sabato, gennaio 10, 2009

MASTER BLUES MUSICIAN

AN IKE TURNER EULOGY

This post is dedicated to the late Ike Turner. Not to Ike & Tina Turner, but only to the talent scout, producer, arranger and guitar hero, Ike Wister Turner.

Ike Turner began his career as a DJ at WROX, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, then as roadie for Robert Nighthawk, learned to play piano from Pinetop Perkins, then switched to guitar and formed his band, The Kings of Rhythm.

In 1951 B. B. King recommended him to Sam Phillips, who at the time was running his Memphis Recording Service. For Sam Phillips he recorded Rocket 88, often said to be the very first Rock & Roll record under the name of Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, Jackie Brenston being the bands saxophone player and lead singer. Sam Phillips then sold the tapes to Chess Records of Chicago and the single became the second-biggest Rhythm and Blues record of 1951, reaching #1 in June and remaining at the top for five weeks.

Ike Turner & his Kings of Rhythm settled into fame in St. Louis where the band locally recorded for a local label, became the resident band at the Club Imperial, appearing on local television shows aired from the club. Throughout this early period, Ike Turner became a recording scout and A&R man for independent record companies, including Sun Records, helping the likes of Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Elmore James and Otis Rush get signed. He also became a sideman playing guitar for these blues acts and more. Musically, Ike Turner was known for his hard-hitting guitar style. He was known to put the whammy bar of his Fender Stratocaster to frequent use.

Then came Anna Mae Bullock... No doubt that Tina Turner is a great performer, but my personal opinion is that without Ike she would never have come to record her very first big hit "River Deep - Mountain High" for Phil Spector. To me Ike Turner's arrangements are far superior to Phil Spector's, John Fogerty's Proud Mary being the best example of it.

I don't want to deal with the husband and wife dispute. I don't have any facts to add. Just one thing is certain: Ike died of a cocaine overdose.

'Nuff said, lets go to the videos. Here comes...

Ike Turner

Rocket 88

Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats
Rocket 88, 1951

Ike Turner

George Edick's PARTY TIME at Club Imperial, St. Louis, MO, 1959

Ike Turner & his Kings of Rhythm featuring Jimmy Thomas
Charlie Brown, So Fine, Splish Splash