Tina Turner - xxx - Album

Foreign Affair

Album / Singles / Tour / Video (1989)

Foreign Affair is the seventh studio album from Tina Turner and was a huge success in Europe with six hit singles, reaching multi-platinum status in 14 different countries. It was also Tina’s first #1 album in the UK where it topped the charts in it’s first week. It's much more R&B influenced than it's predecessors, with four songs written by Tony Joe White. On some songs, Tina is credited as a co-producer for the first time since she went solo. At her Foreign Affair Tour in 1990, she performed most of the songs live, available on the Do You Want Some Action! home video from 1990.

Photographer: Peter Lindbergh / Herb Ritts
Design: Glenn Sakamoto
Clothes: Azzedine Alaïa / Michael Schmidt
Release: September 1989
Label: Capitol / EMI
Format: Vinyl / CD / Cassette / Digital
Charts: Germany: #1 / UK: #1 / USA: #31 / #1 in Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, Norway, Sweden / Australia: #15
Certifications: UK: 5x Platinum / Germany: 3x Gold, 2x Platinum / USA: 1x Gold
Grammy: Best Female Rock Vocal Performance (Nomination 1990)

Tina Turner - Foreign Affair - Album

Tracks

  1. Steamy Windows 4:05
  2. Written by Tony Joe White
  3. The Best 5:30
  4. Written by Holly Knight, Mike Chapman
  5. You Know Who (Is Doin You Know What) 3:46
  6. Written by Tony Joe White
  7. Undercover Agent For The Blues 5:20
  8. Written by Tony Joe White, L. White
  9. Look Me In The Heart 3:43
  10. Written by Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg
  11. Be Tender With Me Baby 4:17
  12. Written by Albert Hammond, Holly Knight
  13. You Can’t Stop Me Loving You 4:01
  14. Written by Albert Hammond, Holly Knight
  15. Ask Me How I Feel 4:47
  16. Written by Albert Hammond, Holly Knight
  17. Falling Like Rain 4:04
  18. Written by David Munday, Sandy Stewart
  19. I Don’t Wanna Lose You 4:21
  20. Written by Albert Hammond, Graham Lyle
  21. Not Enough Romance 4:04
  22. Written by Dan Hartman
  23. Foreign Affair 4:28
  24. Written by Tony Joe White

Singles

The first highly successful single was The Best, a rock song originally released by Bonnie Tyler in 1988. The song became Tina Turner's anthem and was also used as the theme tune for the New South Wales Rugby League in Australia. Steamy Windows was the second single, including remixed dance versions from Justin Strauss. Tina used the track as the opening number at her tour in 1990. I Don’t Wanna Lose You was a single in Europe only and Look Me In The Heart was released in England and America. The wonderful title track Foreign Affair was again only a single in some European countries. The last release was the slow rock ballad Be Tender With Me Baby, used as the encore at the Foreign Affair Tour.

The Best: August 1989 / Europe: #3 / Germany: #4 / Australia: #4 / UK: #5 / USA: #15
Steamy Windows: November 1989 (Germany, USA) / February 1990 (UK) / UK: #13 / Germany: #29 / Europe: #31 / USA: #39 / Australia: #34
I Don’t Wanna Lose You: November 1989 (UK) / February 1990 (Germany) / Europe: #4 / UK: #8 / Germany: #38 / Australia: #59
Look Me In The Heart: February 1990 (USA) / July 1990 (UK) / USA: #8 (A/C), UK: #31
Foreign Affair: May 1990 / Germany: #35
Be Tender With Me Baby: October 1990 / UK: #28

Tina Turner - Foreign Affair Tour

Tour

The Foreign Affair Tour was announced as a world tour, but reached only European countries with concerts in the biggest stadiums, breaking the record for a European tour that was previously set by The Rolling Stones. Roger Davies suggested to work with dancers again and Tina asked her last backing girls with Lejeune Richardson (a former Ikette) and Annie Behringer to join her. The concert from the Estadio Olimpico in Barcelona was released on home video.

Opening Night: April 27, 1990 / Antwerp (Belgium)
Closing Night: November 04, 1990 / Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Regions: Europe
Concerts: 120+
Visitors: 3 Mio.
The Band: Ollie Marland: Keyboard, Vocals / Jack Bruno: Drums / Bob Feit: Guitar / Timmy Capello: Persussion, Keyboard, Saxophone, Vocals / James Ralston: Guitar, Vocals / Lejeune Richardson: Dancer / Kenny Moore: Piano, Vocals / John Miles: Guitar, Vocals / Annie Behringer: Dancer

Setlist
  1. Steamy Windows
  2. Typical Male
  3. Foreign Affair
  4. Undercover Agent For The Blues
  5. Ask Me How I Feel
  6. We Don’t Need Another Hero
  7. Private Dancer
  8. I Can’t Stand The Rain
  9. Nutbush City Limits
  10. Addicted To Love
  11. The Best
  12. I Don’t Wanna Lose You
  13. What’s Love Got To Do With It
  14. Let’s Stay Together
  15. Proud Mary
  16. What You Get Is What You See
  17. Show Some Respect
  18. Better Be Good To Me
  19. Be Tender With Me Baby

    Special songs
  1. Good Times
  2. Only at the beginning of the tour
  3. River Deep, Mountain High
  4. Only at the beginning of the tour
  5. You Can’t Stop Me Loving You
  6. Opening night only
  7. Look Me In The Heart
  8. Opening night only
  9. New Sensation
  10. Oldenburg, Germany only
Tina Turner - Foreign Affair - Promo

Promo

For promotion, Capitol Records released a 4-track Cassette Sampler with selected songs and an additional Radio Interview. Initially only intended for promotion, a special limited edition passport package was released for retail in November. For R&B radio stations in North America, the track Undercover Agent For The Blues was released as a promotional single.

Tina Turner - Foreign Affair - Deluxe Edition

Deluxe Edition

In 2021, the album was released as a Deluxe Edition, which features the original album fully remastered for the first time, a collection of B-sides and remixes, a previously unheard demo of the classic track The Best and Tina's iconic concert from Barcelona in 1990, as well as the six music videos from the album’s singles fully restored to HD.

Beside the box set, it's also available on 2-LP white and black vinyl, 2-CD and digitally. Beside the music, it contains a special, commemorative passport featuring a number of iconic photos of Tina, as well as a high-quality art card featuring photos from photographer Paul Cox. Also included is a booklet with brand-new liner notes from Holly Knight, the songwriter of four songs from the album. Additionally, there are some exclusive merchandise bundles, including shirts, a sweatshirt and a bag with Tina’s initials.

Design: Darren Evans
Release: July 16, 2021
Label: Rhino / Parlophone
Format: 2 Vinyl (white) / 2 CD / Digital / Box (4 CD, 1 DVD)

Tracklist
Tina Turner - Foreign Affair - Deluxe EditionTina Turner - Foreign Affair - Deluxe Edition
    Disc 2 (Remixes, B-Sides)
  1. Bold And Reckless 3:48
  2. Stronger Then The Wind 4:02
  3. Steel Claw (Live) 4:34
  4. Private Dancer (Live) 5:37
  5. Be Tender With Me Baby (Live) 6:50
  6. The Best (Extended Muscle Mix) 5:29
  7. Steamy Windows (12" Vocal Mix) 6:27
  8. Foreign Affair (Heartbeat Mix) 4:24
  9. Look Me In The Heart (12" Remix) 5:26
  10. The Best (Extended Mighty Mix) 6:36
  11. Steamy Windows (12" House Dub Mix) 6:51
  12. Foreign Affair (One In A Million Club Mix) 6:54
  13. Steamy Windows (12" Dub Mix) 6:37
  14. Look Me In The Heart (Instrumental) 3:39
  15. Forein Affair (Heartbeat Instrumental) 4:25
  16. The Best (Demo) 4:54
    Disc 3 / DVD (Live In Barcelona)
  1. Steamy Windows (Live) 7:04
  2. Typical Male (Live) 4:47
  3. Foreign Affair (Live) 4:11
  4. Undercover Agent For The Blues (Live) 5:07
  5. Ask Me How I Feel (Live) 4:18
  6. We Don’t Need Another Hero (Live) 4:42
  7. Private Dancer (Live) 7:20
  8. Nutbush City Limits (Live) 4:18
  9. Addicted To Love (Live) 5:36
    Disc 4 / DVD (Live In Barcelona)
  1. The Best (Live) 5:47
  2. I Don’t Wanna Lose You (Live) 5:45
  3. What’s Love Got To Do With It (Live) 6:33
  4. Let’s Stay Together & Band Introduction (Live) 7:27
  5. Proud Mary (Live) 9:31
  6. Better Be Good To Me (Live) 11:27
  7. Be Tender With Me Baby (Live) 7:00
    DVD: Do You Want Some Action?
  1. Live In Barcelona 1990
  2. Running time: 100 Min.

    DVD: Music Videos
  3. Foreign Affair 4:07
  4. Director: Paula Walker / Producer: Natalie Hill
  5. Look Me In The Heart 3:38
  6. Director: Paula Walker / Producer: Line Postmyr
  7. The Best 4:11
  8. Director: Lol Creme / Producer: Lexi Godfrey
  9. Steamy Windows 4:04
  10. Director: Andy Morahan / Producer: Luc Roeg
  11. Be Tender With Me Baby 4:32
  12. Director: Nick Frye / Producer: Roger Davies, M.B. Kleber
  13. I Don't Wanna Lose You 4:15
  14. Director: Dominic Sena / Producer: Aris McGary

Video

The Foreign Affair video compilation features all concept music videos from the album. All of them were reissued on the Simply The Best video collection in 1991. Do You Want Some Action! features a concert from the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain from October 1990. In 2021, both home videos were remastered and re-issued on DVD as part of the Foreign Affair (Deluxe Edition).

Tracklist
    Foreign Affair Video EP
  1. The Best 4:10
  2. Producer: Lol Creme / Director: Lexi Godfrey
  3. I Don’t Wanna Lose You 4:21
  4. Producer: Dominic Sena / Director: Aris McGary
  5. Steamy Windows 4:05
  6. Producer: Andy Morahan / Director: Luc Roeg
  7. Look Me In The Heart 3:43
  8. Producer: Paula Walker / Director: Line Postmyr
  9. Foreign Affair 4:02
  10. Producer: Paula Walker / Director: Natalie Hill
    Do You Want Some Action!
  1. Steamy Windows (Live) 6:21
  2. Typical Male (Live) 4:49
  3. Foreign Affair (Live) 4:06
  4. Undercover Agent For The Blues (Live) 5:21
  5. Ask Me How I Feel (Live) 4:06
  6. We Don’t Need Another Hero (Live) 4:58
  7. Private Dancer (Live) 7:16
  8. Nutbush City Limits (Live) 4:09
  9. Addicted To Love (Live) 5:41
  10. The Best (Live) 6:32
  11. I Don’t Wanna Lose You (Live) 7:36
  12. What’s Love Got To Do With It (Live) 6:32
  13. Let’s Stay Together (Live) 5:07
  14. Proud Mary (Live) 9:16
  15. Better Be Good To Me (Live) 11:41
  16. Be Tender With Me Baby (Live) 6:40

Billboard

October 14, 1989

The Affair Has Begun The Album Foreign Affair / Debut #1 in the U.K., Germany, Denmark, Switzerland / On the Billboard Pan-European Chart / 1.1 Million Shipped Outside the U.S. the first week of Release / Shipped Gold in the U.S. the first week of Release / Platinum in Canada first week / The Single The Best / Already Top 5 in 12 Countries Internationally … and continues with the New European Single Steamy Windows

November 11, 1989

The Saleable Promo - Originally intended for promo distribution only, a special CD „passport“ packaging version of Tina Turner’s Capitol album „Foreign Affair“ has had a run of 22,000 on a onetime basis only for sale at retail. The equivalent list for the CD is about $5 over the regular CD price. The first 500 of the promo passport CDs, an idea of Bill Burks, VP of artist and product development, were sequentially numbered. Capitol parent EMI companies in Germany, France, Austria, Finland, Holland, and Norway have also made the special CDs available for retail use.

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