TINA TURNER
OR, AS IT APPEARS ON PHIL`S RECORD
LABEL, "IKE AND TINA TURNER"
IKE AND TINA TURNER HAD BEEN RECORDING WELL BEFORE PHIL SPECTOR HAD A
TRY WITH THEM. THEY WERE KNOWN AS A RHYTHM AND BLUES ACT IN THE EARLY
60`S AND RECORDED ON VARIOUS RECORD LABELS.

TINA TURNER WAS BORN IN NUTBUSH TENNESSEE IN 1939 AS ANNA MAE
BULLOCK. SHE WAS BORN TO A SHARECROPPING FAMILY AND HER FATHER WAS A
BAPTIST MINISTER. SHE AND IKE MARRIED IN 1962 AND PERFORMED AS THE
IKE AND TINA TURNER REVIEW.
THIS PAGE FOCUSES ON THE TIME THEY SPENT RECORDING FOR PHIL SPECTOR`S
PHILLES LABEL.

TINA TURNER AND THE IKETTES WERE AN ACT TO BE RECKONED WITH, THEIR
ONSTAGE PERFORMANCE WAS NOTHING LESS THAN ELECTRIFYING. ALL LEGS AND
HAIR AND BODIES THAT JUST DIDN`T QUIT. THE IKE AND TIINA TURNER
REVIEW FINALLY CAUGHT PHIL SPECTOR`S EYE AND HE NEW TALENT WHEN HE
SAW IT IN TINA TURNER AND HER STAGE PRESENCE.
IN 1966 PHIL PRODUCED A ROCK AND ROLL FILM,"THE BIG T.N.T SHOW WHICH
FEATURED AMONG OTHER ACTS, IKE AND TINA TURNER. HE BOUGHT OUT THEIR
CONTRACT WITH THEIR RECORD LABEL AND LURING THEM INTO A CONTRACT WITH
THE STIPULATION THAT HE WAS TO PRODUCE TINA ONLY AND IKE WAS TO STAY
AWAY, THEY AGREED AND SINCE PHIL HAD A DRY SPELL OF HITS AFTER THE
RONETTES AND THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS, HE HAD A VISION OF FUSING TINA`S
POWERHOUSE PERSONNA WITH WHAT WAS TO BE HIS BIGGEST AND GRANDEST WALL
OF SOUND YET AND HOPEFULLY A COMEBACK FOR HIMSELF. THE SONG..."RIVER
DEEP, MOUNTAIN HIGH", WRITTEN BY, ALONG WITH PHIL SPECTOR, THE GREAT
SONG WRITING TEAM OF JEFF BARRY AND ELLIE GREENWICH WHO ASLO WROTE
MANY OTHER EARLIER HITS FOR THE RONETTES AND DARLENE LOVE AMONG
OTHERS.
RIVER DEEP, MOUNTAIN HIGH TRANSCENDS POP RECORD DEFINITION, STARTING
OUT MODERATELY AND ALMOST SWELLING TO IMPLOSION AT IT`S PEAK WITH
TINA`S VOICE OVERWHELMING THE LISTENER. MORE THAN 20,000 DOLLARS
LATER, THE RECORD WAS A FLOP (IN AMERICA ANYWAY), IT PEAKED AT #88 IN
1966. WHITE RADIO STATIONS WOULDN`T PLAY IT BECAUSE IT SOUNDED "TOO
BLACK" AND BLACK RADIO STATIONS SAID IT SOUNDED "TOO WHITE"AND IT`S
RUMORED THAT PHIL HAD JUST MADE TOO MANY ENEMIES IN THE RADIO
INDUSTRY OR JUST BAD TIMING, PROBABLY A LITTLE OF ALL THE ABOVE.
RIVER DEEP STILL REMAINS A SPECTOR CLASSIC AND HAS BEEN RECORDED BY
MANY ARTISTS EVEN TODAY. THE ORIGINAL PHILLES LP WAS RECORDED AND
IMMEDIATELY WITH DRAWN BEFORE EVEN THE ARTWORK FOR THE ALBUM WAS
DESIGNED AND REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST VALUEABLE RECORDS ON THE
COLLECTOR`S MARKET WITH A NEAR MINT VALUE OF $5,OOO TO $15,000.
IT WAS LATER REISSUED AN A+M RECORDS WITH COVER ARTWORK.

TINA NOW HAS BECOME A SUPERSTAR AND THERE ARE MANY BOOKS WRITTEN ON
HER CAREER WHICH MAKE GOOD READING.
GUESTBOOK
Copyright 1997 Rausch/Jay Enterprise
jonr@ohio.net