Ike & Tina Turner
Encyclopedia
Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul
duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner
and Tina Turner
in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul
, blues and funk
. They are known for their wild and entertaining dance shows and especially for their scintillating cover
of "Proud Mary", for which they won a Grammy Award
. The duo were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
", later debated as the first rock and roll record ever issued. However, due to music industry regulations, the song was credited to Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats. Brenston later left for his own solo career, while Ike and his band concentrated on performing at local haunts in St. Louis.
In 1956, a sixteen-year-old named Anna Mae Bullock had moved from her hometown of Nutbush, Tennessee
, to live with her mother and sister in St. Louis. Within a year, Anna Mae frequented nightclubs with her sister. It was at the Manhattan Club in East St. Louis, Illinois, that she first spotted Turner performing with the Kings of Rhythm. After seeing members of the audience getting chances to sing, she determinedly tried to secure her spot, finally succeeding by grabbing the microphone from a begrudging rival and launching into a version of B.B. King's "I Know You Love Me Baby". Her now-trademark raspy-throated vocals impressed Ike so much (he was known to have said to her, "Girl, I didn't know you can sing!" afterwards) that he allowed the girl known by friends as "Little Ann" in his band as a background singer. However, that changed after a male singer failed to show up for a recording session and Anna Mae, then eight months pregnant with her second child, recorded what became "A Fool in Love
".
Originally Ike's intent was to erase her but after hearing her vocals he not only relented but also changed her stage name to Tina and appended his own surname to both, even though Ike was then still married to another woman. He also changed his group's name from The Kings of Rhythm to The Ike & Tina Turner Revue. The original group was extended to include three new background singers later known as "The Ikettes
". Throughout their recording career, the ensemble was known simply as Ike and Tina Turner with Tina fronting the band through Ike's leadership.
", became an instant hit reaching number two on the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart
and number twenty-seven on the American pop singles chart
, firmly launching the duo into the national spotlight with Tina being the major attraction to their live shows. That was followed a year later by "It's Gonna Work Out Fine
" (written by Rose Marie McCoy), which included Mickey from one-hit wonders duo Mickey & Sylvia
as "Ikey" in the background. That song gave them their first Grammy
nomination and peaked at number fourteen on the pop singles chart. A third hit, 1962's "Poor Fool", was a sequel to "A Fool in Love", which peaked at number thirty-eight.
However, their chart success was limited compared to their live shows, which included a series of grueling one-nighters and the occasional big shows. Ike & Tina's touring popularity helped them land spots on national teen shows including Shindig!
, Hollywood A Go-Go and American Bandstand
. With Ike leading the band and Tina and the Ikettes dancing up a storm with Tina showcasing a shouting soulful voice, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue were a national attraction by the mid-1960s even with limited top forty pop success.
In 1966, Phil Spector
signed Ike & Tina to his Philles
label and recorded the landmark single, "River Deep - Mountain High
", with Ike accepting $25,000 from Spector not to participate in the recording and to allow him to record Tina alone. While the record became only a minor US hit, peaking at number eighty-eight on the American pop charts, and a notable disappointment for Spector, it was successful in Europe, reaching number three on the UK pop chart
. This single brought them to the attention of Mick Jagger
. The Revue opened for The Rolling Stones
on their 1966 and 1969 US tours, gaining them international acclaim.
By 1969, that acclaim was finally getting them more chart action with the release of the blues-heavy "Outta Season" and The Hunter
. From the album "The Hunter
" Tina received another Grammy Nomination for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance for the song "Bold Soul Sister". That same year, the group opened for the Rolling Stones on their Altamont festival (one song from their performance appears in the 1970 documentary of the concert, Gimme Shelter
). That year, they scored a hit with their version of Sly & the Family Stone
's "I Want To Take You Higher
". Also in 1970, they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
and performed an early version of what would be their biggest hit to date - a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival
song "Proud Mary", as well as performing "Bold Soul Sister".
Released in early 1971, "Proud Mary" gave the duo their biggest chart success as it reached number four on the American pop singles chart, and won the Grammy Award
for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1972. In 1971, they performed in Africa
for a documentary film titled Soul II Soul, and were more briefly seen performing in the Milos Forman
film Taking Off
. The duo scored their final Top 40 chart hit with the Tina-penned semi-autobiographical song "Nutbush City Limits
" in 1973.
and The Mike Douglas Show
. This was usually due to the fact that Ike was too drugged out to appear, but he was enough of an entertainer to know that somebody still had to keep the group in the public eye. Also in 1975, Tina would appear in the rock musical Tommy
as the Acid Queen.
Tina would describe her years with Ike as imprisoned torture at his hands. Ike, high on cocaine and prescription pills, continued to abuse her, and at times, bandmembers, to keep everyone within his control. Years later, Tina recalled in her I, Tina
autobiography that Ike used abuse to control her throughout the pair's 16-year marriage.
Tina finally escaped from Ike after another violent confrontation while en route to a hotel in Dallas
before a show in 1976. She ran out of the hotel and kept running until she saw a Ramada Inn Hotel where, with only 36 cents in her purse and a gas station credit card, she left Ike for good. Ike spent the next several weeks looking for her, as he had done in the past whenever she had left, but this time to no avail. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue came to an end. Tina then filed for divorce and the former duo fought over legal matters in divorce court until the matter was resolved in 1978, with Ike retaining all monetary assets and Tina (much to Ike's dismay) being allowed to keep her stage name. Also during this time, both Tina and Ike were sued by concert promoters for concerts missed due to the breakup.
" but it failed to make a real impression on the charts. Tina remained a strong stage draw and Rod Stewart
brought her along to perform a rendition of his top 40 single "Hot Legs
" on Saturday Night Live
in 1978. Tina's next release was 1979's "Love Explosion (album)
", and it too failed on the charts. After these unsuccessful albums her record labels (United Artists Records
in the US and EMI
in the UK) parted ways with her. In 1983, she scored another major record deal, this time with Capitol Records
. Tina eventually found solo stardom following the release of 1984's Private Dancer
album which sold 11 million copies worldwide, and included the biggest hit of her career, "What's Love Got to Do With It", her only US number-one hit, a position Ike & Tina Turner never reached while recording together. Tina would go on to release several more albums that were certified multi-platinum or gold in the US. She would ultimately win eight Grammy Awards throughout her career, and embark on several successful world tours.
Ike, as well, had failed to gain any solo success in the years immediately following his split with Tina. He, too, was besmirched by legal troubles. However, Ike never recovered musically and found success on the level Tina did as a solo artist, or even matched the moderate success he had when they were a duo. In the mid-1980s, he was sentenced to several years in a California
state prison stemming from drug charges. After his release from prison in 1993, Ike found some musical acclaim, winning his first solo Grammy in 2007 with his album Risin' With the Blues. Ike died later that year in December 2007 of a cocaine overdose.
accepted their induction on the former duo's behalf.
The group was nominated three times for Grammy Awards. They were nominated and won Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group in 1971 for "Proud Mary" at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards. Tina herself received a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the 1969 song "Bold Soul Sister". The group also received a nomination for their 1961 recording "It's Gonna Work Out Fine
".
The group received a NAACP Image Award
. Both Ike and Tina each received stars and were inducted individually to the St. Louis Hall of Fame.
Two of their songs, "River Deep - Mountain High
" and "Proud Mary", were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and 2003, respectively.
Tina received a solo star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in 1986.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner
Ike Turner
Isaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...
and Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, blues and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
. They are known for their wild and entertaining dance shows and especially for their scintillating cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Proud Mary", for which they won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. The duo were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
Origins
Ike Turner's first taste of musical stardom occurred in 1951 when his band, The Kings of Rhythm, recorded the blues single, "Rocket 88Rocket 88
"Rocket 88" is a rhythm and blues song that was first recorded at Sam Phillips' recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on 3 March or 5 March 1951...
", later debated as the first rock and roll record ever issued. However, due to music industry regulations, the song was credited to Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats. Brenston later left for his own solo career, while Ike and his band concentrated on performing at local haunts in St. Louis.
In 1956, a sixteen-year-old named Anna Mae Bullock had moved from her hometown of Nutbush, Tennessee
Nutbush, Tennessee
Nutbush is an unincorporated rural community in Haywood County, Tennessee, United States, in the western part of the state.Established in the early 19th century, Nutbush is home to two early American churches founded by white settlers, Woodlawn Baptist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church...
, to live with her mother and sister in St. Louis. Within a year, Anna Mae frequented nightclubs with her sister. It was at the Manhattan Club in East St. Louis, Illinois, that she first spotted Turner performing with the Kings of Rhythm. After seeing members of the audience getting chances to sing, she determinedly tried to secure her spot, finally succeeding by grabbing the microphone from a begrudging rival and launching into a version of B.B. King's "I Know You Love Me Baby". Her now-trademark raspy-throated vocals impressed Ike so much (he was known to have said to her, "Girl, I didn't know you can sing!" afterwards) that he allowed the girl known by friends as "Little Ann" in his band as a background singer. However, that changed after a male singer failed to show up for a recording session and Anna Mae, then eight months pregnant with her second child, recorded what became "A Fool in Love
A Fool in Love
" A Fool in Love" is a soul single released as the debuting single for Ike & Tina Turner, released in 1960 on the Sue Records label.-Production history:...
".
Originally Ike's intent was to erase her but after hearing her vocals he not only relented but also changed her stage name to Tina and appended his own surname to both, even though Ike was then still married to another woman. He also changed his group's name from The Kings of Rhythm to The Ike & Tina Turner Revue. The original group was extended to include three new background singers later known as "The Ikettes
The Ikettes
The Ikettes were a trio of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, a prominent American rhythm and blues group from the 1960s.-Career:...
". Throughout their recording career, the ensemble was known simply as Ike and Tina Turner with Tina fronting the band through Ike's leadership.
Success
Released in late 1960, Ike & Tina's first single, "A Fool in LoveA Fool in Love
" A Fool in Love" is a soul single released as the debuting single for Ike & Tina Turner, released in 1960 on the Sue Records label.-Production history:...
", became an instant hit reaching number two on the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and number twenty-seven on the American pop singles chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, firmly launching the duo into the national spotlight with Tina being the major attraction to their live shows. That was followed a year later by "It's Gonna Work Out Fine
It's Gonna Work Out Fine
"It's Gonna Work Out Fine" is a "rock-ish" soul song issued by the team of Ike & Tina Turner, released in 1961.The single, which featured support from another popular duo, Mickey & Sylvia, became another popular single by Ike & Tina, who were still supporting themselves off the success of their...
" (written by Rose Marie McCoy), which included Mickey from one-hit wonders duo Mickey & Sylvia
Mickey & Sylvia
Mickey & Sylvia was an American R&B duo, composed of Mickey Baker and Sylvia Robinson. They were the first big seller for Groove Records.Mickey was a music instructor and Sylvia one of his pupils. Baker was inspired to form the group by the success of Les Paul & Mary Ford. They had a Top 20 hit...
as "Ikey" in the background. That song gave them their first Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination and peaked at number fourteen on the pop singles chart. A third hit, 1962's "Poor Fool", was a sequel to "A Fool in Love", which peaked at number thirty-eight.
However, their chart success was limited compared to their live shows, which included a series of grueling one-nighters and the occasional big shows. Ike & Tina's touring popularity helped them land spots on national teen shows including Shindig!
Shindig!
Shindig! was an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles at the time who also created the show along with his wife Sharon Sheeley and production executive Art Stolnitz....
, Hollywood A Go-Go and American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. With Ike leading the band and Tina and the Ikettes dancing up a storm with Tina showcasing a shouting soulful voice, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue were a national attraction by the mid-1960s even with limited top forty pop success.
In 1966, Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
signed Ike & Tina to his Philles
Philles Records
Philles Records was a record label formed in 1961 by Phil Spector and Lester Sill, the label taking its name from a hybrid of their first names. Initially, the label was distributed by Jamie/Guyden in Philadelphia...
label and recorded the landmark single, "River Deep - Mountain High
River Deep - Mountain High
"River Deep – Mountain High" is a 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner. Considered by producer Phil Spector to be his best work, the single was successful in Europe, peaking at #3 in the United Kingdom, though it flopped on its original release in the United States...
", with Ike accepting $25,000 from Spector not to participate in the recording and to allow him to record Tina alone. While the record became only a minor US hit, peaking at number eighty-eight on the American pop charts, and a notable disappointment for Spector, it was successful in Europe, reaching number three on the UK pop chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. This single brought them to the attention of Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
. The Revue opened for The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
on their 1966 and 1969 US tours, gaining them international acclaim.
By 1969, that acclaim was finally getting them more chart action with the release of the blues-heavy "Outta Season" and The Hunter
The Hunter
The Hunter is a crime thriller novel, written by Donald E. Westlake under the pseudonym Richard Stark. It was the basis for three feature films, John Boorman's Point Blank , which starred Lee Marvin, Ringo Lam's Full Contact , which starred Chow Yun-fat, and Payback which starred Mel Gibson...
. From the album "The Hunter
The Hunter
The Hunter is a crime thriller novel, written by Donald E. Westlake under the pseudonym Richard Stark. It was the basis for three feature films, John Boorman's Point Blank , which starred Lee Marvin, Ringo Lam's Full Contact , which starred Chow Yun-fat, and Payback which starred Mel Gibson...
" Tina received another Grammy Nomination for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance for the song "Bold Soul Sister". That same year, the group opened for the Rolling Stones on their Altamont festival (one song from their performance appears in the 1970 documentary of the concert, Gimme Shelter
Gimme Shelter (documentary)
Gimme Shelter is a 1970 documentary film directed by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, chronicling the last weeks of The Rolling Stones' 1969 US tour, which culminated in the disastrous Altamont Free Concert. The film is named after "Gimme Shelter", the lead track from The Rolling...
). That year, they scored a hit with their version of Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
's "I Want To Take You Higher
I Want to Take You Higher
"I Want to Take You Higher" is a 1969 song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, the B-side to their Top 30 hit Stand!". Unlike most of the other tracks on the Stand! album, "I Want to Take You Higher" is not a message song; instead, it is simply dedicated to music and the feeling one...
". Also in 1970, they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
and performed an early version of what would be their biggest hit to date - a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
song "Proud Mary", as well as performing "Bold Soul Sister".
Released in early 1971, "Proud Mary" gave the duo their biggest chart success as it reached number four on the American pop singles chart, and won the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1972. In 1971, they performed in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
for a documentary film titled Soul II Soul, and were more briefly seen performing in the Milos Forman
Miloš Forman
Jan Tomáš Forman , better known as Miloš Forman , is a Czech-American director, screenwriter, professor, and an emigrant from Czechoslovakia. Two of his films, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, are among the most celebrated in the history of film, both gaining him the Academy Award for...
film Taking Off
Taking Off (film)
Taking Off is a 1971 film comedy. It was Czech director Milos Forman's first American film. It tells the story of a group of parents whose children have run away from home...
. The duo scored their final Top 40 chart hit with the Tina-penned semi-autobiographical song "Nutbush City Limits
Nutbush City Limits
"Nutbush City Limits" is a semi-autobiographical rock and roll song written and originally performed by Tina Turner in which she commemorates her rural hometown of Nutbush, Tennessee. Released June 1973, shortly before her separation from then-husband and musical partner Ike Turner, "Nutbush City...
" in 1973.
Decline
By 1975, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue's popularity was fading as the band had not scored a hit in a couple of years. Tina appeared on some shows without Ike such as The Cher ShowThe Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show based on the married couple of American pop-singer Cher and her husband, Sonny Bono. The show ran on CBS in the United States, when it premiered in August 1971...
and The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
. This was usually due to the fact that Ike was too drugged out to appear, but he was enough of an entertainer to know that somebody still had to keep the group in the public eye. Also in 1975, Tina would appear in the rock musical Tommy
Tommy (film)
Tommy is a 1975 British musical film based upon The Who's 1969 rock opera album musical Tommy. It was directed by Ken Russell and featured a star-studded cast, including the band members themselves...
as the Acid Queen.
Tina would describe her years with Ike as imprisoned torture at his hands. Ike, high on cocaine and prescription pills, continued to abuse her, and at times, bandmembers, to keep everyone within his control. Years later, Tina recalled in her I, Tina
I, Tina
I, Tina is a 1986 autobiography by rock singer Tina Turner, co-written by MTV news correspondent and music critic Kurt Loder. It described Turner's story from a girl born and raised in Nutbush, Tennessee , to her initial rise to fame under the leadership of famed blues musician Ike Turner and her...
autobiography that Ike used abuse to control her throughout the pair's 16-year marriage.
Tina finally escaped from Ike after another violent confrontation while en route to a hotel in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
before a show in 1976. She ran out of the hotel and kept running until she saw a Ramada Inn Hotel where, with only 36 cents in her purse and a gas station credit card, she left Ike for good. Ike spent the next several weeks looking for her, as he had done in the past whenever she had left, but this time to no avail. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue came to an end. Tina then filed for divorce and the former duo fought over legal matters in divorce court until the matter was resolved in 1978, with Ike retaining all monetary assets and Tina (much to Ike's dismay) being allowed to keep her stage name. Also during this time, both Tina and Ike were sued by concert promoters for concerts missed due to the breakup.
Solo careers
At this point, the only thing Tina had of value was the stage name Ike had given her and the hard work she had put into that name to make it famous. Tina's career was in a downward spiral and she released albums to try and turn it around. First was 1978's "Rough (album)Rough (album)
Rough is Tina Turner's third solo album, released in September 1978 on the EMI label in the UK, Ariola Records in West Germany and United Artists in the United States.-Overview:...
" but it failed to make a real impression on the charts. Tina remained a strong stage draw and Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
brought her along to perform a rendition of his top 40 single "Hot Legs
Hot Legs
"Hot Legs" is a single by Rod Stewart. It was written by Gary Grainger and Rod Stewart. Stewart included the song on his 1977 album Foot Loose & Fancy Free. The 1978 single performed moderately well on the US Hot 100 , and very well on the UK pop chart . In the UK, "Hot Legs" and "I Was Only...
" on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in 1978. Tina's next release was 1979's "Love Explosion (album)
Love Explosion (album)
Love Explosion is Tina Turner's fourth solo album, released in March 1979 on the EMI label in the UK, Ariola Records in West Germany and United Artists in the United States. It was her second solo album to be released after she left husband Ike Turner and the Ike & Tina Turner Revue...
", and it too failed on the charts. After these unsuccessful albums her record labels (United Artists Records
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
in the US and EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in the UK) parted ways with her. In 1983, she scored another major record deal, this time with Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. Tina eventually found solo stardom following the release of 1984's Private Dancer
Private Dancer
Private Dancer is the fifth solo album by Tina Turner, released on Capitol Records in 1984, which became her breakthrough solo album. Turner's success with the album came after several challenging years of going solo after a public divorce from husband and performing partner Ike Turner. It is her...
album which sold 11 million copies worldwide, and included the biggest hit of her career, "What's Love Got to Do With It", her only US number-one hit, a position Ike & Tina Turner never reached while recording together. Tina would go on to release several more albums that were certified multi-platinum or gold in the US. She would ultimately win eight Grammy Awards throughout her career, and embark on several successful world tours.
Ike, as well, had failed to gain any solo success in the years immediately following his split with Tina. He, too, was besmirched by legal troubles. However, Ike never recovered musically and found success on the level Tina did as a solo artist, or even matched the moderate success he had when they were a duo. In the mid-1980s, he was sentenced to several years in a California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
state prison stemming from drug charges. After his release from prison in 1993, Ike found some musical acclaim, winning his first solo Grammy in 2007 with his album Risin' With the Blues. Ike died later that year in December 2007 of a cocaine overdose.
Awards and accolades
Ike & Tina Turner were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991; Ike Turner was still incarcerated and Tina, still not wanting any ties to Ike whatsoever, didn't attend, but stated she was working on an album. Phil SpectorPhil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
accepted their induction on the former duo's behalf.
The group was nominated three times for Grammy Awards. They were nominated and won Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group in 1971 for "Proud Mary" at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards. Tina herself received a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the 1969 song "Bold Soul Sister". The group also received a nomination for their 1961 recording "It's Gonna Work Out Fine
It's Gonna Work Out Fine
"It's Gonna Work Out Fine" is a "rock-ish" soul song issued by the team of Ike & Tina Turner, released in 1961.The single, which featured support from another popular duo, Mickey & Sylvia, became another popular single by Ike & Tina, who were still supporting themselves off the success of their...
".
The group received a NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
. Both Ike and Tina each received stars and were inducted individually to the St. Louis Hall of Fame.
Two of their songs, "River Deep - Mountain High
River Deep - Mountain High
"River Deep – Mountain High" is a 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner. Considered by producer Phil Spector to be his best work, the single was successful in Europe, peaking at #3 in the United Kingdom, though it flopped on its original release in the United States...
" and "Proud Mary", were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and 2003, respectively.
Tina received a solo star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in 1986.
Cover versions
The duo wrote and produced many of their own songs, but many of their best selling songs are cover versions, such as:- "Proud Mary" (Creedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
) - "Come TogetherCome Together"Come Together" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on The Beatles' September 1969 album Abbey Road....
", "Get BackGet Back"Get Back" is a song by The Beatles, composed by Paul McCartney and frequently attributed to Lennon–McCartney. The song was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969, and credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston." A different mix of the song later became the closing track of Let It Be ,...
", "With a Little Help from My FriendsWith a Little Help from My Friends-Joe Cocker version:Joe Cocker's version was a radical re-arrangement of the original, in a slower, 6/8 meter, using different chords in the middle eight, and a lengthy instrumental introduction...
", "Let It BeLet It Be (song)"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...
", "She Came In Through The Bathroom WindowShe Came in Through the Bathroom Window"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" is a song written by Paul McCartney and performed by The Beatles on their album Abbey Road as part of the Abbey Road medley.-Origin:...
" and "Something" (The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
) - "I've Been Loving You Too LongI've Been Loving You Too Long"I've Been Loving You Too Long" is a song written by Otis Redding and Jerry Butler. It appeared as the A-side of a 1965 hit single by Otis Redding - and subsequently appeared on his third album, Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul...
", "RespectRespect (song)"Respect" is a song written and originally released by Stax recording artist Otis Redding in 1965. "Respect" became a 1967 hit and signature song for R&B singer Aretha Franklin. The music in the two versions is significantly different, and through a few minor changes in the lyrics, the stories told...
" and "I Can't Turn You LooseI Can't Turn You Loose"I Can't Turn You Loose" is a song written and first recorded by American soul singer Otis Redding. It was released as the B-side to his 1965 single "Just One More Day"...
" (Otis ReddingOtis ReddingOtis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
) - "A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday)A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday)"A Love Like Yours " is a 1963 song issued as the B-side to Motown singing group Martha and the Vandellas' hit single, " Heat Wave", released on the Gordy label....
" (Martha and the VandellasMartha and the VandellasMartha and the Vandellas were among the most successful groups of the Motown roster during the period 1963–1967...
) - "Son of a Preacher ManSon of a Preacher Man"Son of a Preacher Man" is a song recorded by Dusty Springfield in September 1968 and featured on the album, Dusty in Memphis. It was written by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins. The rights to cover "Son of a Preacher Man" were originally offered to Aretha Franklin, who turned it down...
" (Dusty SpringfieldDusty SpringfieldMary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
) - "I Want to Take You HigherI Want to Take You Higher"I Want to Take You Higher" is a 1969 song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, the B-side to their Top 30 hit Stand!". Unlike most of the other tracks on the Stand! album, "I Want to Take You Higher" is not a message song; instead, it is simply dedicated to music and the feeling one...
" (Sly and the Family Stone) - "She Belongs to MeShe Belongs to Me"She Belongs to Me" is a song by Bob Dylan, and was first released as the second track on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. It was one of the first anti-love songs and one of Dylan's first of many songs that describe a "witchy woman"...
" (Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) - "Oh My MyOh My My"Oh My My" is a danceable single from Ringo Starr's Ringo album, and features backing vocals from Merry Clayton and Martha Reeves. It hit number five on the U.S...
" (Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
) - "Honky Tonk Woman" (Rolling Stones)
Filmography
- 1993: What's Love Got to Do with It
- 1999: Ike & Tina Turner – The Best of MusikLaden
- 2004: The Legends Ike & Tina Turner – Live in ‘71
- 2004: Kenny Rogers Rollin’ Vol. 1
- 2005: Ike & Tina Turner: Live
- 2006: Through the Years
- 2006: Ike and Tina Turner: Rollin with Ike and Tina Turner Live
- 2006: Flashbacks: Soul Sensation