The Elton John song Tina Turner turned down: “I made a mistake”
Seldom do you hear Elton John and Tina Turner mentioned in the same sentence—at least in terms of musical collaboration. Two titans of the game since the 1960s, they rarely joined forces—and perhaps with good reason. When two forces of such magnitude and presence collide, whether in music, relationships, or politics, the result can be explosive. Contrary to the usual turn of phrase, perhaps some forces simply shouldn’t be reckoned with.
In 1999, however, Turner and John, alongside Cher, appeared together at the VH1 Divas Live ’99 gig in New York, performing a rendition of the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s trademark track, ‘Proud Mary’. While the trio stormed the stage in an iconic collaboration seemingly destined to go down in history, the days and weeks leading up to the event were marked by turbulence that may have cast a shadow over the evening for those involved. At the time, Turner and John were planning a world tour—one that, in the end, never happened. It seemed those plans died during the rehearsals for the Divas Live show.
“I made a mistake when I needed to show him how to play ‘Proud Mary’,” Turner later admitted. “The mistake is you don’t show Elton John how to play his piano.” Naturally, the response from the piano man who Billy Joel once noted “kicks [his] ass on piano” was fiery.
There’s an irony, then, in turning attention to ‘The Bitch Is Back’—another track that served as an earlier crossover point for the pianist and singer. Written by John alongside his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, the title was inspired by a remark from Taupin’s then-wife, Maxine Feibelman, who would say it whenever John was in a bad mood. Upon reading the lyrics, John even admitted, “It kind of is my theme song.”
The tune remains a concert staple, often opening John’s shows—not to mention his biopic, Rocketman. Turner recorded two versions, first for her Rough album in 1978 and again for the John/Taupin tribute album Two Rooms in 1991. She also performed the track alongside John at the 1995 VH1 Fashion and Music Awards—four years before their decisive altercation.
With hindsight truly in full view now, there’s further irony to be found in the track that was offered to Turner – which she turned down – back in the early 1980s, well before any of the pair’s tumultuous interactions near a decade later. Released in 1985, the final recording of ‘Act of War’ hears John duet with Millie Jackson instead, stepping into the role of a straight man, with the pair navigating a stormy interpersonal relationship throughout the track.
It was the era of the Cold War, reflected in the track’s music video, which opens with the United States president answering his phone near the “button” that would supposedly launch missiles. The jelly beans he eats are a reference to Ronald Reagan, the president at the time, who enjoyed the treats.
Explosions appear in the song alongside pulsating, sharp snare beats and metaphorical lyrics such as “We’re living on the front line you and me / Fighting on this battleground of misery.” I can’t help but think the impassioned energy that boiled over in the years to come could have fuelled quite the collaboration on such a track.
Fortunately, the pair reconciled and following Turner’s passing in 2023, John shared on his Instagram, “We have lost one of the world’s most exciting and electric performers. A total legend on record and on stage. She was untouchable. Condolences to Erwin and her family.”
A little over a month later, John further expressed his admiration for her at a show in Switzerland during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, adding, “She was mesmerising…you will never see that like again…a force.”
