Tina Turner Foreign Affair CD

Australin Budget Reissue.

Personnel: Tina Turner (vocals); Tony Joe White (guitar, harmonica, synthesizers); Dan Hartman (guitar, keyboards); Eddie Martinez, Neil Taylor, James Ralston, Gene Black, Pat Thrall, Phil Palmer, Mark Knopfler (guitar); Elliot Lewis, Nick Glennie-Smith (strings, keyboards); Gary Barnacle, Edgar Winter, Timmy Cappello (saxophone); Phil Ashley, Phillipe Saisse, Casey Young (keyboards); Jeff Bova (synthesizer); Carmine Rojas, T.M. Stephens, Rupert Hine (bass); J.T. Lewis, Art Wood, Geoff Dugmore (drums); Albert Hammond (percussion, background vocals); Danny Cummings (percussion); Lance Ellington, Tessa Niles, Sandy Stewart, David Munday, Roger Davies, Graham Lyle, Holly Knight (background vocals).
Producers include: Tina Turner, Dan Hartman, Rupert Hine, Albert Hammond, Roger Davies.
Engineers include: Chris Lord-Alge, Andrew Scarth, Mike Ging.
Recorded at The Hit Factory, New York, New York.
Personnel: Tina Turner (background vocals); Pat Thrall, Neil Taylor (guitar, slide guitar); Tony Joe White (guitar, harmonica, bass synthesizer); Eddie Martinez, Gene Black, Mark Knopfler, Phil Palmer (guitar); Dan Hartman (acoustic guitar, electric piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, drum programming, background vocals); Phillip Ashley (strings, flute, piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, bass programming); Elliot Lewis (strings, flute, keyboards); Jeff Bova (strings, horns, organ, bass synthesizer); Nick Glennie-Smith (strings, keyboards, bass synthesizer, drum programming); Philippe Saisse (flute, keyboards, chimes); Timmy Cappello, Edgar Winter, Gary Barnacle (saxophone); Rupert Hine (keyboards, drum programming, background vocals); Casey Young (keyboards); Greg Mathieson (bass synthesizer); T.M. Stevens, Carmine Rojas (bass guitar); J.T. Lewis, Art Wood, Geoff Dugmore (drums); Danny Cummings (congas, shaker); Albert Hammond (shaker, background vocals); David Munday, Graham Lyle, Holly Knight, Lance Ellington, Sandy Stewart, Tessa Niles (background vocals).
Unknown Contributor Roles: Danny Cummings; Elliot Lewis; Pat Thrall; Phillip Ashley; Philippe Saisse; Neil Taylor.
Arrangers: Roger Davies; Tina Turner.
Turner's last studio album for Capitol was produced by the late Dan Hartman of "Instant Replay" disco fame; however, this was not a retro '70s-style album. This set was comprised of 12 mature, middle-range, adult rock and pop songs. Turner tackled rock on "Steamy Windows" and "The Best," the latter a universal hit. She created fine club tracks such as "Falling Like Rain," "I Don't Wanna Lose You," and "Look Me in the Heart." Still, she cooled down long enough for a couple of gutbucket ballads in "Be Tender With Me Baby" and "Ask Me How I Feel." The most interesting cut was the scorching return to Turner's Delta roots on the flawless "Undercover Agent for the Blues," one of the finest pop-blues performances since B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone." Despite the slight musical style variations, the whole project was wrapped in an enticing pop style that gave it buoyancy and synthesis. ~ Bil Carpenter
Tina Turner's gazillion-selling last album of the '80s was, among other interesting things, a sort of affirmative action program for singer-songwriter-guitarist Tony Joe White. White had been little heard from at the time, but here he not only contributed four songs, including the characteristically swampy "Steamy Windows" (where he bounced sinuous lead guitar off Mark Knopfler's charged rhythm work) but also co-produced them. Turner herself is in sensational form throughout the album, particularly on the return to her roots that is "Undercover Agent for the Blues," and the knowingly anthemic and self-referential "The Best." The song's title is an apt review of the entire album.

Q - 3 Stars - Good