Ike Turner's dead. He was a lot of things. Among them, he was a badass guitar player, piano player, producer, arranger, bandleader, songwriter, and a talent scout for Sam Phillips at Sun. He was also a bad motherfucker. Unfortunately, he'll probably be best remembered as a wife beating substance abuser. He probably wasn't a "nice guy," but his contributions to American music are vast and deep. I remember reading an interview with him in an early issue of Spin, where when asked about Tina's suicide attempt, he tried to make light of the matter by saying (and I'll paraphrase this from memory) "There's something you gotta understand about black folks, Tina tried to kill herself by jumping out of a first story window." Ike did eventually serve time in jail, get clean, and make a Grammy nominated comeback record.
Download: "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" mp3
by Ike and Tina Turner, 1960.
(and as pointed out in the comments that's
Mickey Baker not Ike answering Tina)
available on Golden Classics
Download: "A Fool In Love" mp3
by Ike and Tina Turner, 1961.
available on Golden Classics
Download: "Anything You Wasn't Born With" mp3
by Ike and Tina Turner, 1966.
Download: "Dust My Broom" mp3
by Ike and Tina Turner, 1966.
available on The Soul Anthology
****** BONUS ******
Download:
"You Keep On Worrying Me" mp3
"You've Got To Lose" mp3
Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhthym
vocals by Jackie Brenston
recorded in St. Louis, 1958.
available on 1958-1959
"I'm Gonna Forget About You" mp3
"Down and Out" mp3
Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhthym
vocals by Tommy Hodges
recorded in St. Louis, 1958.
available on 1958-1959
And from the Club Imperial in St.Louis
hear but not see Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm
playing for some jitterbuggers on local TV....
For the entire show, go to Bedazzled HERE
It's quite amazing. In between smoking performances
by the Kings of Rhythm, fans of late night St. Louis
television can get a glimpse of Steve Mizerany selling
Norge refrigerators before the toupee, roller skates
and gorilla suits.
Great post!!!
ReplyDeleteI should mention that "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" has Mickey Baker singing the male vocal part. So nobody will go away thinking that it's Ike.
Thanks Rog, you are correct - and have been duly noted. I was too tired when putting up this post to clarify it.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff. One of the best concerts I ever saw was Ike in 1995. More of the Kings of Rhythm if you can.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Kylis
Steve Mizerany! Ah Ted, you're making me all teary eyed & nostalgic, stirring up memories of our growing up in St. Louis with a crazy Mizerany commercial on tv every ten minutes. I know every city had a crazy commercial guy of their own back in the day, but I'll put Mizerany's whack job commercials up against anyone else's from the era.
ReplyDeleteHey Steve. I had my mind blown when I saw that. I too became misty eyed for the Slyman Brothers and Becky from Tile City or whatever who rode around on the magic carpet. Steve Mizerany was the Crazy Eddie of St. Louis, and as good or bad as the best or worst of them.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if you're aware Ted, and I certainly don't want to burst any bubbles if you aren't, but Becky Queen Of Carpets lost over 100lbs. over the past few years and is now completely unrecognizeable on her commercials. Unrecognizeable until she opens her mouth of course... :)
ReplyDeletewell she probably gets better mileage on the carpet these days if you know what i mean.
ReplyDeleteIf only, but Becky's all serious and shit on her commercials now that she's all lean mean fighting machine. She lost her mojo along with all that weight...
ReplyDeletesuch a shame. hey, how is ike's passing being treated there in st. louis?
ReplyDeleteIke's history in St. Louis is of course being highlighted, but for the most part it hasn't been all that different from how it's been treated nationally.
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your blog!
Is it possible to send me the mp3 for "Anything You wasn't born with" and "Dust my broom" by Ike & Tina Turner to my e-mail?
The links are dead :-|
pedro.isidro@gmail.com
Thank you!
Pedro