Mark Knopfler gave “Private Dancer” to Tina Turner and it was a success

The song “Private Dancer”released in 1984, was one of the biggest hits of Tina Turner and was written by the then leader of the Dire Straits Mark Knopfler.

It happened that in September 1982 i Dire Straits released their fourth album titled “Love Over Gold” which had as main singles “Private Investigations” And “Industrial Disease”. According to what is reported in the bassist's autobiography Dire Straits John Illsley, 'My Life in Dire Straits', Mark Knopfler he also wrote a song titled for the album “Private Dancer” which however did not find a place in the tracklist of “Love Over Gold”.

Illsley wrote in his memoir: “One song that ultimately didn't make the album was 'Private Dancer', mainly because Mark rightly decided it should be sung by a woman. The words 'I'm your private dancer' , a dancer for money, I'll do what you want me to do' didn't sound right in Mark's mouth. He ended up giving it to Tina Turner, with spectacular results.”

He brought back the now 74-year-old bassist of the Dire Straits: “In gratitude for the song, Tina asked the band to record it with her in a studio in North London, it was a joy to spend the day with her.

You are unlikely to meet a lovelier woman on the music scene and her enthusiasm is all the more infectious and impressive considering all the suffering she has endured in her private life.” Illsley said that .Tina Turner it was incredible, the guitar solo of the song is by Jeff Beck and not of Mark Knopfler who did not participate in the recording session.

TO Tina Turner – who passed away just a year ago at the age of 83 – he liked it very much “Private Dancer”as he wrote JohnIllsley: “She liked “Private Dancer” so much that she named her album after it.” Illsley said the members of Dire Straits were very happy when the song became a huge hit.

“Private Dancer” reached number seven on the US charts, while the album – which included other hits such as “What's Love Got to Do with It” And “I Can't Stand the Rain” – was even more successful, reaching third place in the album chart and remaining in the US sales chart, the Billboard 200, for 106 weeks. More than any other album by the American musician.