"Two People" by Tina Turner

Song#:  2943
Date:  11/22/1986
Debut:  72
Peak:  30
Weeks:  12
Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  Turner followed up her Grammy-winning smash album Private Dancer with her sixth solo effort Break Every Rule. Its first single, "Typical Male," got things kicked off in a good way when it reached #2 on the Pop chart. For a follow-up, this mid-tempo ballad was selected. Expectations were that it would be another Top 10 for Turner, but the results were not that good. The tune just barely made the Pop Top 30 while getting to #12 at AC and #18 R&B. It was a disappointment that played into album sales. Turner was going to need something better than this to help promote the LP.

ReduxReview:  This was another Terry Britten/Graham Lyle (one of five on the album) and like I inferred in my review of "Typical Male," the pair didn't bring their A-game to the table. Except for "Typical Male," the balance of their material written for Turner (like this track) was weak. I think they were trying for another "What's Love Got to Do with It," but it didn't work out. This wasn't a bad song. The chorus had a nice hook and it was a lovely track to hear. It just wasn't single-worthy. If you look at the singles from Private Dancer or her two movie songs, they were much stronger and far more memorable. This one was just mediocre and it showed when it failed to even get close to the Top 10.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  The b-side to this single was the non-album track "Havin' a Party." It was Turner's remake of Sam Cooke's hit "Having a Party." Cooke originally wrote and recorded the song in 1962. It got to #4 R&B and #17 Pop. Three other artists would do versions of the song that would reach the Pop chart. Two were in medley form while the other was a full remake. In 1973, R&B vocal group The Ovations did a version of the song that included snippets of other songs Sam Cooke had performed. The medley got to #7 R&B/#56 Pop. Luther Vandross used the chorus of the song in his track "Bad Boy/Having a Party." That 1982 single would get to #3 R&B/#55 Pop. In 1994, Rod Stewart would perform the song during his set on the show MTV Unplugged. It would be released as a single and would get to #6 AC/#36 Pop. Turner's version was produced by Martyn Ware (of Heaven 17 and pre-Dare Human League). Ware had produced Turner's take on Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," which was the single that initially began Turner's comeback (#1 Dance/#3 R&B/#26 Pop).

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