Tina Turner - Simply the Best [CD & DVD]

Simply the Best is surrounded by some of the best situations a compilation can hope for. Tina Turner's work for Capitol past Private Dancer was spotty, she made a bunch of appearances on soundtracks and other artists' albums, and most of the tracks on Private Dancer are good enough to own twice. Almost half of Private Dancer shows up on Simply the Best, but you don't have to endure the way the original album spiraled down into slick fizzle. Instead you have to endure a misguided, pumped-up house remix of "Nutbush City Limits," but that's it. Everything else here is either top-notch or campy, certifiable fun. A duet with Rod Stewart on "It Takes Two" supplies the fun along with the new track, "I Want You Near Me" (Turner to lover: "You're so good with your hands/To help me with a hook or zip"). The two other new tracks tacked to the end beat out most of the album cuts the collection passes on, plus you get the bombastic "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" without having to buy a dull soundtrack. The oldest cut by years is the monolithic "River Deep-Mountain High," which is a bona fide classic but sonically out of place here. Reprogram the disc to play it at the beginning or end, skip the new "Nutbush" completely, and you've got sparkling, nearly perfect overview of Turner's postcomeback career. [In 2003 Capitol reissued the original release and added the =Simply the Best DVD collection of videos and live footage.] ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alan Clark Keyboards Albert Hammond Producer, Vocals (Background), Shaker Andy Hamilton Saxophone Art Wood Keyboards, Drums, Programming, Bass, Percussion Barney Kessel Guitar Bernard Edwards Bass, Producer Billy Livsey Keyboards Bob Feit Bass Bruce Weber Photography C.J. Mackintosh Programming, Mixing, Producer, Instrumentation Carmine Rojas Bass Carol Kaye Bass (Electric) Casey Young Keyboards Charlie Morgan Drums, Percussion Chris Lord-Alge Engineer, Mixing, Producer Chuck Kentis Keyboards Cy Curnin Vocals (Background) Dan Hartman Producer, Vocals (Background), Keyboards, Percussion Programming, Guitar (Acoustic), Piano (Electric), Organ Dave Dorrell Mixing, Producer Donald Peake Guitar Earl Palmer Drums, Bandleader Eddie Martinez Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm) Elliot Lewis Strings Frank Capp Percussion Frank Riccotti Percussion Gary Barnacle Saxophone Arrangement, Saxophone Gene Black Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm) Gene Estes Percussion Geoff Dugmore Drums Glenn Gregory Vocals (Background) Glenn Sakamoto Design Graham Broad Percussion, Drums Graham Jarvis Drums Graham Lyle Vocals (Background), Producer, Mandolin Greg Mathieson Synthesizer Bass Greg Walsh Fairlight, Engineer, Arranger, Producer Hal Lindes Guitar Harold Battiste Piano Herb Ritts Photography Holly Knight Vocals (Background) Humberto Gatica Remixing J.T. Lewis Drums Jack Bruno Drums James E. Bond Bass (Upright) James Gordon Drums James R. Horn Saxophone James Ralston Guitar (Rhythm), Guitar Jamie West-Oram Guitar Jeff Beck Guitar (Electric) Jeff Bova String Section, Horn Section Jeff Golub Guitar Jimmy Roberts Saxophone John Ewing, Jr. ? John Hudson Mixing, Engineer John Illsley Bass John Thirkell Trumpet Kenny Moore Piano Lance Ellington Vocals (Background) Larry Knechtel Piano Larry Levine Engineer Martyn Ware Arranger, Vocals (Background), Producer, Drum Programming Mel Collins Saxophone Mike Ging Assistant Engineer, Engineer Neil Taylor Slide Guitar, ? Nick Glennie-Smith Keyboards, Strings Nick Plytas Piano, Synthesizer Ollie Marland Keyboards Pat Thrall Guitar (Electric) Phil Collins Drums Phil Palmer Guitar Phil Spector Equalizing, Producer Philippe Saisse Flute Phillip Ashley Bass Programming, Keyboards Plas Johnson Saxophone Rave Calmer Drums Ray Russell Guitar Richard Cottie Keyboards Richard Elen Surround Sound Robert Gerstlauer ? Robin Hancock Engineer Rod Stewart Producer Roger Davies Executive Producer, Arranger, Producer Roy Caton Trumpet Rupert Hine Keyboards, Vocals (Background), Bass, Percussion, Programming, Producer Simon Morton Percussion Steve Hamilton Horn Steve Sedelnick Percussion T.M. Stevens Bass Talley Sherwood Assistant Engineer Terry Britten Bass, Vocals (Background), Programming, Guitar, Drums, Producer Terry Williams Drums, Saxophone Tessa Niles Vocals (Background) Timmy Cappello Organ, Saxophone, Vocals (Background), Tambourine Tina Turner Producer, Arranger, Vocals (Background) Tommy Steele Art Direction Tommy Vicari Engineer Tony Joe White Guitar (Rhythm), Harmonica, Synthesizer Bass, Guitar Trevor Morais Drums Wally Traugott Mastering Walter Samuel Engineer