Typical Male

A chart-topping Cash Box hit that just missed becoming Turner's second Billboard Hot 100 number one.

"Typical Male" is a song recorded by American singer Tina Turner. It was written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle and produced by Britten for Turner's studio album Break Every Rule (1986). The song reached number one on the Cash Box chart and peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks, behind "When I Think of You" by Janet Jackson and "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper. It also reached number three on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. The B-side is "Don't Turn Around," later covered by Bonnie Tyler, Aswad, and Ace of Base. Phil Collins plays drums on the track.

Quick Facts

Artist: Tina Turner
Album: Break Every Rule
B-side: Don't Turn Around
Released: August 11, 1986
Genre: Pop rock
Length: 4:18
Label: Capitol
Writer: Terry Britten; Graham Lyle

Lore & Background

In the music video for "Typical Male," Turner is seen in a red minidress, flirting with a lawyer. She plays games with him, such as chess and Scrabble, to get his attention. Throughout the video, Turner hugs and leans against a statue of the lawyer's leg. At one point, she and the lawyer sit on a gigantic telephone headpiece, and she jumps up and down on one end, sending the lawyer high into the air. At the end of the video, Turner and the lawyer walk together holding hands. The song's personnel includes Turner on lead vocals, Nick Glennie-Smith on keyboards, Terry Britten on guitars, bass, and backing vocals, Phil Collins on drums, Tim Cappello on saxophone solo, and Tessa Niles on backing vocals.

Reader's Guide

The song was written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, with Britten also handling production. It appears on Turner's 1986 album Break Every Rule. The track features a saxophone solo by Tim Cappello and backing vocals from Tessa Niles. The music video, directed by someone not, shows Turner in a red minidress interacting with a lawyer through games like chess and Scrabble, and includes a memorable scene with a giant telephone headpiece.