Elton John and The Song Tina Turner Rejected: Act of War

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The Song Tina Turner Rejected: Act of War

“Act of War” is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and released in 1985 on the album Ice on Fire. The track was originally conceived as a duet with Tina Turner. According to documented sources, Tina Turner declined the offer because she did not like the song. After her refusal, Elton John recorded the track as a duet with Millie Jackson, which became the officially released version.

Stuart Epps served as the recording engineer for “Act of War”, responsible for capturing the performances and handling the audio engineering during the studio sessions. Gus Dudgeon was the producer of the song and the Ice on Fire album, overseeing the entire production of the track.

The studio recording of “Act of War” features three guitarists credited on the track: Davey Johnstone, Fred Mandel, and Nik Kershaw. While all three are officially listed as guitar players on the session, no available studio documentation, liner notes, or interviews specify which guitarist performed the final guitar solo heard at the end of the song. This detail remains undocumented in reliable published sources.

In my view, the final guitar solo on “Act of War” does not sound like Davey Johnstone’s playing style. Although Davey is officially credited as one of the guitarists on the track, the tone, phrasing, and overall feel of the solo differ from the characteristics commonly associated with his work on Elton John recordings from that period. To my ears, the solo seems closer in style to either Fred Mandel or Nik Kershaw, even though there is no official documentation confirming which guitarist performed this specific part.

The final guitar solo of “Act of War” stands out as a unique moment in Elton John’s catalog. It is the only track in which a guitar solo clearly adopts a speed metal–influenced aesthetic, something completely outside the standard of his discography.

Although the song itself remains rooted in pop-rock, the final solo of “Act of War” uses a guitar language typical of speed metal. The solo is marked by very fast execution, continuous and aggressive picking, linear phrasing with little blues influence, and a strong sense of urgency and attack—hallmarks of mid-1980s metal guitar aesthetics.

In the mid-1980s, this kind of fast, forceful, and highly technical guitar playing was closely linked to the rise of speed metal and related heavy metal styles. Bands such as Metallica, Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Accept were defining a new guitar language based on speed, precision, and intensity.

Nik Kershaw built his career primarily as a singer, songwriter, and pop artist during the 1980s. Although widely known for his vocal work and hit singles, he also plays guitar on his recordings and live performances.

Fred Mandel, on the other hand, followed a very different path. He never released solo albums under his own name and did not pursue a career as a front-line artist. Instead, he established himself as a highly respected session musician and touring sideman.

This contrast between Nik Kershaw’s career as a recording artist and Fred Mandel’s profile as a session musician helps explain why identifying the guitarist behind the final solo of “Act of War” remains so difficult.

Reference:

https://sir-elton-john.fandom.com/wiki/Act_Of_War

Fred Mandel interview reference:

Nik Kershaw interview references:

The Six-Part Release Strategy Behind “Act of War”:

Part 1 – Commercial single version

Part 2 – Instrumental B-side

Part 3 –

Part 4 –

Part 5 –

Part 6 –

#EltonJohn #ActOfWar #IceOnFire #TinaTurner #MillieJackson #BernieTaupin #NikKershaw #DaveyJohnstone #FredMandel #YouDidYouKnow #MusicHistory #EltonJohnTimeline

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