Private Dancer (Tina Turner song)

"Private Dancer" is a song written by British musician Mark Knopfler and recorded by singer Tina Turner, first released in October 1984. The song was intended to be for Knopfler’s band Dire Straits, but was never fully recorded or released by the band. He ended up giving the song to Turner, with her recording being produced by John Carter for her fifth solo album of the same name and released as the album's fifth single. The track reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the US R&B chart. The song had moderate international success, reaching number 26 on the UK Singles Chart.

"Private Dancer"
U.S. vinyl release picture sleeve
Single by Tina Turner
from the album Private Dancer
B-side	"Keep Your Hands Off My Baby or Nutbush City Limits (Live)"
Released	October 1984 (EU)[1] November 5, 1984 (UK)[2]
Recorded	1983
Length	7:11 (album version) 3:57 (single edit)
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Mark Knopfler
Producer(s)	Carter
Tina Turner singles chronology
"Better Be Good to Me" (1984) "Private Dancer" (1984) "I Can't Stand the Rain" (1985)
Music video
"Private Dancer" on YouTube

Background

The song was initially intended for Dire Straits' 1982 album Love over Gold. The instruments were recorded, but Mark Knopfler considered the lyrics unsuitable for a male singer, so the track was dropped from the project.^[3][4] Legal restrictions prevented the original recording being used by Tina Turner, so two years later it was remade by members of Dire Straits (minus Knopfler). Terry Williams replaced the original drummer, Pick Withers. Lead guitar was performed by Jeff Beck. Turner told DJ Roger Scott:

Roger [Turner's manager] knows Knopfler's manager Ed Bicknell, and Bicknell said, 'I think Mark has a song that could fit Tina, that he never used because he thought it was a song for a girl.' Mark produced the song and sang it, and after he did it he felt that it was not a song for a man, so it was just sitting on the shelf… He gave me the track and I copied it with Dire Straits people – most of them. At first I was going to try to just put my voice on Mark's tapes, but there was a record company problem, so we got Mark's musicians, Dire Straits, and went into the studio... Someone said, 'Why did you select "Private Dancer"? It's a song about a hooker. Is it because you've been a hooker?' And I was shocked... I didn't see her as a hooker... I can be naive about some of these things. But actually the answer is no. I took it because it was an unusual song. I'd never sung a song like it. And I wish you could hear Mark's version of it. He's got a very English-sounding voice... and it was really quite beautiful.... A very arty song... so I put the old soulful touch on it.^[5]

Knopfler once said the song was ruined due to "them drafting in Jeff Beck to play the world's second-ugliest guitar solo".^[6]

The song shares the same tune as the song "Love Over Gold" which had been recorded by Dire Straits two years previously and later released as a live single.

Critical reception

The Daily Vault's Mark Millan wrote, "It's a sexy, dark track that gives the album an edge and also a chance for Turner's powerful sexuality to sparkle."^[7]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Private Dancer", featuring dance choreography by Arlene Phillips, was directed by Brian Grant and filmed at the Rivoli Ballroom in Crofton Park in London.^[8] It features Turner as a disillusioned taxi dancer, although the song has also been interpreted as being sung from the perspective of a prostitute.^[9] The video was later published on Turner's official YouTube channel in March 2009. It has amassed more than 40 million views as of June 2023.^[10]

Personnel

• Tina Turner – vocals
• Jeff Beck – guitar solo
• John Illsley – bass guitar
• Alan Clark – keyboards
• Hal Lindes – guitar
• Terry Williams – drums
• Mel Collins – tenor saxophone
• Julian Diggle and Carter – percussion
• Norman Seeff – cover photography (US)
• Peter Ashworth – cover photography (UK)

Versions and mixes

• 7-inch edit – 3:54
• Album version – 7:11
• The album version was remastered in 2015. The song remained the same length and is titled "Private Dancer – 2015 Remaster."

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1984–1985) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] 21 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 5 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] 11 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[14] 11 Ireland (IRMA)[15] 14 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 4 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 5 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[19] 6 UK Singles (OCC)[20] 26 US Billboard Hot 100[21] 7 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] 30 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[23] 3 West Germany (Official German Charts)[24] 20 US Cash Box Top 100[25] 8 Chart (2023) Peak position Hungary (Single Top 40)[26] 32

Year-end charts Chart (1984) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[27] 74 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28] 24 Chart (1985) Position US Billboard Hot 100[29] 93 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[29] 39

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom 1984 release	—	250,000[30]
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] 2004 release	Silver	200,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello recorded a cover version of the song for her album Ventriloquism, released on March 16, 2018.^[32]

In 2015, Canadian electronic musician and performance artist Peaches performed a piano version of the song on The Strombo Show at the home of George Stroumboulopoulos. Peaches had previously played the song live at different concerts.^[33]

References

1. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
2. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 48.
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. "Song Search for "private dancer"". AllMusic. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
5. Pidgeon, John: Classic Albums: Interviews from the Radio One Series (BBC, 1991): pp178-179
6. "The worst guitar solo in the world". stuff. February 4, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
7. Millan, Mark (February 8, 2011). "Private Dancer – Tina Turner". The Daily Vault. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
8. "Tina Turner – Private Dancer". Discogs. 1985. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
9. Shepherd, John; Horn, David; Laing, Dave; Oliver, Paul; Wicke, Peter (May 8, 2003). Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Part 1 Performance and Production. A&C Black. p. 664. ISBN 978-1-84714-472-0.
10. "Tina Turner – Private Dancer". YouTube. March 13, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
11. David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. Australia: St Ives, N.S.W. : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
12. "Tina Turner – Private Dancer" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9647." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
14. "Singlet 1985-02 helmikuu" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
15. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Private Dancer". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
16. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Tina Turner" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
17. "Tina Turner – Private Dancer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
18. "Tina Turner – Private Dancer". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
19. Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
20. "Tina Turner: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
21. "Tina Turner Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
22. "Tina Turner Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
23. "Tina Turner Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
24. "Tina Turner - Top Titel" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
25. "Cash Box" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
26. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
27. "Jaaroverzichten 1984" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
28. "Jaaroverzichten - Single 1984" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
29. "The Year in Music: 1985" (PDF). Billboard. December 28, 1985. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
30. Waack, William (June 20, 1984). "Tina Turner Da A Volta Por Cima". Jornal do Brasil (in Portuguese). p. 36. Retrieved July 1, 2023 – via National Library of Brazil.
31. "British single certifications – Tina Turner – Private Dancer". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
32. "Review: Meshell Ndegeocello, 'Ventriloquism'". NPR.org. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
33. "Peaches covers 'Private Dancer' – and it's beautiful". DangerousMinds. December 13, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2018.