Ike and Tina Turner<div hidden>Ike & Tina Turner</div>
Ike and Tina Turner were a legendary American musical duo, active from 1960 to 1976, known for their high-energy R&B, soul, and rock performances as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. While they achieved massive professional success, their personal lives were marred by a tumultuous marriage and severe domestic abuse.
Ike Turner, a musician and bandleader, met Anna Mae Bullock in 1956 at a nightclub in East St. Louis where his band, the Kings of Rhythm, was performing. Bullock impressed him with her powerful voice and eventually joined the group as a lead singer.
In 1960, Bullock recorded "A Fool In Love" after the scheduled singer failed to show up. Ike renamed her Tina Turner and trademarked the name. The single became a million-selling hit, launching their careers. The duo formed the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, which featured the Kings of Rhythm and a backing vocal trio called the Ikettes. Their most famous recordings include "A Fool In Love," "I Idolize You," "It's Gonna Work Out Fine," and "Nutbush City Limits". Their 1971 cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" became their biggest hit and won them a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group.
The duo gained international fame and a wider white audience by opening for the Rolling Stones on their UK and US tours in the late 1960s. The pair married in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1962. They had one biological son together, Ronnie, and raised three other sons (two of Ike's and one of Tina's from previous relationships).
Behind the scenes, Ike was severely physically and emotionally abusive to Tina throughout their marriage. Ike also struggled with a serious cocaine addiction, which worsened his behavior and the couple's professional stability in the 1970s. In July 1976, following a violent physical altercation in Dallas, Texas, Tina fled from Ike with only 36 cents and a gas card. She filed for divorce later that year, which was finalized in 1978.
The duo was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Tina Turner achieved a historic solo comeback in the 1980s with the album Private Dancer and died in May 2023 at age 83.
Ike Turner faced legal issues and prison time for drug offenses but eventually had a musical renaissance, winning another Grammy in 2006 before dying of a cocaine overdose in 2007.
Outta Season
Written-By – Butler, Redding 3:40
A2 Mean Old World
Adapted By – Ike Turner 2:20
A3 3 O'Clock In The Morning Blues
Written By – R. King-J. Taub 2:35
A4 Five Long Years
Written By – E. Boyd 3:20
A5 Dust My Broom
Adapted By – Ike Turner 2:30
A6 Grumbling
Written-By – Ike Turner 2:35
A7 I Am A Motherless Child
Written-By – Tina Turner 3:30
B1 Crazy 'Bout You Baby
Written By – W. Williamson 3:25
B2 Reconsider Baby
Written-By – L. Fulsom 2:40
B3 Honest I Do
Written By – J. Reed-E.G. Abner, Jr. 2:20
B4 Please Love Me
Written By – R. King-J. Taub 2:10
B5 My Babe
Written By – W. Dixon 1:50
B6 Rock Me Baby
Written By – King & Josea 2:45
Label: Blue Thumb Records – BTS 5
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1969
Genre: R&B Soul, Blues, Rock
Style: Rhythm & Blues, Sixties Soul
Ike & Tina Turner's Outta Season (1969) is praised as a strong, rootsy blues-rock album showcasing Tina's incredible vocal power and Ike's tasteful guitar work on blues classics, though some critics found the arrangements a bit too straightforward, while others loved its raw, soulful feel, making it a standout blues effort amidst their funkier hits, highlighted by Tina's stellar interpretations of tracks like "Honest I Do" and "Dust My Broom.".
A raw, hard, soulful, and rootsy blues-rock album, a departure from some of their funkier hits.
Tina shines, delivering powerful, dazzling performances on blues standards, proving her depth as a blues interpreter.
Ike's guitar playing is noted as tough, melodic, and skillful, with great arrangements, though some felt it lacked excitement.
Features classic blues tracks like "Dust My Broom," "Honest I Do," "Rock Me Baby," and "Reconsider Baby".
The album received positive reviews, with Pete Johnson calling Tina an "expert" blues interpreter and the album "strong," highlighting talent often ignored.
The striking whiteface cover, while controversial, added to the album's unique presentation, reflecting a tradition of artistic interpretation.
Outta Season is seen as a genuine blues record where Tina's voice truly excels, backed by Ike's solid musicianship, offering a different, deeper side to the duo's sound. While some felt the arrangements were too basic, many appreciate its authentic, powerful delivery, making it a favorite for fans of their bluesier work.
The Soul of Ike and Tina Turner
Written-By – Turner, Bussong
A2 I Idolize You
Written-By – Ike Turner
A3 If
Written-By – Ike Turner
A4 Letter From Tina
Written-By – Ike Turner
A5 You Can't Love Two
Written-By – Ike Turner
A6 I Had A Notion
Written-By – Joe Morris
B1 A Fool In Love
Written-By – Ike Turner
B2 Sleepless
Written-By – Ike Turner
B3 Chances Are
Written-By – Ike Turner
B4 You Can't Blame Me
Written-By – Ike Turner
B5 You're My Baby
Written-By – Ike Turner
B6 The Way You Love Me
Written-By – Ike Turner
Label: Sue Records Inc. – LP 2001
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1961
Genre: R&B Soul, Blues, Rock
Style: Rhythm & Blues
The Soul of Ike & Tina Turner (1961) is widely considered a pivotal and potent debut album that captures the raw, foundational sound of the duo's early R&B and soul style. It is praised by critics and fans for its energetic performances and historical significance in showcasing the development of soul music.
The album is highly regarded for its authentic, black sound of the early 1960s, blending bluesy elements with gospel fervor. Reviewers often highlight the "rawness and earthiness" of the recordings, which gives them a potent and undimmed power. Tina Turner's vocals are frequently described as "majestic," "scathing," and having a "lusty, uninhibited sex appeal and self-confidence" that elevates even the less inspired compositions.
The album is seen as a key historical document of the Turners' early years on the Sue Records label, where they had their first substantial hits like "A Fool in Love", "I Idolize You", and "I'm Jealous". It provides great insight into their musical direction before their later, more polished and commercially successful rock and roll hybrid sound of the late 1960s and 1970s.
Ike Turner's production and compositions are noted for establishing the "chunky, recognizable sound" of the band, with the backing vocals from The Ikettes adding a precise call-and-response dynamic that emphasizes the link between soul and gospel music.
User reviews are largely positive, with many people giving the album high ratings and praising the sound quality of remastered editions.
Fans describe the album as an excellent introduction for anyone wanting to explore the Turners' early career and a "soul treasure" for R&B enthusiasts. Many appreciate the less commercial, "raw" feel of the early recordings compared to their later work.
Some minor criticisms mention that the sound quality on certain older releases isn't always perfect or that a few tracks are less engaging than the hit singles. Overall, the consensus is that the album is a fantastic and enjoyable listen.