Synopsis
Tina Turner brings "What You Get Is What You See" to a sun-baked Western setting, performing amid the rugged landscapes of California's Coachella Valley. Dressed in denim and cowboy boots, she projects the song's confident, no-nonsense attitude while the desert scenery, ranch-like locations, and open roads reinforce its country-rock flavor. The video favors striking location photography and performance footage over a conventional storyline, presenting Turner as a commanding presence in a distinctly American frontier environment.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was filmed on location in California's Coachella Valley, giving it an expansive desert backdrop rather than a studio-built Western setting.
- The song appeared on Turner's 1986 album "Break Every Rule" and was released as a single in January 1987.
- "What You Get Is What You See" marked a country-rock turn from the team of Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, whose earlier songs for Turner included "What's Love Got to Do with It," "We Don't Need Another Hero," and "Two People."
- The song was originally intended to feature a guitar solo by Eric Clapton. His contribution was recorded an octave too low, so Britten ultimately played the solo himself.
- Turner reportedly considered the song her favorite track from "Break Every Rule."
- The song later became strongly associated with Australian sports promotion after being used in a 1989 New South Wales Rugby League advertising campaign.
- The video was included in Turner's home-video compilations, including "Simply the Best - The Video Collection."