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.
