Tina Turner • The Best || Jennifer Connelly • A Beautiful Mind

“The Best“ is a song by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler from her seventh studio album, Hide Your Heart (1988). It was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman. Produced by Desmond Child, Tyler’s version became a top-10 hit in Norway but was a minor hit elsewhere. In 1989, American singer Tina Turner released a cover version of “The Best“ for her seventh studio album, Foreign Affair. It became an international chart hit, reaching Platinum certification in the UK. In 1989, American singer and songwriter Tina Turner recorded a cover version of “The Best“ for her seventh solo studio album, Foreign Affair (1989), with a saxophone solo played by Edgar Winter. Prior to recording the song, Tina Turner approached the songwriter Holly Knight and requested some changes: the addition of a bridge, which Turner felt was missing, and a key change. Released as the lead single from Foreign Affair on 21 August 1989, the song was an international success, becoming a top-five hit in numerous countries. It is one of Turner’s most recognizable tunes, often considered synonymous with the singer’s name. The song was used in a Pepsi commercial featuring Turner, which also served as a promo for her Foreign Affair: The Farewell Tour sponsored by Pepsi. Additionally, the song was adopted by other brands for their advertising including Applebee’s[16] and T-Mobile, as well as the Australian rugby league competition the National Rugby League, for which it remains an iconic anthem more than 30 years after its release. The song title is often colloquially mis-cited as “Simply the Best“, reflecting a phrase in the chorus. This became so commonplace that the bracketed word ’Simply’ was included in the titles for releases of some subsequent versions, and in the track listing for some Tina Turner compilation albums. In 1990, the song was used for the New South Wales Rugby League premiership (NSWRL) promotional campaign. After appearing in NSWRL’s ad a year earlier (with “What You Get Is What You See“), Tina Turner was invited to Sydney, Australia, to shoot the 1990 campaign ads, in which she appears alongside rugby league players, and perform the song at that year’s Grand Final. The campaign featuring Tina Turner and the song is considered one of the greatest campaigns in sports marketing, which helped changed the perception of rugby league as a sport turning what was essentially a suburban game popular with working-class men into entertainment for the whole family. Such is the enduring popularity of the song as the rugby league anthem that it was featured again in the 2020 promotional campaign of NRL, more than 30 years after its release. Lyrics: I call you when I need you, my heart’s on fire You come to me, come to me wild and wild When you come to me Give me everything I need Give me a lifetime of promises and a world of dreams Speak a language of love like you know what it means MMm, and it can’t be wrong Take my heart and make it strong, baby You’re simply the best Better than all the rest Better than anyone Anyone I’ve ever met I’m stuck on your heart I hang on every word you say Tear us apart Baby, I would rather be dead In your heart, I see the star of every night and every day In your eyes, I get lost, I get washed away Just as long as I’m here in your arms I could be in no better place You’re simply the best Better than all the rest Better than anyone Anyone I’ve ever met Ooh, I’m stuck on your heart I hang on every word you say Don’t tear us apart, no, no, no Baby, I would rather be dead Each time you leave me, I start losing control You’re walking away with my heart and my soul I can feel you even when I’m alone Oh baby, don’t let go Ooh, you’re the best, ooh Better than all the rest Better than anyone Anyone I’ve ever met Ooh, I’m stuck on your heart I hang on every word you say Don’t tear us apart, no, no Baby, I would rather be dead You’re the best Ooh, you’re simply the best Better than all the rest Better than anyone Anyone I’ve ever met I’m stuck on your heart, baby I hang on every word you say Don’t tear us apart, no, no, no Baby, I would rather be dead Oh, you’re the best You’re better than all the rest Better than anyone Anyone I’ve ever met Ooh, you’re the best
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