Love Thing was the third single of Tina Turner’s 1991 compilation album Simply The Best. A hugely overlooked gem, here at The Tina Turner Blog we think that this song is among the best Tina did in the 1990’s (or in any decade for that matter). Inside this post, why we think Love Thing is… pretty much everything.
1. Because it contains some of the sexiest lyrics Tina ever sang
Close your eyes, follow me / I’ll show you a world you’ve never been to
Take a ride in my love machine / And I won’t do anything you can’t get into
What I’ve got is what you need / And you won’t do a thing about it
Let me take you there / Let me take you there tonight
Oh yeah… those words put ‘What’s Love Got Do With It?’ to shame!
2. Because it is one of the few real rock songs Tina recorded
Oh sure, Tina live on stage has always been rock and roll. But in the studio – not so much. Love Thing is pretty much the closest Tina got in the studio to her live sound. And those drums… and these guitars!
3. Because Tina manages to create this sound with her voice
We didn’t believe this to be humanly possible.
4. Because she gives Tyra Banks a run for her money
In the video, Tina, then 52, proves herself hotter, wilder and more seductive than super-model Tyra Banks (left), then 19.
5. Because Tina went all Nineties on us and cut off that iconic hair
The single, the video and the song mark Tina’s step into the nineties. The most dramatic change is surely the hair. Gone is Tina’s eigthies lion’s mane. Welcome the nineties with a much shorter, more elegant but not less exciting hairstyle.
6. The video, in general
One of the wildest, steamiest she ever did.
7. Because sometimes you just need to take your clothes off for your loved one
‘Hey Big Spender’ and ‘ You Can Leave Your Hat On’ are such cliché strip songs… why not turn on the Love Thing for a change?!
What’s ‘Love Thing’ got do with it? Everything! So dig into your record collection, grab your copy of ‘Simply The Best’ and skip straight the final track. Get on board!
Get Tina Turner’s Love Thing on Amazon!
Tina Turner Blog 
I always thought this song should have been a huge, huge, hit. Tina rocks it on cd and the video is to die for. Shame, so many of her gems were overlooked. I just love this song still to this day.
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Yes, Tina and her team must have thought the same, but it is very difficult to foreseen that. Her most viewed hits in YouTube these days as solo artist are: GoldenEye and The Best.
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If I’m not mistaken, the musicians on this track are actually her live band at the time.
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Holly Knight on Love Thing: I had submitted Love Thing to her for Foreign Affair and she wasn’t sure about the tune, I think she thought it was too racy. I asked her to have a second listen when they were looking for a single for this record, I had ‘cleaned’ the lyrics up a bit, and Tina decided she loved it after all and recorded it. Not many people have seen the video, but I think she never looked hotter. I remember thinking that she would’ve made a great Cat Woman. She was clad from head to toe in a Leopard skin halter dress by Azzadine Alia. The woman has style’.
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This was a good post, BUT, I have to disagree w/ one of the principle points of it: Tina has PLENTY of Rock ‘N’ Roll songs in her catalog:
1. Proud Mary
2. The Acid Queen
3. Root-Toot Indisputable Rock N’ Roller
4. Fire Down Below
5. Crazy In The Night
6. I Might Have Been Queen
7. Show Some Respect
8. Better Be Good To Me
9. Steel Claw
10. Just about every B-Side from the PRIVATE DANCER singles.
11. One of The Living
12. It’s Only Love
13. Girls
14. Back Where You Started
15. Break Every Rule
16. The Best
17. Much of the entire FOREIGN AFFAIR album.
18. Love Thing
Now, she looked absolutely gorgeous in this video, esp. in that black catsuit. And her voice, even at 52, was made for this rock tune. I do wonder why the song wasn’t a hit, nor the video. I always thought that the shag haircut was a very nice choice for her in the 1990s, esp. during the WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? Tour era, when she augmented it, and made it longer and bigger…it’s honestly my favorite look for her, after, OF COURSE, the 1982-85 classic PD/MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME mane, which will forever be her best, most iconic look.
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Yes, her voice is so splendid at that age, I love how her voice turns and rises towards the end of the tune. Regarding hairstyle Tina had in mind a change as stated in one FA interview, but she was not sure how she could change. She’s a smart artist, she knows changes are necessary and work well for her.
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Don’t forget her 1991 recording of ‘the bitch is back’. That was Rock!
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You know, I kept telling myself, “There’s another song I’m missing…” That was it, both the 1978 version and the 1991 tribute. I actually hoped that either version had been featured on the WLGTDWI soundtrack in 1993.
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I completely agree. This is one of my all time favourites from Tina. And to even choose a top five from such a prolific and talented artist is pretty tough. I also really loved I’m A Lady, which was a B-Side/bonus track in most countries. In a similar vein, I loved Back Where You Started too. I was hoping this would be the beginning of a string of similar releases in the 90’s and although I was a little disappointed that this didn’t turn out to be case, she has thrilled me with her music, powerful vocals, live performances and incredible charisma since I was a teenager. :-). Xxx
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Love Thing is okay for me. It was never a favorite as I actually found the lyrics cheesy. The video is fun.
I’m pretty sure that while Tina wanted to more rock stuff, Roger Davies wasn’t all that supportive of it. He figured the pop line she walked had better chances of bigger returns.
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Surprisingly Refreshing! Again. This is one of my all time fave of Tina songs. Still wonder why it wasn’t a huge hit. But oh well. I’m grateful for this once again. Thanks guys!
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It’s hot, but it’s classy. It’s a nice song to boost you! I always think of this as one of those hot summer songs, pleasure songs, feeling good songs! Tina is having lots of fun in the vídeo, and the girls are enjoying every bit of it. One of those nice songs from the Simply the Best álbum. As Tina said: “it’s naughty, more of those songs!” 🙂
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Tina actually recorded a lot of studio rock numbers but they were never hits. Her biggest hits are pop/rnb and she has always given purely Rock concerts. Love thing is a lovely song. I don’t have a copy of Simply the best anymore but I’ll listen to it tonight via the dvd collection! I wonder what Holly means when she says Tina had found the song to be racy. Was the Tempo faster initially? The recorded version is not fast at all. I’m curious to learn how Tina came to record THE BEST. I think it was Holly and Mike’s idea too. I don’t think she had known the song before
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She could have first known about the melancholic Bonnie’s version on the radio one year before, like she knew about Ero’s Cosa de la Vita. I’m curious too.
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Anthony i agree but even those songs you listed don’t even begin to scratch the surface of Rock and Roll songs tina have recorded.Me myself personally I believe she recorded her best music and was at her complete best musically while with ike.he literally innovated the sound that everyone views as rock and roll today. elvis presley, bb king, howling wolf to name a few are some who were heavily influenced by ike (before he got with tina)ike was the sound of rock and roll(he also recorded the first ever rock and roll song ever rocket 88) Tina was the image of rock and roll.thats how they manage to remain relevant from the begining of music till now. now dont get me wrong her whole career from start to finish she’s been amazing…..part of the reason i love tina so much because you can really see her growth as an artist and as a person through her music.Ike and tina to me are probably the most influential artist ever. I mean if i really went into detail about it id be on here for days lol but really think about all they’ve influenced. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Gadys knight, Prince to name a few…..They are true musical pioneers, True Rock Royalty and not to mention my favorite artists of all time! heres a list of awesome rock songs for you Tina fans that often forget that Tina had a whole almost 25 year career before she came back with her own new material.Heres a list of ten out of the hundreds of rock songs tina has recorded.
1. Young and Dumb
2.Whole lotta Love
3.Youre my baby
4, Contact High
5.Acid Queen
6. Mr. Right
7.Bolic Sound
8. Kay got laid, Joe got paid
9.Fire down below
10. Stay with me
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This is one of my favorite tina songs!
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Besides Tyra Banks does anybody know the other actors/models names. The photographer looks a little like John Enos.
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I discovered this song approximately 15 years ago and I absolutely LOVED IT, after watching the movie:
(What’s love got to do with it)
I knew that her dream had come true after making a statement in the movie
She said ” I want to do something different, something more exciting.”
“I BELIEVE THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE” and she most certainly was right.
(I (MYSELF) BELIEVE THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE EVEN AT MY AGE 52)
YOU HAVE TO HAVE (FAITH) AND TRULY KNOW IN YOUR HEART THAT YOU CAN DO ANYTHING THAT YOU SET YOUR MIND TO DO.
(JUST GO FOR IT AND DO NOT GIVE UP)
( DETERMINATION )
I AM SO HAPPY FOR HER,
I LISTEN TO THIS SONG A LOT,
THANK YOU TINA!!!
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