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Better Be Good to Me


FieldValue
nameBetter Be Good to Me
coverTina_turner-better_be_good_to_me_s_1-2-.jpg
captionU.S. 12-inch vinyl single
typesingle
artistTina Turner
albumPrivate Dancer
B-sideWhen I Was Young
releasedSeptember 3, 1984
recorded1984
genreRock
length5:10 (LP version)
3:43 (single version)
7:47 (extended version)
labelCapitol
writerMike Chapman
Holly Knight
Nicky Chinn (not physically present)
producerRupert Hine
prev_titleWhat's Love Got to Do with It
prev_year1984
next_titlePrivate Dancer
next_year1984
misc

| B-side = When I Was Young 3:43 (single version) 7:47 (extended version) Holly Knight Nicky Chinn (not physically present)

"Better Be Good to Me" is a song written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight and Nicky Chinn, recorded by singer Tina Turner for her solo studio album Private Dancer (1984) and released as a single in early September 1984. The song was originally recorded and released in 1981 by Spider, a band from New York City that featured co-writer Knight as a member. Turner's version peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and No. 6 on the then-Hot Black Singles charts. At the 27th Annual Grammy Awards in 1985, it won Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female, one of four Grammys awarded to Turner's Private Dancer album at that ceremony. The song was also included on the Miami Vice soundtrack, and the 2024 Paramount Pictures film IF, during which the main characters sing and dance to the track inside the official music video.

Music video

In the video, Turner is seen performing the song on stage, wearing a black leather jacket and black skin-tight, knee-length leather pants, with leopard print high heels and spikey blonde hair. Towards the end, a man (Cy Curnin lead singer of the Fixx) appears on stage and grabs Turner's arms. She looks him in the eyes and sings the words, "Why can't you be good to me?", then pushes him away. At the end of the video, Turner disappears under the stage in a puff of smoke. Both Curnin and the guitarist in the video, Jamie West-Oram (also of the Fixx), perform on the Private Dancer album.

Personnel

  • Tina Turner – lead vocals, background vocals
  • Rupert Hine – bass guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming, background vocals
  • Jamie West-Oram – guitar
  • Trevor Morais – drums
  • Cy Curnin – background vocals

Versions and remixes

  • 7-inch edit – 3:43
  • Video edit – 4:05
  • Album version – 5:10
  • Extended 12-inch Remix – 7:47
  • Extended 12-inch Remix (early fade on Private Dancer EMI Centenary Remaster) – 7:03
  • Extended 12-inch Hot Tracks Dance Remix - 8:54

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1984–1985)Peak
positionAustralia (Kent Music Report)Europe (European Top 100)Germany (Official German Charts)Guatemala (UPI)US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)US Cash Box Top 100
28
93
52
7
16
6
32
7

Year-end charts

Chart (1984)Peak
positionCanada Top Singles (RPM)Chart (1985)Peak
positionUS Billboard Hot 100
59
59

Certifications and sales

References

References

  1. "Music Week".
  2. Rolling Stone Staff. (24 May 2023). "Tina Turner: 15 Essential Songs".
  3. (1985-02-26). "27th Annual Grammy Awards - 1985". Rock On The Net.
  4. David Kent. (1993). "Australian Chart Book 1970-1992". St Ives, N.S.W. : Australian Chart Book.
  5. (October 8, 1984). "European Top 100 Singles".
  6. "Tina Turner - Top Titel". [[GfK Entertainment]].
  7. (November 19, 1984). "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". [[La Opinión (Los Angeles)]].
  8. "Tina Turner Awards". [[AllMusic]].
  9. "Cash Box".
  10. (January 5, 1985). "Top 100 Singles of 1984". RPM.
  11. (December 28, 1985). "The Year in Music: 1985".
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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