What You Get Is What You See

{{distinguish|What You See Is What You Get (disambiguation){{!}}What You See Is What You Get}}

{{Infobox song

| name = What You Get Is What You See

| cover = Tina Turner - What You Get Is What You See.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| released = January 1987{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/847/mode/2up|title=The Great Rock Discography|year=1995|page=847 |isbn=9780862415419 |last1=Strong |first1=Martin Charles |publisher=Canongate Press }}

| recorded = 1986

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = {{flatlist|

}}

| length = 4:31

| label = Capitol

| writer = {{flatlist|

}}

| producer = Britten

| prev_title = Girls

| prev_year = 1986

| next_title = Break Every Rule

| next_year = 1987

| misc = {{External music video|type=single|header=Music video|1={{YouTube|e0GVixJvt-g|"What You Get Is What You See"}}}}

}}

"What You Get Is What You See" is a song by recording artist Tina Turner from her album Break Every Rule (1986). The 12" single included three versions of the song, the Extended Dance Mix, the Extended Rock Mix and a live version recorded in London in November 1986. A different live recording of the song was later used as the opening track on Turner's 1988 album Tina Live in Europe. She also included it in her 2009 live album Tina Live. It was recorded during Turner's 50th Anniversary Tour. The track is from the March 21, 2009 live show at the GelreDome in Arnhem, Netherlands.{{cite web|url=http://www.tinaturnerfanclub.eu/news/news_gelredome.html|title=Gelredome Tina Turner Tina Live DVD/CD 2 Disc Set|work=International Tina Turner Fan Club |access-date=2009-08-27}}

The music video for the song was directed by Peter Care, and filmed on-location in Coachella Valley, California.{{cite news |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19870123.2.23&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-------- |title=Rocker Tina Turner takes road show to desolate desert ranch |author=Peter Hass |date=1987-01-23 |publisher=The Desert Sun }}

Background

The song was written by the Terry Britten and Graham Lyle team and was notably different from the three previous singles that they had written for Turner, "What's Love Got to Do with It", "We Don't Need Another Hero" and "Two People", as it was an up-tempo country-tinged rock track. The song was originally to feature a guitar solo by Eric Clapton, but Clapton's contribution was accidentally recorded an octave too low; Terry Britten ultimately played the guitar solo himself.{{cite AV media notes |title=Break Every Rule |others=Tina Turner |year=2022 |type=CD Booklet |publisher=Parlophone |id=984 448-2 |location=London, UK }} Tina Turner said in an interview that "What You Get Is What You See" is her favorite song from the album.{{cn|date=September 2021}}

Versions and remixes

Single edit – 3:57
Album version – 4:31
Extended Dance Mix – 6:28
Extended Rock Mix – 5:55
Live Version – 4:47

Personnel

Tina Turner – lead vocals
Nick Glennie-Smith – keyboards
Terry Britten – programming, guitars, bass
Graham Lyle – mandolin

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="col"\| Chart (1987) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;"
scope="row"\|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book\|author=David Kent\|author-link=David Kent (historian)\|title=Australian Chart Book 1970-1992\|publisher=St Ives, N.S.W. : Australian Chart Book\|location=Australia\|year=1993\|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} \| 15
{{singlechart\|Austria\|23\|artist=Tina Turner\|song=What You Get Is What You See\|rowheader=true\|access-date=January 3, 2014}}
{{singlechart\|Flanders\|38\|artist=Tina Turner\|song=What You Get Is What You See\|rowheader=true\|access-date=January 3, 2014}}
{{singlechart\|Canadatopsingles\|23\|chartid=0799\|rowheader=true\|access-date=September 23, 2015}}
scope="row"\|Europe (European Hot 100 Singles){{cite magazine\|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/80s/1987/Billboard-1987-04-11.pdf\|title=Hits of the World\|magazine=Billboard\|publisher=Prometheus Global Media\|date=April 11, 1987\|access-date=September 23, 2015}} \| 18
scope="row"\|Germany (Official German Charts){{cite web\|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-15868\|title=Tina Turner - Top Titel\|language=de\|publisher=GfK Entertainment\|access-date=September 23, 2015}} \| 17
{{singlechart\|Ireland2\|16\|song=What You Get It What You See\|rowheader=true\|access-date=September 23, 2015}}
{{singlechart\|New Zealand\|41\|artist=Tina Turner\|song=What You Get Is What You See\|rowheader=true\|access-date=January 3, 2014}}
{{singlechart\|UKsinglesbyname\|30\|artist=Tina Turner\|song=Typical Male\|rowheader=true\|access-date=September 23, 2015}}
{{singlechart\|Billboardhot100\|13\|artist=Tina Turner\|song=What You Get Is What You See\|rowheader=true\|access-date=December 27, 2013}}
scope="row"\| US Cash Box Top 100{{cite web\|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1987/CB-1987-04-11.pdf\|title=Cash Box\|website=Worldradiohistory.com\|issue=11 April 1987\|access-date=September 8, 2024}} \| 21
scope="col"\| Chart (1989) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
scope="row"\| Australia (ARIA){{cite web\|first=Gavin\|last=Scott\|url=http://chartbeat.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/25-years-ago-this-week-may-14-1989.html\|title=25 Years Ago This Week: May 14, 1989\|publisher=blogspot.com.au\|access-date=October 25, 2015\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329160747/https://chartbeat.blogspot.com/2014/05/25-years-ago-this-week-may-14-1989.html\|archive-date=March 29, 2016}} \| 57

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" !scope="col"\| Chart (1987) !scope="col"\| Peak position
scope="row"\|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web\|url=https://i.imgur.com/sPdqqRt.jpg\|title=Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987\|publisher=Australian Music Report\|via=Imgur\|access-date=May 26, 2023}} \| 92

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

!scope="col"| Chart (1987)

!scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/sPdqqRt.jpg|title=Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987|publisher=Australian Music Report|via=Imgur|access-date=May 26, 2023}}

| 92

Covers

The song has been covered many times including by Canadian country music group Straight Clean & Simple and a single for the band taken from their 1992 album Iron Lady. It was also covered by Scottish / Irish country artist Lisa McHugh. Her cover appears in her 2014 album A Life That's Good.

In popular culture

"What You Get Is What You See" was popular in Australia, where in 1989 it was used in a campaign for the New South Wales Rugby League. They later used the Tina Turner song "The Best" in another campaign.