River Deep - Mountain High
Encyclopedia
"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
. Spector claimed to be pleased with the response from the critics and his peers, but he then withdrew from the music industry for two years, beginning his personal decline.
After Eric Burdon
covered the song in 1968, it was re-released a year later, and has since become one of Tina Turner's signature songs.
, and Ellie Greenwich
, "River Deep - Mountain High" was among the first recordings that Ike & Tina Turner
did for Phil Spector's Philles Records
. Spector was well aware of Ike Turner
's controlling attitude in the studio, and resultantly drew up an unusual contract: the River Deep – Mountain High album and single would be credited to "Ike & Tina Turner", but Ike was paid $20,000 to stay away from the studio, and only Tina Turner
's vocals would be used on record.
The track was recorded using Spector's "Wall of Sound
" production technique, cost a then-unheard of $22,000, and required 21 session musicians and 21 background vocalists.
The single entered the lower end of the Billboard 100 and stopped at #88 on the pop charts. Even though it had better fortune in the United Kingdom, peaking at #3 in the singles charts on first release, Spector was so disillusioned that he ceased involvement in the recording industry totally for two years, and only intermittently returned to the studio after that; he effectively became a recluse and began to self-destruct. Ike Turner remarked that he felt the record didn't do well in America because the sound was "pop or white", while Tina Turner's voice was R&B
, so that "America mixes race in it"—though the writer Michael Billig observed that earlier records which had mixed black singers with a white pop sound had sold well, so it was likely to be that in 1966 the black political movement was encouraging African Americans to take a pride in their own culture, and "River Deep – Mountain High" was out of step with that movement.
Rolling Stone
put it at #33 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
.
George Harrison praised the record, declaring it "a perfect record from start to finish." "River Deep - Mountain High" compared a woman's love and loyalty, respectively, to that which that a child feels for a doll, and a puppy has for his master.
(who had worked with Spector as a songwriter early in his career) released a cover version
of the song on his first RCA Victor album, Pandemonium Shadow Show
. This was followed by an epic ten-minute version recorded by Deep Purple
for their 1968 album, The Book of Taliesyn
. An edited version was released as a single in the United States and reached #53 in early 1969 and #42 on the Canadian RPM
charts.
The original Ike and Tina Turner version of the song was re-released the same year to a more receptive public and since then has gained the recognition Spector wanted from the record. Numerous versions have been recorded since, including two different recordings by Ike and Tina Turner that do not feature Spector's "Wall of Sound" production style, as well as some by Tina Turner herself without Ike Turner.
Eric Burdon & The Animals also have a cover of this song, on their 1968 album Love Is and on their 1969 compilation The Greatest Hits of Eric Burdon and The Animals
. In 1985, Burdon recorded a live version of it and released it in 1992 on "That's Live". He still performs it on his concerts.
The Australian band, The Easybeats, did a cover version in 1967.
performed an instrumental
version of this song in their 1970 album Shades of Rock
.
The Bob Seger System did an extended cover version on their 1970 album Mongrel
.
Also in 1970, the post-Diana Ross
Supremes
and The Four Tops released the most successful cover version to date. Produced by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson
, the single was one of several recordings that paired the two Motown groups. The Supremes/Four Tops cover, included on the 1970 LP The Magnificent 7, peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1971, making it the highest-charting version of the song in the United States. Their version also peaked #11 on the UK Singles Chart
and #25 on Netherlands' MegaCharts
that same year.
Australian punk band The Saints
did a wilder version on their One Two Three Four
EP, which is also included in the All Times Through Paradise box set.
Another Australian band, The Easybeats
, did a cover version.
Tina Charles sang the song on her very first television appearance on The Two Ronnies
in 1971.
The Top of the Poppers covered the song in their Top of the Pops, Volume 18
album.
did an upbeat version of the song in 1984 but it was not released on their main albums (the track appears as a bonus on some MP3 downloads of their first album).
This song was also featured in the 1985 Broadway musical, Leader of the Pack
, based on the life of songwriter Ellie Greenwich
. This version is sung by Darlene Love
(who plays herself in the show) and is considered one of the most popular versions of the song.
The English synth pop duo Erasure
covered the song on their 1988 album, The Innocents
. The BBC
extensively used the non-vocal section of the "Private Dance Mix" during the Seoul Olympic Games
in that year.
The Flamin' Groovies also covered the song in early 1981.They recorded at Gold Star Studios as well for a French label, Underdog Records, and it can be found on their 1989 compilations Grease and Groovies Greatest Grooves
.
recorded a cover for his album Soul Deep
. It is the closing track of the album.
Annie Lennox
performed the song live in July 1992 on her MTV Unplugged
special and released the audio track on the Walking on Broken Glass
EP.
Neil Diamond
released a version on his album Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building
in 1993.
The Eric Burdon
–Brian Auger
Band performed the song live and released it on Access All Areas
in 1993.
A live cover was performed by Céline Dion
on the Late Show with David Letterman
in 1994, which resulted in a studio version, produced by Jim Steinman
, for her extremely successful 1996 album Falling into You. Later, Dion performed it live on VH1 Divas Live
concert in 1998 as the opening number of her part. She also performed this song from November 2006–December 2007 in her A New Day...
show in Las Vegas
. The song was also part of her 2008/9 Taking Chances World Tour, as well as her new Las Vegas show, Celine.
Fefe Dobson
covered the song for the TV series American Dreams
, where she portrayed Tina Turner. She later performed it at the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
induction ceremony, on the occasion of the induction of song co-writers Ellie Greenwich
and Jeff Barry
.
On April 22, 2008, Mary Wilson
(who recorded it as a Supreme with the Four Tops in 1971) took the stage with Australian vocal group Human Nature
, on the Seven Network television show It Takes Two. They performed two duets from Human Nature's album, Get Ready: "It Takes Two
" and "River Deep, Mountain High".
Meat Loaf
sang a duet version of the song with former backup singer Karla Devito
for his concert, Live at the Bottom Line.
The song was performed on the first season of Australian Idol
by Cosima De Vito
on the Top 3 60's show. De Vito withdrew from the competition on the following verdict show due to a throat condition, although it was later revealed that she would have had enough votes to progress through to the Grand Final.
The song was performed again on Australian Idol
Season 3 by eventual runner-up Emily Williams
on the Top 6 Motown show. The performance was very well received by the judges and audience and Williams was declared safe on the following verdict show.
The song was performed again on Australian Idol
in Season 5 by Tarisai Vushe in the semi-finals and she progressed to the Top 12 the following night.
The song was covered in the Stewart Raffill
film Standing Ovation
.
Nicola Roberts
sang the song on Popstars The Rivals
in 2002
West End star Jessie Buckley
performed the song on BBC's "I'd Do Anything" in 2009.
Naya Rivera
and Amber Riley
covered a duet version of the song for an episode "Duets" on Glee
in 2010, which was featured on Glee: The Music, Volume 4
. The cover reached #41 in the US
and #45 in the UK
.
American Idol
season ten
contestant Pia Toscano
performed the song during Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Week, but was eliminated.
Bonnie Tyler and Dolly Parton
sing the song in live concerts as well.
Ike & Tina Turner
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...
. Considered by producer 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....
to be his best work, the single was successful in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, peaking at #3 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, though it flopped on its original release in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Spector claimed to be pleased with the response from the critics and his peers, but he then withdrew from the music industry for two years, beginning his personal decline.
After Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
covered the song in 1968, it was re-released a year later, and has since become one of Tina Turner's signature songs.
Recording and release
Written by Spector, Jeff BarryJeff Barry
Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
, and Ellie Greenwich
Ellie Greenwich
Eleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas ", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep, Mountain High", among many others...
, "River Deep - Mountain High" was among the first recordings that Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner
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...
did for Phil Spector's Philles Records
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...
. Spector was well aware 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...
's controlling attitude in the studio, and resultantly drew up an unusual contract: the River Deep – Mountain High album and single would be credited to "Ike & Tina Turner", but Ike was paid $20,000 to stay away from the studio, and only 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...
's vocals would be used on record.
The track was recorded using Spector's "Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
" production technique, cost a then-unheard of $22,000, and required 21 session musicians and 21 background vocalists.
The single entered the lower end of the Billboard 100 and stopped at #88 on the pop charts. Even though it had better fortune in the United Kingdom, peaking at #3 in the singles charts on first release, Spector was so disillusioned that he ceased involvement in the recording industry totally for two years, and only intermittently returned to the studio after that; he effectively became a recluse and began to self-destruct. Ike Turner remarked that he felt the record didn't do well in America because the sound was "pop or white", while Tina Turner's voice was R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, so that "America mixes race in it"—though the writer Michael Billig observed that earlier records which had mixed black singers with a white pop sound had sold well, so it was likely to be that in 1966 the black political movement was encouraging African Americans to take a pride in their own culture, and "River Deep – Mountain High" was out of step with that movement.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
put it at #33 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
.
George Harrison praised the record, declaring it "a perfect record from start to finish." "River Deep - Mountain High" compared a woman's love and loyalty, respectively, to that which that a child feels for a doll, and a puppy has for his master.
1960s
In 1967, Harry NilssonHarry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
(who had worked with Spector as a songwriter early in his career) released a cover version
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 the song on his first RCA Victor album, Pandemonium Shadow Show
Pandemonium Shadow Show
Pandemonium Shadow Show is the second album by Harry Nilsson. It was the first product of his three-year, $50,000 recording contract with RCA Records, and was recorded in their Hollywood studio...
. This was followed by an epic ten-minute version recorded by Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
for their 1968 album, The Book of Taliesyn
The Book of Taliesyn
- Side two :- Bonus tracks on the CD re-issue :- Personnel :* Rod Evans - lead vocals* Ritchie Blackmore - guitar* Nick Simper - bass, backing vocals* Jon Lord - Hammond organ, keyboards, backing vocals, string arrangements on "Anthem"* Ian Paice - drums...
. An edited version was released as a single in the United States and reached #53 in early 1969 and #42 on the Canadian RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
charts.
The original Ike and Tina Turner version of the song was re-released the same year to a more receptive public and since then has gained the recognition Spector wanted from the record. Numerous versions have been recorded since, including two different recordings by Ike and Tina Turner that do not feature Spector's "Wall of Sound" production style, as well as some by Tina Turner herself without Ike Turner.
Eric Burdon & The Animals also have a cover of this song, on their 1968 album Love Is and on their 1969 compilation The Greatest Hits of Eric Burdon and The Animals
The Greatest Hits of Eric Burdon and The Animals
The Greatest Hits of Eric Burdon and The Animals was the group's compilation representing The Animals' last three lineups, and showcased their venture into psychedelic rock. It was released in March 1969 in the US but never put out in the United Kingdom; it was the last album MGM Records would...
. In 1985, Burdon recorded a live version of it and released it in 1992 on "That's Live". He still performs it on his concerts.
The Australian band, The Easybeats, did a cover version in 1967.
1970s
The ShadowsThe Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
performed an instrumental
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
version of this song in their 1970 album Shades of Rock
Shades of Rock
Shades of Rock is the eighth rock album by British instrumental group The Shadows, released in 1970 through Columbia .-Track listing:-Personnel:*Cover Photo - Alan Wilmoth*Liner Notes, Project Coordinator - John Reed...
.
The Bob Seger System did an extended cover version on their 1970 album Mongrel
Mongrel (album)
Mongrel is the third album by American rock band The Bob Seger System, released in 1970 . The album is currently unavailable in any format.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Bob Seger - guitar, vocals*Dan Honaker - bass, guitar, vocals...
.
Also in 1970, the post-Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
and The Four Tops released the most successful cover version to date. Produced by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson
Ashford & Simpson
Nickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
, the single was one of several recordings that paired the two Motown groups. The Supremes/Four Tops cover, included on the 1970 LP The Magnificent 7, peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100
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...
in 1971, making it the highest-charting version of the song in the United States. Their version also peaked #11 on the UK Singles 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 ...
and #25 on Netherlands' MegaCharts
MegaCharts
MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...
that same year.
Australian punk band The Saints
The Saints (band)
The Saints are an Australian rock band, which formed in Brisbane in 1974 as punk rockers. Founders were Chris Bailey , Ivor Hay , and Ed Kuepper . Alongside mainstay Bailey, the group has had numerous line-ups...
did a wilder version on their One Two Three Four
One Two Three Four
One Two Three Four was the first 7" EP by Punk band The Saints. The EP contained two covers and two re-recorded versions of tracks that originally featured on their debut album Stranded...
EP, which is also included in the All Times Through Paradise box set.
Another Australian band, The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
, did a cover version.
Tina Charles sang the song on her very first television appearance on The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies is a British sketch show that aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987. It featured the double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.-Origins:...
in 1971.
The Top of the Poppers covered the song in their Top of the Pops, Volume 18
Top of the Pops, Volume 18
Top of the Pops, Volume 18 is an album released in 1971 of the Top of the Pops album series. This album reached No. 1 on the UK album charts, much to the shock of the British music press. The album consisted of sound-alike covers of popular hits of the day, and is now widely regarded as a "Classic"...
album.
1980s
Katrina and the WavesKatrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves was an English pop rock band, best known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" and their 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Love Shine a Light".-Pre-history: The Waves and Mama's Cookin' :...
did an upbeat version of the song in 1984 but it was not released on their main albums (the track appears as a bonus on some MP3 downloads of their first album).
This song was also featured in the 1985 Broadway musical, Leader of the Pack
Leader of the Pack (musical)
Leader of the Pack is a musical with liner notes by Anne Beatts and additional material by Jack Heifner, music by Ellie Greenwich, and lyrics by Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector, George "Shadow" Morton, Jeff Kent, and Ellen Foley.-Background:...
, based on the life of songwriter Ellie Greenwich
Ellie Greenwich
Eleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas ", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep, Mountain High", among many others...
. This version is sung by Darlene Love
Darlene Love
Darlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....
(who plays herself in the show) and is considered one of the most popular versions of the song.
The English synth pop duo Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
covered the song on their 1988 album, The Innocents
The Innocents (album)
After releasing The Two Ring Circus, a remix album in 1987, The Innocents was the third proper studio release from Erasure, released in 1988...
. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
extensively used the non-vocal section of the "Private Dance Mix" during the Seoul Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in that year.
The Flamin' Groovies also covered the song in early 1981.They recorded at Gold Star Studios as well for a French label, Underdog Records, and it can be found on their 1989 compilations Grease and Groovies Greatest Grooves
Groovies Greatest Grooves
Groovies' Greatest Grooves is a 1989 compilation album by U.S. rock band The Flamin' Groovies, released on Rhino Records. It collected tracks from throughout the group's career, and showcased their versatility and changing styles throughout the years...
.
1990s
Jimmy BarnesJimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
recorded a cover for his album Soul Deep
Soul Deep
"Soul Deep" was the third single taken from Swedish pop duo Roxette's 1986 debut album Pearls of Passion. It was only released in a few European countries and Canada. The single peaked at #18 on the charts in Sweden, but failed to chart elsewhere....
. It is the closing track of the album.
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
performed the song live in July 1992 on her MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
special and released the audio track on the Walking on Broken Glass
Walking on Broken Glass
"Walking on Broken Glass" is a song written and performed by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, taken from her 1992 album, Diva. This song reached #1 in Canada, #8 in the UK and Ireland and #14 in the US singles charts.- CD single :...
EP.
Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
released a version on his album Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building
Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building
Up On The Roof: Songs From The Brill Building is a cover album, released in 1993 by Neil Diamond on Columbia Records. It contains a duet with Dolly Parton, along with re-makes of tracks associated with the Brill Building, where Diamond had worked in the 1960s.It was certified Gold by the Recording...
in 1993.
The Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
–Brian Auger
Brian Auger
Brian Auger is a jazz and rock keyboardist, who has specialized in playing the Hammond organ.A jazz pianist, bandleader, session musician and Hammond B3 player, Auger has played or toured with artists such as Rod Stewart, Tony Williams, Jimi Hendrix, Sonny Boy Williamson, Led Zeppelin, Eric Burdon...
Band performed the song live and released it on Access All Areas
Access All Areas (1993 album)
Access All Areas is a live album by Eric Burdon and Brian Auger Band recorded in on May 10, 1993.-History:When they first met in 1991, Auger asked Burdon if he wants to play with him. Burdon agreed and they formed the "Eric Burdon – Brian Auger Band"...
in 1993.
A live cover was performed by Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
in 1994, which resulted in a studio version, produced by Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
, for her extremely successful 1996 album Falling into You. Later, Dion performed it live on VH1 Divas Live
VH1 Divas
In 1998, VH1 debuted the first annual VH1 Divas concert. VH1 Divas Live was created to support the channel's Save The Music Foundation and subsequent concerts in the series have also benefited that foundation. The VH1 Divas concerts aired annually from 1998 to 2004. After a five year hiatus, the...
concert in 1998 as the opening number of her part. She also performed this song from November 2006–December 2007 in her A New Day...
A New Day...
A New Day... was a Las Vegas residency show performed by Céline Dion at the 4000-seat Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. It was created and directed by Franco Dragone and premiered on March 25, 2003...
show in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. The song was also part of her 2008/9 Taking Chances World Tour, as well as her new Las Vegas show, Celine.
21st century
During a handful of 2006 concerts, the song was covered by Kettle Joe's Psychedelic Swamp Revue, who are now known as Donna Jean and the Tricksters.Fefe Dobson
Fefe Dobson
Felicia Lily "Fefe" Dobson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her self-titled debut album earned her two Juno Award nominations. Her second album, Sunday Love, was not released and she was terminated from her recording company...
covered the song for the TV series American Dreams
American Dreams
American Dreams is an American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios...
, where she portrayed Tina Turner. She later performed it at the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
induction ceremony, on the occasion of the induction of song co-writers Ellie Greenwich
Ellie Greenwich
Eleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas ", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep, Mountain High", among many others...
and Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
.
On April 22, 2008, Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson (singer)
Mary Wilson is an American singer, formerlymember of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and 1970s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year tenure...
(who recorded it as a Supreme with the Four Tops in 1971) took the stage with Australian vocal group Human Nature
Human Nature (band)
Human Nature are an Australian pop vocal group. The group was originally formed as a doo-wop band in 1989 while the current members were at school together in Sydney. So far, the band has had 17 Top 40 hits and five Top 10 hits in Australia since 1996 when their first album Telling Everybody was...
, on the Seven Network television show It Takes Two. They performed two duets from Human Nature's album, Get Ready: "It Takes Two
It Takes Two (song)
"It Takes Two" was a hit single recorded in late 1965 by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston for Motown's Tamla label.Produced by Weston's then-husband, longtime Gaye collaborator William "Mickey" Stevenson, and co-written by Stevenson and Sylvia Moy, "It Takes Two" centered around a romantic lyric which...
" and "River Deep, Mountain High".
Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
sang a duet version of the song with former backup singer Karla Devito
Karla DeVito
Karla DeVito is an American singer, actress and voice artist.DeVito and her three brothers were raised by a very musical mother, Vivienne, who, when not working to support the family, was always singing at home...
for his concert, Live at the Bottom Line.
The song was performed on the first season of Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
by Cosima De Vito
Cosima De Vito
Cosima De Vito , also known simply as Cosima, is an Australian singer-songwriter. She rose to fame as a contestant of the original Australian Idol series in 2003...
on the Top 3 60's show. De Vito withdrew from the competition on the following verdict show due to a throat condition, although it was later revealed that she would have had enough votes to progress through to the Grand Final.
The song was performed again on Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
Season 3 by eventual runner-up Emily Williams
Emily Williams
Emily Williams , is a New Zealand-born Australian singer-songwriter, who rose to fame on the third season of Australian Idol in 2005, and became runner-up of the season...
on the Top 6 Motown show. The performance was very well received by the judges and audience and Williams was declared safe on the following verdict show.
The song was performed again on Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
in Season 5 by Tarisai Vushe in the semi-finals and she progressed to the Top 12 the following night.
The song was covered in the Stewart Raffill
Stewart Raffill
Stewart Raffill is an American director and writer of many films.Raffill's The Philadelphia Experiment, won the "Best Film" award of the 1985 Fantafestival. While You Were Waiting, won the Silver Award in the Short Dramatic category of the 2002 Atlantic City Film Festival. In 2009, he directed...
film Standing Ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
.
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Maria Roberts is a British recording artist and entrepreneur. In 2002 Roberts auditioned for the reality televisions series and competition Popstars The Rivals which saw her finish in the final line-up of a girl group named Girls Aloud...
sang the song on Popstars The Rivals
Popstars The Rivals
Popstars The Rivals was a British television talent show series that was broadcast on ITV1 in late 2002. It was the second UK series of the international Popstars franchise...
in 2002
West End star Jessie Buckley
Jessie Buckley
Jessie Buckley is an Irish singer and actress who came second place in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything, and subsequently played Anne Egermann in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.-Background:The eldest of five children, Buckley comes from...
performed the song on BBC's "I'd Do Anything" in 2009.
Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
and Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
covered a duet version of the song for an episode "Duets" on Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
in 2010, which was featured on Glee: The Music, Volume 4
Glee: The Music, Volume 4
Glee: The Music, Volume 4 is the fifth soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee, which airs on Fox in the United States. It was released on November 26, 2010, by Columbia Records and features cover version performances from the first half of the second season...
. The cover reached #41 in the US
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...
and #45 in the UK
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 ...
.
American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
season ten
American Idol (season 10)
The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
contestant Pia Toscano
Pia Toscano
Pia Ann Rose Toscano is an American singer from Howard Beach, New York. Toscano placed ninth on the tenth season of American Idol. Considered to be a frontrunner in the competition, her elimination came as a shock to judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, all of whom were visibly...
performed the song during Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Week, but was eliminated.
Bonnie Tyler and Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
sing the song in live concerts as well.
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Tina TurnerTina TurnerTina 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...
- Written by Phil SpectorPhil SpectorPhillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, Jeff BarryJeff BarryJeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
, and Ellie GreenwichEllie GreenwichEleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas ", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep, Mountain High", among many others... - Produced by Phil SpectorPhil SpectorPhillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
- Arranged by Jack NitzscheJack NitzscheBernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche was an arranger, producer, songwriter, and film score composer. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and others...
- Instrumentation by Leon RussellLeon RussellClaude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
keyboards, Jim HornJim HornJim Horn is an American saxophonist and woodwind player. He was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for five years, playing sax and flute on the road, and in the recording studio...
Saxophone, Barney KesselBarney KesselBarney Kessel was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. Generally considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 20th century, he was noted in particular for his vast knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies...
guitar, Glen CampbellGlen CampbellGlen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
guitar, Hal BlaineHal BlaineHal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
drums, Earl PalmerEarl PalmerEarl Cyril Palmer was an American rock & roll and rhythm and blues drummer, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame....
drums, Carol KayeCarol KayeCarol Kaye is an American musician, best known as one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in history, playing on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions in a 55 year career....
bass.