"[3] Garrison's girlfriend turned out to be singer Vicki Sue Robinson whose debut album was nearing completion requiring one additional track.

On arriving at Associated Studios that Sunday, Robinson overheard the playback of the "Turn the Beat Around" demo which Touch of Class had just recorded and according to Peter Jackson said: "Oh, man, I’ve gotta have that song."

Gerald and Peter Jackson initially demurred, wishing to submit "Turn the Beat Around" along with four earlier demos to be green-lighted for the Touch of Class debut album.

The song was co-produced by Branigan and Steve Lindsey for the album, with several remix versions following garnering significant play in Hi-NRG clubs.

Bill Coleman from Billboard wrote, "Trend-conscious rendition of Vicki Sue Robinson's disco classic lacks the spark needed to ignite widespread action, though Branigan's sonic vocal attack is always a treat.

"[15] In 1994 (see 1994 in music), the song was recorded by Cuban-American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan for the soundtrack to the film The Specialist, starring Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone.

In 2018, Australian music channel Max included Estefan's "Turn the Beat Around" in their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time".

[23] Pan-European magazine Music & Media noted that here, the singer "revives her Miami Sound Machine days of fatback disco".

[24] Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song three out of five, describing it as "an intoxicating mix of Latin rhythms and disco sensibilities.

"[25] John Kilgo from The Network Forty declared it as a "classic" remake of the 1976 "Top 10 gem", adding that it has "uptempo flavor spiced with trademark Miami Sound Machine overtones".

[26] A reviewer from People Magazine called it "an exuberant run" through Robinson's disco classic, that "demand repeated listens.

[30] In a 2015 retrospective review of Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Phil Shanklin of ReviewsRevues felt that this is "an excellent choice for Gloria whose voice is similar to Vicki Sue’s".