Posted in 1980s, Events dear boy. Events, Live It Up, Music at 12:00 on 14 July 2023
This is the best selling single from the album Private Dancer which marked Tina Turner’s renaissance from the lean years after she left her abusive husband Ike.
Tina Turner: What’s Love Got To Do With It
Posted in 1960s, Friday On My Mind, Music at 12:00 on 9 June 2023
The song that brought Tina Turner to prominence in the UK. And perhaps Phil Spector’s finest production achievement. Helped in no small degree by Turner’s vocal – possibly her best.
Spector told her husband Ike to stay away from the recording studio for this. She only had the one unpleasant man to deal with at a time, then.
Ike and Tina Turner: River Deep, Mountain High
Posted in 1970s, Events dear boy. Events, Music, Reelin' In The Years at 12:00 on 2 June 2023
It was just about impossible to miss Tina Turner – either in her performances or in the outpouring of regret and appreciation when she died.
As an example of someone transcending her life circumstances to come out triumphant she will be just about impossible to top.
This is a slice of vintage Tina. She also wrote the song.
Ike and Tina Turner: Nutbush City Limits.
Anna Mae Bullock (Tina Turner) 26/11/1939 – 24/5/2023. So it goes.
Posted in 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, Live It Up, Music at 12:00 on 2 November 2018
I was sad to read of the passing of singer-songwriter Tony Joe White, who died last week. His was an idiosyncratic voice.
I have already noted his sole UK hit Groupy Girl. His greatest success was perhaps as a writer of songs made famous by others. Elvis Presley recorded Polk Salad Annie (I featured White’s version here.) Tina Turner had a big hit with Steamy Windows in 1989. White’s version is a bit less strident.
Tony Joe White: Steamy Windows
White’s breakthrough as a songwriter came with Rainy Night in Georgia which has been covered multiple times. His original is still quite soulful, though.
Tony Joe White: Rainy Night in Georgia
Tony Joe White: 23/7/1943 –24/10/2018. So it goes.
Posted in 1960s, Friday On My Mind, Music at 17:00 on 5 November 2010
No psychedelia this week. Swamp rock instead.
And not by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Who’d have thought that two different acts would have mined such an unlikely seam of inspiration?
It was only while looking this one up that I realised Tony Joe White had also written Steamy Windows, made famous by Tina Turner. Rainy Night In Georgia was one of his too. I was going to post his Groupy Girl in this slot till I discovered that was actually from 1970.
Polk Salad Annie is perhaps better known because Elvis (Presley) recorded it a while later. It contains an immortal two lines:-
“Polk Salad Annie,
The gator’s got your granny.”
Brilliant!
But this wasn’t a hit in the UK (or if it was, it was a small one.)
Tony Joe White: Polk Salad Annie
