Don't Turn Around

Album: Greatest Hits (1988)
Charted: 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Diane Warren and Albert Hammond wrote this song, in which the singer pleads with his lover not to walk out on him. It was originally a B-side for Tina Turner's "Typical Male" single.
  • Diane Warren explained in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, "I wrote 'Don't Turn Around' as a rock ballad. Aswad heard a version of it that Tina Turner had done as a B-side on 'Typically Male.' I remember being so depressed because it wasn't on her album and I remember hearing the album and thinking that my song is better than anything on the album. When Aswad heard it and did it reggae style, you could say they screwed around with it, but my, what they did with it was great."
  • This became a minor R&B hit for Luther Ingram in 1987. The following year the UK reggae group Aswad covered it in a light reggae style and it shot to the top of the UK charts.
  • Aswad had been together for 13 years before this became their first UK hit. They went on to record four more UK Top 30 hits including the 1994 #5 single "Shine." One of the band members, Brinsley Forde, was previously a child actor in the UK children's TV series Here Come The Double Deckers. Aswad were named after the Arabic word for "black."
  • Swedish group Ace Of Base covered this in 1994. Their version hit #4 US and #5 UK.
  • Neil Diamond remade this song in 1992 and took it to #19 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts. Diamond rarely recorded songs he didn't write - it was much more typical for other artists to have hits with his songs. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Eugene - Minneapolis, MN

Comments: 1

  • Howard from Wakefield, United KingdomThis is a nice song which I remember when it was released for the first time around 1988.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Album Cover Inspirations

Album Cover InspirationsSong Writing

Some album art was at least "inspired" by others. A look at some very similar covers.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Weezer

WeezerFact or Fiction

Did Rivers Cuomo grow up on a commune? Why did they name their albums after colors? See how well you know your Weezer in this Fact or Fiction.

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.