We Don't Need Another Hero
| "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Tina Turner | ||||
| from the album Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (soundtrack) | ||||
| Released | July 8, 1985UK | |||
| Format | 7", 12", CD single | |||
| Recorded | January 1985 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 6:05 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Writer(s) |
Terry Britten Graham Lyle | |||
| Producer(s) | Terry Britten | |||
| Certification | Silver (UK)[1] | |||
| Tina Turner singles chronology | ||||
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"We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" is a 1985 song by Tina Turner. It was featured in the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome which starred Turner and Mel Gibson. The song was written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle.
"We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" was released on the heels of Turner's multiplatinum album Private Dancer. The song's lyrical content is written from the perspective of those being oppressed and not wanting to get their hopes up in yet another "hero" who may or may not save them. The song was released as a 7" single, and an extended version was released as a 12" single and on the film's soundtrack album. In the UK, a shaped picture disc was also released.
In 1986, the song received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song and a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. As songwriters, Lyle and Britten received the 1985 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.[2]
Music video
The music video features Turner dressed in her costume from the film, a heavy chain mail gown. As several spotlights shine on her, she proceeds to sing atop a platform while various scenes from the movie are interspersed. In the last portion of the video, Turner's tour saxophonist, percussionist and keyboardist – Timmy Capello and a children's choir accompany her.
The music video received an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Female Video.
Recording
Turner was backed by a choral group from King's House School in Richmond, London. One of the choir members who appeared on the record, Lawrence Dallaglio, became famous in a totally different field as a rugby union star and captain of the England national team.
Versions and remixes
- 7" edit – 4:16
- 7" instrumental – 4:41
- 12" Extended Mix (Soundtrack album version) – 6:07
- 12" Dub Mix (Soundtrack instrumental version) – 6:30
Chart performance
"We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" became one of Tina Turner's biggest worldwide hit singles. The single peaked at #2 on the United States Billboard Hot 100, behind only "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr, at #3 in the UK and reached #1 in Canada, Australia, Germany, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.
Chart positions
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Songs | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 29 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play | 23 |
| UK Singles Chart | 3 |
| Germany | 1 |
| Australia | 1 |
| Portugal | 2 |
| Switzerland[3] | 1 |
| Poland | 1 |
| Austria[4] | 2 |
| France[5] | 3 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Norway[6] | 2 |
| Sweden[7] | 4 |
| New Zealand[8] | 2 |
| Netherlands[9] | 7 |
| Belgium[10] | 3 |
| Ireland | 2 |
| Italy | 2 |
| Spain | 1 |
| South Africa | 9 |
Cover versions
The Shadows did an instrumental version of the song on their 1987 album Simply Shadows.
Uruguayan musician, comedian and writer Leo Maslíah recorded a parody cover titled "No necesitamos otro héroe (Balderrama)" for his 1988 album I lique rock. In this version, he played the original melody of the song but replaced the lyrics completely, using instead the words to a popular zamba (an Argentine folk standard) called "Balderrama".
Shirley Bassey covered this song on her 1995 album Sings the Movies.
In 1998, the Croatian group Vatrogasci (Firefighters) made a cover of this song in Gypsy life thematic, translating it into the Croatian language and naming it "Daj još jednu", giving it a tamburica/folk music arrangement.
Swedish singer Regina Lund has recorded a very soft and toned down version of this song, featured on her album "Year Zero" from 2000.
Jane Child made a cover of this song in 2004, re-titling it "Beyond Thunderdome (We Don't Need Another Hero)".
A cover version of this song was released in 2007 from the heavy metal Finnish band Northern Kings; from their debut album Reborn.
"Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the song as "We Won't Eat Another Hero". Though he has performed it a few times in concert, this parody was not released as a single.[11][12]
References
- ↑ British certification
- ↑ Lister, David, Pop ballads bite back in lyrical fashion, The Independent, 28 May 1994
- ↑ "Official Swiss Charts Website". Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ↑ "Official Austrian Charts Website". Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ↑ "Official French Charts Website". Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ↑ "Official Norwegian Charts Website". Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ↑ "Official Swdedish Charts Website". Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ↑ "Official New Zealand Charts Website". Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ↑ "Official Dutch Charts Website". Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ↑ "Official Belgium Charts Website". Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ↑ "unreleased "Weird Al" Yankovic recordings". Retrieved 2008-06-04.
- ↑ "Channel 27: "Weird Al" Yankovic!". Archived from the original on 2008-02-09. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
External links
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