"Turn It into Love" is a
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
released by Australian singer
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
. It was taken from her debut studio album ''
Kylie'' (1988). The single was released in December 1988 in Japan only. The
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
was a new song "Made in Heaven", which also served as the B-side to both "
Je ne sais pas pourquoi" and "
It's No Secret" in other international territories.
The song, written and produced by
Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW), was also released by British singer
Hazell Dean
Hazell Dean ( Poole; born 27 October 1952) is an English dance-pop singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading hi-NRG artist. She is best known for the top-ten hits in the United Kingdom "Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)", ...
the same year, sparking years of speculation about which performer recorded it first. But the track's writer and producer
Matt Aitken
Matthew James Aitken (born 25 August 1956) is an English songwriter and record producer, brought up in Astley, Greater Manchester, best known as part of the 1980s/early-1990s songwriting/production trio Stock Aitken Waterman.
Biography
He beg ...
insists it was written for Minogue, and later given to Dean when it became apparent the Australian singer did not need another UK single from her debut album.
Kylie performed the song (as part of medleys) during her
On a Night Like This Tour
On a Night Like This was the sixth concert tour by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, in support of her seventh studio album, ''Light Years'' (2000). The tour consisted of a European leg and Australian leg, beginning on 3 March 2001 at ...
and
Showgirl Homecoming shows in the 2000s, as well the
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival ...
25th birthday concert in Melbourne, Australia in 1998.
Critical reception
A favourite track among
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW and also known as the Hit Factory) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s throug ...
enthusiasts, the song also featured on the 2005 UK compilation album ''
Stock Aitken Waterman Gold'', one of just two tracks included that were not released as a single in the UK. Retrospectively, in 2017, Christian Guiltenane of British magazine ''
Attitude
Attitude or Attitude may refer to:
Philosophy and psychology
* Attitude (psychology), a disposition or state of mind
** Attitude change
* Propositional attitude, a mental state held towards a proposition
Science and technology
* Orientation ...
'' described it as "one of SAW's most amazing songs", noting "its exuberant xylophone intro and lilting melody" but with "a melancholy in the verses". In 2021, British magazine ''
Classic Pop
Traditional pop (also known as vocal pop or pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standards ...
'' ranked the song number 21 in their list of 'Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs', adding that it "is surely one of their finest creations for Minogue". In 2024, the same magazine ranked the song at number 18 in its list of "Top 40 Kylie Minogue songs", describing it as a "breezy, moreish serving of galloping SAW loveliness". In 2023, Robert Moran of Australian daily tabloid newspaper ''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' ranked the song as Minogue's 38th best song (out of 183), adding that it is the "proof that Kylie's been doing
Euro-disco since the very beginning. The chorus is the sort of earworm you'll suddenly find yourself repeating every time you turn a tap, a doorknob, etc".
Format and track listing
This is the format and track listing of major single release of "Turn It into Love".
Japanese 7" single and 3" CD
# "Turn It into Love" – 3:35
# "Made in Heaven" – 3:29
Official versions
"Turn It into Love"
* Album version / single version
* Instrumental: Initially used on a very rare Turkish bootleg 7" in 1988 and then as the theme music to the 'gallery' section of the 2002 ''Greatest Hits 1987–1992'' DVD. Also made available as part of PWL's re-issues of back catalogue releases on iTunes.
* Extended instrumental: included exclusively on the Japanese ''Greatest Hits 1987–1997'' CD in 2003
* Backing Track: Unavailable until the PWL's re-issues of back catalogue releases on iTunes.
No official vocal extended version of "Turn It into Love" was ever produced at
PWL.
"Made in Heaven"
* Album version / single version
* Maid in England Mix, aka Made in Australia Mix or Made in Sweden Mix
* Heaven Scent Mix (edit): shorter version included on the Australian "Never Too Late" single and the ''UK Greatest Hits 87–92'' (2002 release)
* Heaven Scent 12" Mix (extended): included exclusively on ''Greatest Remix Hits Volume 4'' in Australia in August 1998
* Original 12" Mix: Unavailable until the PWL's re-issues of back catalogue releases on iTunes.
* Instrumental: Unavailable until the PWL's re-issues of back catalogue releases on iTunes.
* Backing Track: Unavailable until the PWL's re-issues of back catalogue releases on iTunes.
Live performances
Minogue performed the song on the following concert tours:
*
On a Night Like This Tour
On a Night Like This was the sixth concert tour by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, in support of her seventh studio album, ''Light Years'' (2000). The tour consisted of a European leg and Australian leg, beginning on 3 March 2001 at ...
(as part of the Hits Medley)
*
Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour (as a medley with "Light Years")
*
Tension Tour
The Tension Tour is the ongoing sixteenth headlining concert tour by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It commenced on 15 February 2025 in Perth, Australia, and is set to conclude on 26 August 2025 in Monterrey, Mexico, consisting of ...
(as part of a fan request at the
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
show)
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Certifications
Hazell Dean version
In September 1988, just prior to Kylie's "Turn It into Love" being released in Japan, British Hi-NRG singer
Hazell Dean
Hazell Dean ( Poole; born 27 October 1952) is an English dance-pop singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading hi-NRG artist. She is best known for the top-ten hits in the United Kingdom "Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)", ...
released her version which was also produced by
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW and also known as the Hit Factory) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s throug ...
, however, the arrangement was noticeably different from that of Kylie's version.
Background and release
Published reports and notes contained in Dean's own 2012 greatest hits compilation, ''Evergreen'', have claimed that the singer was at PWL Studios recording "Maybe" when she was played a selection of songs being recorded for Kylie's debut album. In this version of events, "Turn It into Love" stood out, and she liked the song so much, she asked
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman (born 15 January 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, and television personality. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman production and songwriting team, he co-wrote and co-produced many UK hit singles. An av ...
to let her record her own version of the song. Waterman obliged and it was eventually released as the lead into the release of Dean's second Stock Aitken Waterman-produced album
''Always'' in October 1988.
However, Dean has refuted these long-repeated claims, insisting she never knew Kylie had recorded the song until the Australian singer's version later came to prominence.
Asserting that she thought she was recording a totally original song when given "Turn It into Love", Dean admitted she was "p-ed off" when she discovered there had been a double up, calling the reuse of the song by SAW "a cop out".
Chart performance
Dean's version of "Turn It into Love" was a moderate hit in Europe. It peaked at number 21 in the
UK Singles Chart for the week ending 8 October 1988,
number 30 in
Swiss singles chart
The Swiss Hitparade () is Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.
The Swiss charts include:
* Singles Top 75 (released since 1968)
* Singles T ...
for the week ending 30 October 1988,
and number three in Finland on 19 November 1988.
On the overall
Eurochart Hot 100
The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by ''Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately f ...
, it peaked at number 68,
and charted for five weeks.
Critical reception
A review in Pan-European magazine ''
Music & Media
''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...
'' deemed the song "a very professional disco record with the familiar PWL groove".
James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to:
Dukes
*James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland
*James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman
*James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), Sco ...
from ''
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...
'' praised the extended version, stating this "SAW created attractively trotting -- bpm plaintive light swinger is not surprisingly very Kylie Minogue-like (though better sung!), being one of the best song from her LP – a generous move giving it to Hazell as such an obviously hit-bound single".
Charts
Same Difference version
Brother-sister duo
Same Difference
Same Difference were an English bubblegum pop duo from Portsmouth, England, made up of siblings Sean and Sarah Smith. They came to prominence in 2007 when they were the last contestant eliminated in the fourth series of the ITV talent show, ' ...
recorded "Turn It into Love" and included it on their debut album which was released on 1 December 2008.
It was intended to have been the second single from the duo (and from the album), and was due for release in 2009 but was cancelled. In 1990, Hong Kong band Echo covered this song in Cantonese.
Wink version
"Turn It into Love" was covered by
Japanese idol
An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese popular culture, Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in other performance skills such as acting, dancing, and modeling. Idol ...
duo
Wink
A wink is a facial expression made by briefly closing one eye. A wink is an informal mode of non-verbal communication usually signaling shared hidden knowledge or intent. However, it is ambiguous by itself and highly dependent upon additional c ...
as . Released by Polystar Records on 16 November 1988, it was their third single, with Japanese lyrics written by
Neko Oikawa
is a Japanese lyricist who has written J-pop and anime theme songs over her career.
Biography
Neko Oikawa was born in Wakayama (city), Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama. She made her songwriting debut in 1985 with Kanako Wada's "Passing T ...
. The song was used as the theme of the
Fuji TV
JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...
drama series . The B-side is a Japanese-language cover of Annica Burman's "I en ding ding värld".
The single became Wink's first No. 1 on
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics
Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that ...
's singles chart.
It sold over 645,000 copies, making it the duo's biggest-selling single.
Track listing
All lyrics are written by
Neko Oikawa
is a Japanese lyricist who has written J-pop and anime theme songs over her career.
Biography
Neko Oikawa was born in Wakayama (city), Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama. She made her songwriting debut in 1985 with Kanako Wada's "Passing T ...
; all music is arranged by Motoki Funayama.
Charts
;Weekly charts
;Year-end charts
Cover versions
References
External links
;Kylie Minogue version
*
*
;Wink version
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turn It into Love
1988 singles
1989 singles
1988 songs
Songs written by Mike Stock (musician)
Songs written by Matt Aitken
Songs written by Pete Waterman
Song recordings produced by Stock Aitken Waterman
Pete Waterman Entertainment singles
Kylie Minogue songs
Hazell Dean songs
Wink (duo) songs
Songs in Japanese
Japanese television drama theme songs
Songs with lyrics by Neko Oikawa
Oricon Weekly number-one singles