Better Be Good To Me is a rock cover from the band Spider, released as the fourth single from the album Private Dancer. For her vocal performance on this song, Tina received her third solo Grammy Award in 1985. The single was reviewed in Billboard magazine in it’s issue from August 8, 1984. The song was reissued in 1995 under the 'Back to Back Hit Series‘ on the Collectables label.
Writer: Holly Knight, Mike Chapman
Producer: Rupert Hine
Photographer: Peter Ashworth
Release: August ’84 (USA) / September '84 (UK) / January '85 (Germany) / 1995 (Reissue)
Label: Capitol / EMI
Format: 7“ Vinyl (Picture) / 12“ Vinyl / Cassette
Charts: USA: #5 / UK: #45 / Germany: #52 / Australia: #28
Grammy: Best Rock Vocal Performance (1985) / Best Rock Vocal Performance (Nomination 1988)
Album: Private Dancer
- Better Be Good To Me (Edit) 3:40
- Better Be Good To Me (Extended Version) 7:47
- Better Be Good To Me (Live) 4:36
- Better Be Good To Me (Extended Dance Edit) 8:53
- When I Was Young 3:11
The music video was filmed in June 1984 at the Beverly Theater in Los Angeles, which was packed with fans, invited by advertisements on local radio. The venue was transformed into a small rock club, with glowing cat eyes and oversize paintings of panthers from Tina’s own stage set. Brian Grant simulated a full moon to herald Tina’s entrance, creating a shadow of tousled hair that crowned her in silhouette.
Tina performed leather-clad and with zebra-stripe heels together with her band (including guitarist Jamie West-Oram from The Fixx) on stage. Cy Curnin dances the part of Turner's mendacious lover, which was choreographed by Toni Basil. The video was nominated in 1985 for a MTV Video Music Award in the category 'Best Stage Performance‘.
„This was my favorite video and my favorite song of that time,” Tina later declared in a 1989 interview with Much Music in Canada.
Director: Brian Grant
Producer: Adrian Irving
Time: 4:03
Home Video: Private Dancer (Anniversary Edition)