max. Played as I sang it, with me all. It’s a strong song. The lyrics are strong. The beat, the music, is strong. It’s one that continues to be played today and can guarantee to get people dancing. The lyrics are about love. Declaring undying love to someone. Telling them they’re the best. This song is pure me. Whether I’m bragging her or not, but I can’t think of any other female artists out there today that could have done this song justice as I have? There ain’t many of my fellow artists out there that has the strength in my vocals. I knew as soon as read the lyrics, this song was mine.
The drums come in from the start and I soon come in with my strong, clear voice and take over from the power of the drum beat, again the beat is evident throughout, and there it stays. I love fast up beat songs, and usually have drums in most of my songs! Although the tempo gets faster on the chorus and the climax of verses there is always this one beat that can be heard throughout. It starts off reasonably fast, and strong but reaches giddy heights of power on the chorus.

You’re simply the best
Better than all the rest
Better than anyone
Anyone I ever met
Ohh, I’m stuck on your heart
I hang on every word you say
Oh, tear us a part, oh no, no, no
Baby I would rather be dead

We have an excellent Sax solo in here, just creating further raunch. And if possible, making the song even stronger.
This is ASILs best track on the album, and I know that it’s my most well known. I like to think that all my tracks are the best!!

Track 3 YOU KNOW WHO (IS DOING YOU KNOW WHAT) [3.45] [Tony Joe White]

A slower, but still a powerful track. The drums are as evident as ever. With the added electric guitars making a clear entrance and coming in at various points on their own, and making a great impact on the chorus.
The lyrics take a different direction. This time we have rumours of dalliance. Of love being played away, rather than at the home ground. Again, the title says it all. Back up vocals come in on the chorus and break up my voice. I sang this one low and full of grrrr, gravelly with a capital G. And the softer the backing the rougher my voice sounds

They say you know who is doing you know what
How am I supposed to feel
You know who is doing you know what
I thought our love was real

The chorus is snappy and catching. And I often find myself humming this tune when I’m putting the washing out ….. Have you seen how much Launderette’s cost nowadays??

Track 4 UNDERCOVER AGENT FOR THE BLUES [5.20] [T.J.White/L.White]

This track is ‘blues’ with a capital B. I love reverting back to my roots, and I love the low but strong beat in the background. I decided that it would make more of am impact if I said the words instead of singing them. It worked. The song is slow, and only I slightly speed it up on the chorus. It starts off with an electric guitar solo, but it quickly turns into the drumbeat that we have throughout the song.
The lyrics are confusing. I’m not going to say I know what an undercover blues is? I don’t. I just sing about them…….

He was blinded by the blackness of my long silk stockings
I was a walking with an optical illusion
This ain’t how I though it’d be
He just kept on keeping me
In a state of total confusion

Track 5 LOOK ME IN THE HEART [3.42] [T.Kelly/B.Steinburg]

Back to the land where the lyrics make sense. But still continuing with the slow but strong consistent drum beats. I decided I like the ‘low me’ and so I sing it this way here too, and I try to be as ‘gravel like’ as ever. The lyrics are meaningful and tell a story. Of a dying love between people. Of course, I ain’t singing of experience you understand, I’m very happy with my Edwin.

Last night, we tried to touch
But we never got close
Last night we tried to talk
The words got caught in our mouths
We finally fell asleep
We couldn’t have been further apart.

There is an excellent Sax solo performed by Timmy Cappello. He used to be a regular member of my band, and toured with me several times. But he went onto other things, I won’t say bigger and better, I mean, he was working with me, and that’s as big and as good as it gets baby! He can also be found in the movie ‘Lost Boys’ playing the Sax. Did you see that body? And to think, I was getting sweaty with him almost every night …….!!
Also, there is a great Flute solo by Phillipe Saisse. A solo that many people would not have expected to find in one of my song’s, but Ike (b******d) always told me to surprise the fans. It worked.

Track 6 BE TENDER WITH ME BABY [4.18] [A.Hammond/H.Knight]

Straight in with the beat that this song follows through out, but as ever, it’s clear and but doesn’t drown out my voice, can’t have that can we? My voice is as strong and at times I chose to bring in my ‘screech’. I can hit some fantastic notes when the banshee in me takes over?? For anyone who knows my music, will know I do this with perfection. The song is reasonably slow and at times, I again decided to say the lyrics instead of sing them, but then when the audiences is least expecting it I come back with speed and power at the earliest opportunity. The lyrics are strong, and tell a story. This time we have a woman in love but wanting to take her time. She’s asking her man to be gentle. She’s been hurt. She needs time.

You’ve got the right to tell me it’s all over
It isn’t like me to be begging you
Don’t let go, don’t let go
Just stay with me another day
When I’m not myself
Please understand me
I’m so confused I don’t know what to do

We have backing vocals helping on the chorus here. But they are light and to be honest with you, hardly noticeable. Well, don’t want them to drown me out do we?

Track 7 YOU CAN’T STOP ME LOVING YOU [4.00] [A.Hammond/H.Knight]

A faster song with a catchier tune all together. The beat is as evident as ever.
It’s straight in with the consistent beat again, and there’s a 20-second intro (time to get my breath back when doing this live, my fans love this sung live!!) until I come in.
But come in I do, and this time I go for the screeching again, although I leave that mainly for the chorus cos I know that that’s the time in the song when I start to whip the song, and the audience up in a frenzy. There are a few instrumental pauses in this track, consisting mainly of electric guitars. The lyrics sing of a woman declaring undying love.

You can run and you can hide
You can tell me you’re untrue
You can play around with my feelings
Say you’ve found somebody new
But there’s one thing you can’t do
You can’t stop me loving you

The words, along with the tune are catchy and totally ‘singalongable’.

Track 8 ASK ME HOW I FEEL [4.46] [A.Hammond/H.Knight]

A 23 second intro on this one. Drums. Guitars. Acoustics. And then me. A faster paced track which requires faster lyrics. My voice is as strong and as powerful as ever, but alternating between strong and softer song lyrics. I do the change over is quick, it’s not very frequent but they are prominent. At one point I think talking the lyrics brings home the emotion and power of the words, don’t you? The lyrics tell of a woman wanting to know why she’s ignored by her man.

Oh, I’m waiting in the storm
Ask me how I feel
When you keep me hanging on
Why don’t you ask me how I feel
The waters run so deep
Ask me how I feel

There is another excellent Sax solo from Timmy Cappello.
Once again I decide to bring in my screech and give the chorus all that I can, and all that it demands. And boy, does it demand a lot?

Track 9 FALLING LIKE RAIN [4.03] [D.Mundy/S.Stewart]

Beat. Beat. Beat. Faster and louder than previous tracks. At one point almost drowning out the lyrics.
The lyrics are catchy, telling the us of a woman’s love for her man is so deep, that she is liking to the weather (????)

Hey, I’m falling like rain
Oh I love ya, love, love ya
Falling like rain
Oh I, I’m coming down around ya
I will always think about you

Don’t think I have heard of love being likened to rain before? But no matter. The beat is strong and the lyrics catchy. This is a great song. And also the second set of lyrics that I have been given that has something to do with the weather, my other water related hit was I Can’t Stand The Rain, and is along the same lines as this, fast and strong lyrics. I do good on this one!

Track 10 I DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU [4.20] [A.Hammond/G.Lyle]

With all of the previous tracks on this album, the drumbeats are evident. That’s not to say that they are all you can hear, they’re not. You know that they are there and although they haven’t been relegated to the background, they do nothing to detract from the song. I make the song what it is.
This is neither a slow nor a fast paced number. I decided to cut out the screeching, or powerfulness in this track. The lyrics and melody are as such that it doesn’t need either.
As with the last couple or so, we have a great Sax solo, this time coming from Greg Mathieson (Tim was busy) The lyrics are, telling us of an older woman that has been playing the dating game, and has come across someone that she want’s to keep hold of. Not me, I have Edwin.

Women who have made mistakes
Are a little afraid, they don’t like taking chances
She will play the waiting game
She’s never impressed by those manly advances
I know, I’ve only just met you
Baby, I should know better
But when you look at me that way
There’s something inside that’s so right

Track 11 NOT ENOUGH ROMANCE [4.04] [Dan Hartman]

The penultimate track on this album.
I know I keep saying it, but it isn’t my fault really, it’s the tracks,….. there is always an evident drum beat in them!! This one is no different either. Yep, it’s there. And yep, it isn’t faint and in the back, it stands out and somehow trains your foot to tap along to the beat. I love the drum beats. It gives me the structure to build my voice and power on. And this song is no different, my voice is as ever strong, and isn’t shadowed by the drums. Another middle of the road number for me with regards to the speed of the song. I’ve kept the screeching and the powerful finishing until the end of the chorus where it speeds up slightly.
With a 20-second intro, your foot has plenty of time to find its rhythm (and I have plenty of time to change costume if I’m touring)
The lyrics and tune are catchy, and with evident backing vocals on the chorus. We learn that as the title says, there’s not enough romance. Not just in the relationship being sung about, but in the whole world. I’m a Buddhist. There is no way near as much love in this world as there should be

There’s not enough romance in this world
There’s not enough romance in this world
There’s too many people thinking only of themselves
You’ve got to give love for its return

I love the lyrics of this song, they give me hope that maybe we might live in a world where all in at are loved?

Track 12 FOREIGN AFFAIR [4.27] [Tony Joe White]

Last, but by no means least. This is one of ASIL’s faves on the album.
Drum beat with an 18-second intro. The melody is catchy and foot tapping. And me again, slow, gravelly, and powerful. The song isn’t particularly fast paced, but fast enough for me to have a few screeching episodes.
Mark Knopfler guests on this track and so you know that the guitar solo will be great, and great it is. Great they are, because we are happily subjected to a couple of them. I love working working with Mark, he’s such as great guy, and really knows his strings!
Gary Barnacle keeps us fed with the Sax all throughout the verses and giving us extra on the chorus.
The lyrics are all about a holiday romance, or maybe, several holiday romances? Or maybe you don’t even have to be on holiday, the lyrics are not only the feelings felt when abroad!

A one in a million chance
You know the moment you cross over the line
A casual glance
And no one has to read between the lines

Excellent stuff this one!!

This is a great album, and one of my finest achievements, of which, there has been many since I left that scumbag Ike, but that’s another story another time…………..
This has been fun, I’ve enjoyed giving you an insight to my album, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I wonder if ASIL will let me do this again some time??

Tina Turner
Xx

<ASIL says ……… now that she can get a word in …………. Boy, can that Tina talk hey?>

Anyway, new concept, having the artist review their album! Does it work? Was it useful?
Well, I’m sure that if it wasn’t, somebody will pop back and comment accordingly…………
And if it does work, well, who knows, maybe Tina will be back???

(Now gonna sit back and wait for the inevitable comment ….. It’s not helpful cos you didn’t review it …. Tina did!!??!!)

[Oh and some people don't think you need lyrics in a CD review, I think ya do!]  

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