Tina Turner's Foreign Affair is about to get a lot bigger. The stature certainly befits the artist who was recently voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo performer; her Broadway musical Tina is scheduled to resume performances on October 8 and the HBO documentary of the same name is currently streaming. On July 16, Rhino and Parlophone will revisit Turner's 1989 album in a variety of formats including a 4CD/DVD Super Deluxe Edition and 2CD and 2LP Deluxe Editions.
Tina's seventh solo album proved that the superstar was, indeed, simply "The Best." The LP, originally issued on the Capitol label, welcomed an eclectic array of songwriters and producers including "Swamp Fox" Tony Joe White, Dan Hartman, Albert Hammond, Mike Chapman, Holly Knight, Graham Lyle, Tom Kelly, and Billy Steinberg. While the U.S. didn't greet the album as warmly as its predecessors Private Dancer and Break Every Rule (it peaked just outside of the top 30 of the Billboard 200), it was an international smash with sales of over six million units. It entered the U.K. Albums Chart at No. 1 and also topped the charts in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Six singles became worldwide hits, too, including Tony Joe White's "Steamy Windows" (No. 13 U.K./No. 39 U.S.) and "Foreign Affair" (No. 8 Finland), Hammond and Lyle's "I Don't Wanna Lose You" (U.K. No. 8), Kelly and Steinberg's "Look Me in the Heart" (No. 4 U.S. AC/No. 31 U.K.), and Hammond and Knight's "Be Tender with Me, Baby" (No. 28 U.K.). But the most enduring song on Foreign Affair remains Mike Chapman and Holly Knight's "The Best." Bonnie Tyler introduced the uplifting anthem in 1988 but producer Dan Hartman sensed its suitability for Turner. He brought along his old friend Edgar Winter to add the saxophone solo. Showcasing Turner's powerful rasp at its most triumphantly joyful, "The Best" earned top 5 status in the U.K. and sixteen other countries as well as reaching No. 15 stateside. It's re-emerged on various charts in 2010 (when it reprised its No. 5 placement on the U.K. Singles Chart), 2013, and 2017.
The Super Deluxe Edition of Foreign Affair features the remastered original album on CD 1. Disc 2 has a selection of period remixes and B-sides plus a previously unreleased demo of "The Best." The third and fourth CDs premiere the audio from the concert film Do You Want Some Action! Live in Barcelona, originally issued on home video in 1990. The expansive setlist features a number of tracks from Foreign Affair plus Turner signature songs such as "Proud Mary," "Nutbush City Limits," "Private Dancer," and "What's Love Got to Do with It." The fifth disc in the set, a DVD, has the video for Live in Barcelona plus music videos for six of the album's songs.
Will this new box set be "better than all the rest"? You can find out when it's released on July 16. 2CD and 2LP versions will also be available (with the latter on standard black vinyl or white vinyl exclusive to Rhino's online storefront). You'll find pre-order links and the track listing with full discography just below!
Tina Turner, Foreign Affair: Deluxe Edition (Parlophone/Rhino (U.K.), 2021)
4CD/1DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (white variant)
Disc 1: Original album (released as Capitol 91873, 1989)
- Steamy Windows
- The Best
- You Know Who (is Doing You Know What)
- Undercover Agent for the Blues
- Look Me in the Heart
- Be Tender with Me Baby
- You Can't Stop Me Loving You
- Ask Me How I Feel
- Falling Like Rain
- I Don't Wanna Lose You
- Not Enough Romance
- Foreign Affair
Disc 2: B-sides, Remixes and Unreleased Demo
- Bold and Reckless
- Stronger Than the Wind
- Steel Claw (Live)
- Private Dancer (Live)
- Be Tender with Me Baby (Live)
- The Best (Extended Muscle Mix)
- Steamy Windows (12" Vocal Mix)
- Foreign Affair (Shep Pettibone Heartbeat Mix)
- Look Me in the Heart (12" Remix)
- The Best (Extended Mighty Mix)
- Steamy Windows (Justin Strauss 12" House Dub Mix)
- Foreign Affair (Shep Pettibone One in a Million Club Mix)
- Steamy Windows (12" Dub Mix)
- Look Me in the Heart (Instrumental)
- Foreign Affair (Shep Pettibone Heartbeat Instrumental)
- The Best (Demo)
Track 1 from "The Best" U.K. 12" - Capitol 12CL 543, 1989
Track 2 from "I Don't Wanna Lose You" U.K. 12" - Capitol 12CL 553, 1989
Tracks 3, 9 and 14 from "Look Me in the Heart" U.K. 12" - Capitol 12CL 584, 1990
Track 4 from "Foreign Affair" U.K. single - Capitol 06 2038587, 1990
Track 5 from "Be Tender with Me Baby" U.K. single - Capitol CL 593, 1991
Tracks 6 and 10 from "The Best" U.S. promo CD single - Capitol DPRO-79855, 1989
Tracks 7, 11 and 13 from "Steamy Windows" 12" - Capitol V-15543, 1989
Tracks 8, 12 and 15 from "Foreign Affair" European 12" - Capitol 060 20 3858 6, 1990
Discs 3-4: Do You Want Some Action! Live from Barcelona
- Steamy Windows
- Typical Male
- Foreign Affair
- Undercover Agent for the Blues
- Ask Me How I Feel
- We Don't Need Another Hero
- Private Dancer
- Nutbush City Limits
- Addicted to Love
- The Best
- I Don't Wanna Lose You
- What's Love Got to Do With It
- Let's Stay Together
- Proud Mary
- Better Be Good to Me
- Be Tender With Me Baby
DVD
- Do You Want Some Action! Live from Barcelona (released as PolyGram Music Video 082 843-3, 1990)
- Foreign Affair (promo video)
- Look Me in the Heart (promo video)
- The Best (promo video)
- Steamy Windows (promo video)
- Be Tender with Me Baby (promo video)
- I Don't Wanna Lose You (promo video)
Andemoine Winrow says
WOW ! What's that ''Mcdonald's'' slogan-- ''I'M LOVIN' IT'' ! I'm DEFINATELY getting this !
Andemoine Winrow says
Although you would think that they would have made this set back in 2018 and released it in 2019 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of it's original release.
Dana says
So glad to see some of Tina's back catalog get the deluxe treatment. This wouldn't have been my choice, as everything but the unreleased demo & the concert are widely available on disc. Any Tina completist, the main target audience of this reissue, most likely already has the CD-singles these mixes & B-sides are spread across. Sure, I would have sprung for a CD/DVD of the Barcelona concert had it been given a release of own, especially if that meant that Break Every Rule would be getting the deluxe issue instead. So many single mixes & B-sides from that era that have yet to appear on any CD. Also, Rough & Love Explosion deserve reissues. Both feature enthusiastic & overlooked performances, plus I cannot be the only one waiting for the "Are You Breaking My Heart?" Single to appear on disc! Anyhow...This is terrific news, primarily because it's offers hope that these other reissues may be on their way.
Adam says
Amazing news, found the Amazon listing last night and could not believe it has not been announced yet! Yes, Break Every Rule Super Deluxe, even Private Dancer could still get a Super Deluxe, or Wildest Dreams from 1996, let's hope they will happen now! I could have done without the concert on CD, I will just watch the DVD. Best configuration for me would have been the 2CD and DVD combo but happy about the 2LP Rhino exclusive too.
The B Side Live Tracks 3 and 4 on CD 2 are from the Tina Live In Europe release I think. However, Be Tender With Me Baby was said to be recorded in Europe, so could it be a duplicate from the live CD and the Barcelona show? One major thing missing is the The Tina Turner Montage Megamix (10mins!) that was released on Look Me In The Heart limited UK CD Single, minor misses are the edited version of The Best (4:09), The Best (Single Muscle Mix), Steamy Windows (7 Inch Mix), Steamy Windows (7 Inch House Mix), Steamy Windows (12 Inch House Mix), Foreign Affair (One In A Million Extended Mix), Foreign Affair (Heartbeat Edit), Foreign Affair (Special Feelings Instrumental).
I also would have preferred the music videos to be in original order of single releases, starting with The Best and putting the live BTWMB video (from Barcelona?) as the last one. But regardless, this is a great release and will pre-order right away!
Zubb says
your listings are the things that make me angry when they put these sets out. The one shot at getting all of these single and extended mixes in one collection and they don't do it. They could have left out the live stuff, especially the Live From Barcelona CD. If we have the DVD what do we need with those tracks on CD. I hope they do a smarter job with the Break Every Rule set. I really hope they have a DVD of the Break Every Rule concert video which as far as I know, was only ever released on VHS. Fingers crossed. September marks the 35 year Anniversary for that album.
Adam says
The reason we got this I think is the HBO doc and now the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination and induction, these releases are often tie-ins these days, I am also hoping for Break Every Rule super deluxe that shall include the HBO Special and Rio'88, probably not this year though.
I only miss the Montage Mix really, otherwise the release might become too repetitive, so I see why they left 7" versions and edits off, it is not meant to gather all existing versions necessarily. But they did a much better job than on Private Dancer including more remixes than I thought they would.
Zubb says
Are you sure the Montage Mix was on the Look Me In The Heart single? I have that on the 12" single of What You Get Is What You See. So I am hoping for its inclusion in a Break Every Rule Deluxe release.
Adam says
You are right, seems to be the same 8:54 minute long mix containing 6 tracks mixed by Les "Mixdoctor" Adams that does not contain any songs from Foreign Affair actually, but it was still included on Look Me In The Heart in the UK CDCLX 584 single. Although it was re-titled as a Megamix.
Glenn Roger says
It’s about time there is a super deluxe treatment of material by Tina Turner. What’s gets me is that, even though I love Foreign Affair, what we really need Are super deluxe treatments of Private Dancer and sorely desperately needed Break Every Rule and hopefully down the road, Wildest Dreams. But I will def get what I can get and am so happy at this announcement!
Andemoine Winrow says
Off the record, when they made the 30th anniversary of ''PRIVATE DANCER'', why didn't they put the entire versions of '' WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER HERO'' and '' 1 OF THE LIVING'' ? There needs 2 b a ultimate deluxe of that too that has the entire versions of those songs. But keep the front and back covers. Those are the sexiest covers ever made. ''BREAK EVERY RULE'' DEFINATELY needs a deluxe release. Like Tina said in the song, ''SHOW SOME RESPECT'' !