Rupert Hine Dies: Producer For Tina Turner, Rush And Contributor To Many Soundtracks Was 72

Bruce Haring
·2 min read

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British producer and songwriter Rupert Hine, who produced songs on Tina Turner’s 1984 comeback album Private Dancer and was instrumental in works by a host of other big names, has died. He was 72, but no details were given in the announcement by the Ivors Academy of Music Creators, where he was a board member.

Hine was a dominant producer in the 1980s and 1990s, working with Tina Turner, Rush, Stevie Nicks, the Thompson Twins, Bob Geldof, the Fixx, Suzanne Vega and Howard Jones, among others.

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Hine was born on September 21, 1947 in Wimbledon, Surrey, England. He started his career as a member of the folk duo Rupert & David. He then went on to a career that included time with British group Quantum Jump. He went to producing, but later revived his solo music career.

His works appeared on soundtracks for the films Better Off Dead, Golden Eye, The Fifth Element and The Addams Family, and several television series.

Howard Jones said on Twitter that Hine was an “extraordinary man and one of my dearest longtime friends, my music mentor and producer, passed away in the early hours of this morning. I’m so fortunate to have spent a precious hour with him Tuesday. I will be writing about him on FB soon … luvya Roop !!”

The biggest triumph of Hine’s producing career was his work with Tina Turner on her 1984 album Private Dancer, which marked her first big success after her 1978 divorce from Ike Turner. Hine produced the Grammy-winning single Better Be Good to Me and also was a co-writer on the song I Might Have Been Queen.

He later worked with Turner on her albums Break Every Rule (1986) and Foreign Affair (1989).

Hine went on to produce Stevie Nicks’ fourth solo album, 1989’s The Other Side of the Mirror, and Rush’s 1991 album Roll the Bones and 1989’s Presto.

He also produced two benefit albums of note, the 2008 album, Songs for Tibet – The Art of Peace, and its follow-up in 2015, Songs for Tibet – The Art of Peace II.

Survivors include his wife, Fay, and a son, Kingsley. No memorial service has been set.

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