grooving up slowly

Ike and Tina Turner


------------------------------


--------------- [excerpt - I, Tina] -------------- While "River Deep" misfired in the States, it created a sensation across the Atlantic, rocketing to number three on the British charts in mid-June [1966], and remaining in the Top 50 for thirteen weeks.





George Harrison, guitarist with the then-regnant Beatles, was quoted as calling it "a perfect record from start to finish -- you couldn't improve on it." ...


And do I love you, my oh my
Yeah river deep, mountain high
If I lost you, would I cry
Oh how I love you baby,
baby, baby, baby --


Lacking a native equivalent of blues and R & B, the British groups and their audiences had become connoisseurs of the American scene....


Tina:  I remember I was in the dressing room and I heard somebody playing guitar -- and were they ever playing it!  I followed the sound out into the hallway, and I came to this other dressing room, and there was Jeff Beck, just sitting there, playing.





He was the lead guitarist for the Yardbirds, who were also on the bill.  Jeez, you should've heard him!  I couldn't believe it.


Ike said, "Man, these guys can play over here!"  He was really blown away.


_____________________________





Mick Jagger:  I think we worked much harder after Ike and Tina had been on, you know?  Because they would really work the audience very, very hard.  But that's the reason we had them on....


We found out that Ike played piano on all those Howlin' Wolf tunes, so we got him to play them for us, what he could remember.  This would be like in between sets, before we went on.  We'd go, "Okay, you say you played on 'How Many More Years' -- play it."  And he would.  He was very good.


Tina:  I had never really had time to listen to music before, because I was always working -- in the studio, on the road, nonstop....We were in Seattle one day, and he took me into this record shop, and that's where I first heard "Come Together."


I said, "Oh, what's that?"  The guy in the store said it was the Beatles.  I truly don't think I had ever really heard them before.  But I loved that song.  I said to Ike, "Please, please let me do that song onstage."  I was begging him.  Then I heard [the Stones'] "Honky Tonk Women," and I just had to do that, too. ..."














_________________________________
He -- roller-coaster,


He got -- early warning


He got -- muddy water


He one -- mojo filter


He say "One and one and one is three"


Got-to-be-good-looking-'cause-he's-so-hard-to-see


Come together --


Right now --


Over me
_____________________________
{I, Tina, by Tina Turner with Kurt Loder.  1986-William Morrow and Co.}


{"River Deep -- Mountain High."  Written:  Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich.  Recorded:  Tina Turner and Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound.  Label:  Philles Records.  1966.}


{"Come Together."  Written, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  Produced, George Martin.  Label:  Apple.  Recorded, The Beatles, October 1969.  album:  Abbey Road.}


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