Foreign Affair is the seventh solo studio album by Tina Turner, released on September 18, 1989, through Capitol Records.
Composition
Foreign Affair falls under the adult contemporary genre
and features a diverse range of musical styles, from pop-rock anthems ("The Best", "I Don't Wanna Lose You") to bluesy tracks ("Undercover Agent for the Blues") and power ballads ("Be Tender With Me Baby"). The album features collaborations with prominent musicians, including saxophone solos by
Gary Barnacle on at least three tracks and guitar work by
Dire Straits frontman
Mark Knopfler, who co-wrote Turner's hit "Private Dancer", on the title track.
Commercial performance
While
Foreign Affair did not perform as well as Turner's previous albums
Private Dancer and
Break Every Rule in the US, where it failed to crack the Top 30 in the
Billboard 200, it was a worldwide hit, selling over six million copies.
In the UK alone the album sold over 1.5 million copies entering the UK Albums Chart at number one (Turner's first album to do so there) and staying in Top 100 for a year and a half.
The album also reached number one in numerous other countries including Germany and Sweden and topped the overall European Chart for four weeks.
In 2021, Foreign Affair was released as a box set, which includes a previously unreleased demo of "The Best".
Single releases
Six tracks from the album were released as singles, most of which became hits in various parts of Europe and, to a lesser extent, in the US. "The Best" (US No. 15; UK No. 5) was released as the first single propelling the sales of the album.
This was followed by "I Don't Wanna Lose You" (UK No. 8), which was released in Europe only. The album's third single (second in the US) was the opening track, "
Steamy Windows" (US. No. 39; UK No. 13), which earned Turner a
Grammy Awards nomination.
Three additional singles released in various territories were the title track "Foreign Affair" (Continental Europe only), the ballad "Look Me in the Heart" (No. 8 on the US Adult Contemporary chart; UK No. 31) and the rock ballad "Be Tender with Me Baby" (UK No. 28).
Track listing
Notes
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signifies additional producer
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signifies remix
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signifies post-production and remix
Personnel
Musicians
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Tina Turner – lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (3, 7, 8, 10), arrangements (2, 8)
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Dan Hartman – electric piano (1, 3, 4), Electric organ (1, 4), keyboards (2, 3, 11), acoustic guitar (2, 6, 8, 11), backing vocals (2, 5), percussion programming (5), Moog synthesizer (11), drum programming (11)
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Jeff Bova – horn section (1, 4, 5), synth bass (3), organ (4), strings (5)
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Phil Ashley – keyboards (2, 7), bass pulse (2), organ (6), synthesizers (6), strings (6, 7, 8), acoustic piano (8), flute (8)
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Elliot Lewis – additional keyboards (2, 8), strings (2, 8), flute (11)
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Philippe Saisse – additional keyboards (2, 3, 6, 8), slap bass (3), flute solo (5), keyboard mallet and chimes (7)
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Rupert Hine – keyboards (9), bass (9), drum programming (9), backing vocals (9)
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Nick Glennie-Smith – keyboards (10, 12), strings (10, 12), synth bass (12), drum programming (12), bell tree (12)
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Casey Young – keyboards (10)
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Greg Mathieson – synth bass (10)
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Eddie Martinez – rhythm guitar (1, 3, 4), all guitars (5)
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Neil Taylor – slide guitar (1), guitar solo (1)
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Tony Joe White – lead guitar (1, 3, 4, 12), rhythm guitar (1, 3, 4, 12), harmonica (1, 3), synth bass (1, 4)
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Gene Black – rhythm guitar (2, 7, 8), lead guitar (6, 7), guitar solo (6), guitar (10)
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James Ralston – rhythm guitar (2, 6, 7, 8), guitar (10)
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Pat Thrall – guitar solo (2), additional lead guitar fills (6), slide guitar (8), electric guitar (11)
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Phil Palmer – guitars (9)
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Mark Knopfler – guitars (12)
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Carmine Rojas – bass guitar (1, 4, 5)
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T. M. Stevens – bass guitar (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11)
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J. T. Lewis – drums (1, 3, 4, 5)
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Art Wood – drums (2, 6, 7, 8)
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Geoff Dugmore – drums (10)
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Danny Cummings – percussion (3, 4, 7), shaker (5), (7)
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Albert Hammond – shaker (10), backing vocals (10)
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Gary Barnacle – all saxophones (1, 12), saxophone solo (10)
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Edgar Winter – saxophone solo (2)
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Tim Cappello – saxophone solo (5, 8)
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Roger Davies – arrangements (5)
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Lance Ellington – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11)
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Tessa Niles – backing vocals (2, 3, 5–8, 11)
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David Munday – backing vocals (9)
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Sandy Stewart – backing vocals (9)
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Holly Knight – backing vocals (10)
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Graham Lyle – backing vocals (10)
Production
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Dan Hartman – producer (1–8, 11)
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Tina Turner – executive producer, producer (2, 8)
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Rupert Hine – producer (9)
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Roger Davies – executive producer, producer (10, 12)
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Albert Hammond – producer (10)
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Graham Lyle – producer (10)
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Tony Joe White – producer (12)
Technical
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Chris Lord-Alge – recording engineer (1–8, 11), mixing (all tracks)
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Andrew Scarth – recording engineer (9)
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Mike Ging – recording engineer (10, 12)
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Tommy Vicari – recording engineer (10)
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Nick Froome – recording engineer (12)
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Vincent Frerebeau – additional engineer
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John Lee – additional engineer
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Dave O'Donnell – additional engineer
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James Allen-Jones – assistant engineer
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Darren Allison – assistant engineer
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Lee Curle – assistant engineer
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Tim Leitner – assistant engineer
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Paul Logus – assistant engineer
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Ray Pyle – assistant engineer
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David Scott – assistant engineer
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Elliot Singerman – assistant engineer
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Bob Ludwig – mastering
Studios
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Overdubs recorded at Dan Hartman (Westport, Connecticut); The Power Station (New York, New York); Lion Share Recording (Los Angeles, California); E-Zee Studios (London, UK); Mayfair Studios (Primrose Hill, London, UK); Swanyard Studios (Islington, London, UK)
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Mixed at The Grey Room (Hollywood, California)
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Mastered at Masterdisk (New York, New York)
Other credits
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Bill Burks – art direction
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Tommy Steele – art direction
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Glenn Sakamoto – design
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Herb Ritts – center photography
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Peter Lindbergh – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
