Times are good or bad, happy or sad. As Tina Turner would say, the aim of her music is ‘to uplift, to get people going’. However, her songs will always remain rooted in the tear-drenched soil of blues music. Tina as no other knows how to express a broken heart, how to fall to your knees and beg and plead. So, open a ‘bottle of red’, have tissues within arm’s reach, because these seven Tina performances will for sure make you remember your broken heart, your failed relationship or that unanswered love. Happy crying!
1. You Don’t Bring Me Flowers
Wait a minute? Tina sings Streisand?! That’s right. Just after her divorce from Ike Turner, Tina started singing songs that were very close to her heart during that particularly difficult period in her life. Maybe the mother of all pop ballads, she delivers a particular soulful version of this classic. (Sometimes When We Touch, another bittersweet love song is thrown in as a bonus at the end of this performance.)
2. Don’t Leave Me This Way
Fans tend to disagree on this one. Good or bad? Okay, the lyrics on this 1999 song might be a bit overly cliche, and well, the arrangements might not be very Queen-of-Rock-like. But we think she kills it in this live performance, backed-up the London Symphony Orchestra.
3. I Don’t Wanna Fight (No More)
Can Tina teach us something about how to deal with our lost love? Yes: that sometimes it is simply better to ‘let it go’ and move on. Moving on, that’s what Tina did in her life, as also portrayed in the 1993 biopic ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’. I Don’t Wanna Fight, written by Lulu, was part of the soundtrack for that movie.
4. Be Tender With Me, Baby
A real 1980’s power ballad from Tina’s 1989 album Foreign Affair. It was the closing song during Tina’s 1990 Foreign Affair tour, as well as on her last 50th Anniversary tour back in 2008/2009. It also happens to be the last song that Tina performed on stage EVER. Watch in the above video how she sings the song with tears in her eyes during closing night of her farewell tour. We can not be held responsible for any emotional breakdown caused by watching this video!
5. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
She ain’t too proud to beg! Ike & Tina’s cover of this Otis Redding song has become legendary. However, where Otis used mainly words to persuade his lover not to leave, Tina took begging to a whole next level. Oh, better show your lover what he will miss when he leaves. This performance is not for the faint of heart.
6. Missing You
“Everytime I think of you, I always catch my breath”. Sometimes, the cover is better than the original. We think this is certainly the case with Tina’s rendition of the 1984 John Waite original. Tina chose the track because “it’s great to yell on”. It appeared on her 1996 album Wildest Dreams. The clip was directed by photographer Peter Lindbergh.
7. Don’t Turn Around
Biggest mistake in Tina’s career? Tina Turner was the original artist who recorded Dianne Warren’s song Don’t Turn Around (which later became a huge hit for Ace of Base). However, the song didn’t even make it to Tina’s 1986 Break Every Rule album – it was only released as the b-side to the single Typical Male. The song was only released on CD on the outtakes collection ‘Collected Recordings’ and has never been performed live. Oh, the injustice!
Tina Turner Blog 
I didn’t know people felt this way about “Don’t leave me this way”… I love that song! X
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on silent wings….
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I Love Silent Wings its 1 of many favorites of my queens songs
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The music video and the song did me justice…. it isn’t depressing to me.
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This list isn’t definitive of course, might be a part 2 someday. Keep on sharing your ideas! š
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Interesting list and a Part 2 would be wonderful. What about “Paradise Is Here”? I think that is another song that never received much attention, but it’s deeply emotional and profound in it’s declaration. Especially, when Tina sings ” I need your loving – right now”, but there is a bitterness of unrequited love.
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For sure, that is my favourite, paradise is Here.
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I cry almost everytime I listen to Paradise Is Here. Mainly at the part where she sings “Just put your arms around me… devour me.” That bass part after around me, just starts me to wellin’ up with tears.
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Given that it was my breakup song, I’d certainly include When the Heartache is Over on the list. I’d also put Loving Arms which if memory serves me right was a concert staple in the late 70s early 80s.
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… and also songs Sometimes When We Touch and Change gonna come. OMG!
Tina could have even her own musical (something like the musical Cats in London).
Never ending story … ā never ending story … ā never ending story
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I’d include the underestimated ”I’ll be Thunder” (which is one of my favourite) ”A woman in a Man’s World”and ”(I’ll be there) Where the Heart Is”…
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There are so many more but these are some of my favorites. I grew up with these songs, at the heart they do pull.
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AMAZING! Thanks for keeping Tina Turner alive and exciting, as always. Can’t wait for the next part. š you guys are THE Best!!!
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Silent wings and I don’t wanna lose you š
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I would list also Something Beautiful Remains
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Agree with Don’t turn around, but ‘paradise is here’ and certainly ‘on silent wings’ should be on top of this list in my opinion.
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“Crazy In The Night” and “Help” represent different kinds of broken hearts. And there are many other Ike and Tina songs to name… “All In My Mind,” “I Am A Motherless Child,” etc
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Now Ms.T has a lot of heartbreak and moody love songs.My favorite has always been “Stay Awhile”. Got 2 YouTube and feel it too.
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YOUR HONOUR. I’M VERY GOOD IN EMERGENCIES. I’M NOT
GOING TO JUSTIFY MYSELF ANYMORE. X
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How about a b side like don’t turn around cd! Of un released recordings!
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I’ve always loved all these songs, they’ve should have been compiled as an official release for us wanting her more heartfelt stories
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This post reminds me a boy.
Everytime I think of him, I always catch my breath because love got to do with it but I don’t dare to tell him.
Indeed, he is afraid of love. As soon as he feels it arriving in his broken heart, he doesn’t wanna fight against his fears and devils.
I’m tender with him, baby. And he’s tender with me. But I can’t bring him flowers… It’s scary for him.
As soon as love got to do with him, he runs from it, thinking he doesn’t need a heart because his heart can be broken. But I thank that with the fragments of our broken hearts, we could make solid love.
As soon as love got to do with him, his fears persuade him that he has been loving you to long, his desire goes away, he wastes everything with other guys even if he wants the opposite.
He knows that you are made for him, but he leaves you this way. Thus I left, thinking “don’t turn around” even if I wanted the opposite.
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken ?
ME !
HIM even if he doesn’t want to admit it…
His devils are there and he doesn’t want to kill them for me… And me, I don’t wanna fight against them…
I wanted to repair his heart and repair mine with him. I wanted to be the one for whom he would kill his devils and would face his fears. I wanted to offer him simply the best. I wanted to live with him simply the best.
But me, I’m not the best. I’m not stronger than an other one. Probably, I have no small thing in more. Probably, I’m very ordinary. Probably, it is better like that… But my heart is broken.
Nevertheless, I need a heart… I would like he thinks the same…
Missing him…
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This is a well written article on this subject. I have been looking at starting a new business and this is valuable information to help me in my decision.
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