Typical Male

Lore & Background

In the music video for "Typical Male," Turner is seen in a red minidress, flirting with a lawyer. She plays games with him, such as chess and Scrabble, to get his attention. Throughout the video, Turner hugs and leans against a statue of the lawyer's leg. At one point, she and the lawyer sit on a gigantic telephone headpiece, and she jumps up and down on one end, sending the lawyer high into the air. At the end of the video, Turner and the lawyer walk together holding hands. The song's personnel includes Turner on lead vocals, Nick Glennie-Smith on keyboards, Terry Britten on guitars, bass, and backing vocals, Phil Collins on drums, Tim Cappello on saxophone solo, and Tessa Niles on backing vocals.

In Their Own Story

The single's B-side, "Don't Turn Around," would later be covered by Bonnie Tyler, Aswad, and Ace of Base. On the US Billboard Hot 100, "Typical Male" spent three consecutive weeks at number two, blocked from the top spot by "When I Think of You" by Janet Jackson and "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper. It also climbed to number three on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. Phil Collins' drumming on the track adds a driving rhythm that complements Turner's vocal performance.

Reader's Guide

The song was written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, with Britten also handling production. It appears on Turner's 1986 album *Break Every Rule*. The track features a saxophone solo by Tim Cappello and backing vocals from Tessa Niles. The music video, directed by someone not named in the source, shows Turner in a red minidress interacting with a lawyer through games like chess and Scrabble, and includes a memorable scene with a giant telephone headpiece.

Did You Know?

• "Typical Male" reached number one on the *Cash Box* chart.
• It spent three consecutive weeks at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100.
• The B-side, "Don't Turn Around," was later covered by Bonnie Tyler, Aswad, and Ace of Base.
• Phil Collins plays drums on the song.
• The music video features Turner in a red minidress playing chess and Scrabble with a lawyer.