A thought-lost song from Tina Turner's hit album Private Dancer has been rediscovered and will be played for the first time on BBC Radio 2 later.

"Hot For You, Baby" was cut at Capitol Studios in Hollywood and was originally intended to be an album track.

But it was eventually abandoned in favor of era-defining hits like "What's Love Got To Do With It," "Better Be Good To Me" and the album's title track.

The allegedly missing master tapes were recently rediscovered during a 40th anniversary reissue of Private Dancer by her label.

"Hot For You, Baby," an uptempo rocker full of showy guitar chords and very 1980s-style cowbells, exemplifies Turner's rough, physical soul style.

The track will be played for the first time on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Thursday between 08:30 and 09:00 GMT.

The song was produced by record executive John Grant, who engineered her mid-career comeback, and was written by Australian musicians George Young and Harry Vanda.

The song has been recorded once before by Scottish-Australian singer John Paul Young, the voice of disco classic "Love Is In The Air".

However, his version went largely unnoticed when it was released in 1979.

"Private Dancer," released in May 1984, launched an unprecedented second act in Tina Turner's career.

She escaped an abusive marriage to musician Ike Turner in the late 1970s, but after the divorce she was penniless, living on food stamps and performing botched cabaret acts to pay off her debts .

The music industry has largely dismissed her, but she still has some serious fans in Britain, where pop music is dominated by American R&B.

In 1981, Rod Stewart invited Turner to perform with him on Saturday Night Live; the Rolling Stones invited her to join their U.S. tour. Perhaps more importantly, David Bowie told Capitol Records that Turner was his favorite singer.

But the turning point came when she teamed up with British producers Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh of Heaven 17 to record a synth-pop version of the Temptations' 1970 hit Ball of Confusion.

It was a huge hit in Europe, and its success convinced Capitol to let her record an album, but they didn't fully support it.

The budget only covered two weeks in the studio, and many of the songs Turner recorded were discarded by other artists (both Cliff Richard and Backus Fitz turned down "What's Love Got To Do With It"). .

But she used her time wisely - recording all but one of Private Dancer's songs in the UK with five different British production teams.

As the country became influenced by the New Wave and New Romanticism, Turner moved further away from the raw, fiery soul that made her famous in the first place. But somehow her uplifting vocals fit perfectly with the cool, programmed beats she was given.

"Turner seemed to completely understand the touch required for each song," Debbie Miller wrote in an article. Rolling Stone magazine "Private Dancer" concurrent review.

In the New York Times, Stephen Holden described the record as "This is a milestone not only in the career of the 45-year-old singer, who has been recording since the late 1950s, but in the evolution of pop-soul music itself."

The album sold more than 10 million copies and won three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year for "What's Love Got To Do With It."

Turner also performed the song on live television, wowing viewers with her vocals despite battling a severe case of the flu.

A support episode on Lionel Richie's 1984 US tour reminded audiences of her ability to rip the roof off any venue she set foot on.

By 1985, Turner had become one of the world's greatest performers in the era of stadium superstars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince.

The decision to remove Hot For You, Baby from Private Dancer's original track listing made sense. It sounds a bit cheesy compared to the sexy, sophisticated material that ended up on the record.

But fans will relish the chance to hear Turner burst into tears in his prime and promise to "love you all night long."

Mark Goodier, who is currently covering Channel 2's breakfast show, said: "Hearing something new from Tina Turner will be a treat and a reminder for fans of all generations Notice her unique talents.

"I was lucky enough to interview Tina and watch her perform live. She is an incredible performer as well as an extraordinary graceful lady whose every note is shaped by her incredible life ”

In addition to being released as a single, the track will also be included on the new five-disc deluxe edition of Private Dancer, due out in March.

The collection will also include B-sides, remixes and live tracks, as well as a film of Turner's performance at Birmingham's NEC Arena in March 1985, which featured guest appearances by David Bowie and Bryan Adams.

Turner died in 2023 at the age of 83. No cause of death was given, but it is understood she suffered from kidney disease, bowel cancer and other illnesses.