'She was going to run with that ball': How James Brown inadvertently led to iconic collab between Heaven 17 and Tina Turner
Martyn Ware, the co-producer of Tina Turner's 1983 hit cover of 'Let's Stay Together', remembered the late singer as a "very professional" person with a "twinkle in her eye". Brit synth-pop group Heaven 17 was instrumental in reviving the career of 'Queen of Rock n Roll' by suggesting she record cover songs, with Al Green's 'Let's Stay Together' dominating the charts. This cover turned out to become an internationally recognized hit, solidifying her stand as a pop legend. Ware stated it was the "biggest-selling 12-inch single in American history at that point."
Ware, 67, reflected on his time working with the rock and roll icon, who died on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at the age of 83. "She was very professional, very friendly, and very humble," he said. She had the utmost confidence in her ability and her ability to perform," he said, adding, "She was always funny and charming and always had a twinkle in her eye. For that, I am eternally grateful," as reported by People.
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How did Ware and Turner's work life begin?
They first collaborated in 1982 when Ware and fellow producer Greg Walsh were putting together a compilation album with various singers as a side project. Turner sang the song 'Ball of Confusion'. The pop queen was still making a respectable income though she was performing 'Proud Mary' and other older songs while traveling Europe and Britain without a record deal at the time.
The alliance was fortunate because her manager Roger Davies wanted to go in a different way. Turner "was the opposite of hot when we started working with her," Ware stated. "It was regarded as a novelty project when we started with her — she's had her heyday and coming back and doing something that was quite modern," he added.
'She had the utmost confidence'
And that was only possible because Turner had been proposed after their first candidate, James Brown, unexpectedly declined. She reportedly questioned Ware as she entered the London studio, "Where's the band?" He continues, "There was no band — it was just us and synthesizers, which was quite unusual back then." "She had the utmost confidence in her ability and her ability to perform," he recalled of her swift adaptation, adding, "All she required was the opportunity and she was going to run with that ball."
Turner and Davies asked Heaven 17 if they would like to write a few songs for the impending LP 'Private Dancer' after that release, but they ran out of time. The group recommended she record a few cover songs instead. "The top of my list was 'Let’s Stay Together'. Al Green was one of her heroes so it was a hole-in-one, really," Ware to PEOPLE.
'She was funny, charming, and had a twinkle in her eye'
Turner spent about one hour in the studio and recorded her vocals in one take. Soon after the song's release in 1983, they were scheduled to perform it live on British television as part of an early-evening program called 'The Tube'. Turner teased Ware and backup singer Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 about her dance ideas. "She came into our dressing room and said, 'Martyn," Ware stated in Turner's voice. "In the middle eight of the song, my dancers are going to do something cool — they're going to go down on their knees and run their hands up and down your body.' I said, 'Tina I don't think that's a good idea. We don't want any accidents!' Can you imagine how embarrassing that would have been?" He went on, "She was serious — she's from that showbusiness tradition and the person who organizes all her choreography. She was always funny and charming and always had a twinkle in her eye. For that, I am eternally grateful."
When was the last time Ware saw Turner?
According to Ware, he last saw Turner at the world premiere of her musical 'Tina' in London five years ago. "She was thrilled with it," he said, adding, "She was involved in the workshopping of the whole thing, which took a long time. She wanted to make sure this was a legacy piece that told the story in full and kept it entertaining."
'Powerful exemplar of Black female power'
Ware noted the difficulties Black women like Turner must have faced in Hollywood, saying, "She had to fight for her dues in a largely white-dominated industry. She was a very powerful exemplar of Black female power."
What does Ware think of Turner as a performer?
Turner "was a major star in world music — I don't think there has been a better performer than her in 40 years of popular music," said Ware. He claims that the late icon's incredible talent as a soul vocalist is rarely acknowledged. He continued, "She wanted to be known as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll — possibly because of her association with Ike, she wanted to establish a new direction."