Search - Ike Turner & Tina :: Soul of Ike & Tina Turner / Dynamite

Potent Debut

Laurence Upton | Wilts, UK | 06/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are many inexpensive Ike & Tina compilations on the market but until recently they had always dated from a slightly later period than their Sue labels recordings, which Stateside have now released, almost in full, on this and its companion, Don't Play Me Cheap/It's Gonna Work Out Fine.

Apart from a few singles, most are appearing on CD for the first time. They start with the very first recording credited to Ike and Tina Turner, from 1959, A Fool In Love, which charted on both pop and R&B charts. The story had begun a couple of years earlier, when 17-year old Annie Mae (Tina) allegedly jumped onstage on a dare from her sister to sing at an Ike Turner and his Kings Of Rhythm gig, and ended up with the band, eventually recording a local single for Ike on Tune Town as Little Anne in 1958 (Boxtop/Calypso Love Cry).

Eventually she joined the revue and became pregnant by one of the band, who left St Louis and never came back. She and Ike became an item in 1959. The Soul Of Ike And Tina Turner, their first album, was recorded with the fabulous Ikettes while they were on tour with the revue, and comprised almost exclusively Ike Turner compositions. It included follow-up singles I Idolize You and I'm Jealous (the opening note of this track is slightly clipped on my copy of the CD), with its flipside You're My Baby featuring the Ikettes with Ike on backing vocals.

All but three of the tracks also appeared on singles, the exclusive tracks being If, You Can't Love Two and I Had A Notion (Chances Are is a re-titled Puppy Love, a B-side), and there is remarkably little padding on the record.

The next album, Dynamite, duplicated many of the same tracks, tracks 13-17 being the only new ones. The original running order was You Shoulda Treated Me Right/It's Gonna Work Out Fine/A Fool In Love/Poor Fool/I Idolize You/Tra La La La La/Sleepless/I'm Jealous/Won't You Forgive Me/The Way You Love Me/I Dig You/Letter From Tina.

I Dig You was the only exclusive track, the other new tracks all appearing on singles, the A-sides being You Should've Treated Me Right, It's Gonna Work Out Fine (included on the companion disc), Poor Fool and Tra La La. Four non-album tracks from the period conclude the collection, including the A-side Mind In A Whirl. There is a rawness and earthiness in all these recordings that give them a potency and power that remains undimmed"

Holy Grail

Sasha | at sea...sailing somewhere | 08/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When the dust settles,this might end up being duo's most important work.Sure,whatever commercial succes thay had achieved later in career became more known,but these gritty,sweaty and finger-poppin songs were where Ike & Tina came from.It sounds very much like Ray Charles/James Brown rompin' stompin' horn-driven dance material of the late 1950's/early 1960's with irresistible Ikettes harmonizing in the background,their dark voices matching Tina's lusty screams note for note.The most surprising thing about these 1961. and 1962. LPs is how exciting they sound today,basically they are compilations of very strong singles (they were not recorded as albums) with no filler,just great music all the way (think "What'd I say" recorded by woman). R&B hits ("A Fool in love","I idolise you") and bluesy ballads ("Chances are","I had a notion") are mixed with peppy lovey-dovey duets ("You are my baby","Wont you forgive me"),Tina and Ikettes are of course formidable while Ike's guitar/piano and chunky,recognisable sound are pure joy.Yes,he repeated himself both in music and lyrics but this music was happy,danceable and spirited.Packaging and liner notes are good,it would be better to have original covers instead of late 1970s pictures.Essential listening:"The best of Ike Turner"(Rhino) collects his 1950s gems and shows where Tina got her singing style from."