tina turner

zappa involvement:

        from ben watson:
much of overnite sensation was recorded at bolic sound in inglewood, ike and tina turner's studio.  tina and the ikettes sang backing vocals, but ike turner would not allow them to have a credit, so at the time of the release zappa only talked about a 'possible' collaboration.

      from: patrick neve
they ended up being credited on the album as "debbie", "lynn", and "susie glover".  (anyone know for sure the identities of these?) also, frank zappa is seen in the audience in a 1966 tv music program called the big tnt show.

        from: frank zappa
"i wanted to put some back-up singers on the thing, and the road manager who was with us at the time checked into it and said, 'well, why don't you just use the ikettes?' i said, 'i can get the ikettes?' and he said 'sure.'  but you know what the gimmick was?  we had to agree, ike turner insisted, that we pay these girls no more than $25 per song, because that's what he paid them.  and no matter how many hours it took, i could not pay them any more than $25 per song per girl, including tina. it was so difficult, that one part in the middle of the song 'montana', that the three girls rehearsed it for a couple of days.  just that one section. you know the part that goes 'i'm pluckin' the ol' dennil floss...'?  right in the middle there.  and - i can't remember her name, but one of the harmony singers - she got it first.  she came out and sang her part and the other girls had to follow her track.  tina was so pleased that she was able to sing this thing that she went into the next studio where ike was working and dragged him into the studio to hear the result of her labor. he listened to the tape and he goes, 'what is this shit?' and walked out.
i don't know how she managed to stick with that guy for so long. he treated her terribly and she's a really nice lady.  we were recording down there on a sunday.  she wasn't involved with the session, but she came in on sunday with a whole pot of stew that she brought for everyone working in the studio.  like out of nowhere, here's tina turner coming in with a rag on her head bringing a pot of stew.  it was really nice."
-frank zappa, quoted by simon prentis, 'anything anywhere anytime for no reason at all', society pages, no. 45, may 1989, p. 35

quick bio:
 born annie mae bullock near brownsville, tennessee, she began singing as a teen, and joined ike turner's touring show as an 18-year-old backup vocalist. just two years later, tina was the star of the show, the attention-grabbing focal point for an incredibly smooth-running soul revue headed by ike and his kings of rhythm. the couple began hitting the charts in 1960 with "a fool in love," and notched charting singles throughout the '60s, though the disappointing position of "river deep-mountain high" -- cited by phil spector as one of his best productions -- was very hard to take. all expectations were filled in 1971 with "proud mary," a number four hit which became the capstone of ike & tina's revue. frustrated by ike's increasingly irrational behavior, though, tina walked out just three years later.

she celebrated her new-found freedom in 1975 with a role in the film version of the who's tommy. playing the acid queen, she delivered an outrageous, all-too- brief performance. several albums were recorded for united artists during the late '70s but she appeared to be washed up by the turn of the decade. surprisingly, tina returned in 1983, first teaming with a heaven 17 project named bef on a remake of the temptations' "ball of confusion." tina's vocal was understandably apocalyptic, and she gained a solo deal with capitol that same year. her first single, a cover of al green's "let's stay together," hit the top 30 early in 1984. second single "what's love got to do with it" became one of the year's biggest hits, spending three weeks at number one. her album private dancer included two more top ten singles, the title track and "better be good to me." with another movie role in 1985 (mad max: beyond thunderdome), she found a number-two hit with its theme, "we don't need another hero." her next big hit followed in 1986 ("typical male"), after which tina began to decline, still charting occasionally and selling respectably with each album. -- john bush

discography:

1968 turner, ike and tina- so fine

1969 turner, ike and tina- outta season 

1969 turner, ike and tina- greatest hits

1971 turner, ike and tina- nuff said

1971 turner, ike and tina- what you hear is what you get

1973 turner, tina- let me touch your mind

1973 turner, tina- country of tina turner

1973 frank zappa- over-nite sensation

1973 various artists- all singing - all talking - all rocking

1974 frank zappa- apostrophe (')

1974 various artists- hard goods

1974 the who- my generation: magic bus

1975 the who- tommy

1975 turner, tina- acid queen

1976 all this and world war ii

1978 turner, tina- rough

1979 turner, tina- love explosion

1984 turner, tina- private dancer

1984 deburgh, chris- man on the line

1984 adams, bryan- reckless

1984 bowie, david

1984 billboard top hits: 1984

1985 turner, tina- mad max: beyond thunderdome

1986 turner, tina- private dancer mixes

1986 turner, tina- break every rule

1986 clapton, eric- august

1986 atlantic blues: guitar

1986 atlantic blues box

1988 turner, tina- 1993 turner, tina- tina live in europe

1988 turner, tina- live at rio '88  (bootleg or video)

1989 turner, tina- foreign affair

1990 turner, tina- look me in the heart

1991 turner, tina- simply the best

1991 turner, tina- remix collection

1991 turner, tina- simply the best  (bootleg or video)

1991 turner, tina- video compilation  (bootleg or video)

1991 turner, tina- do you want some action: live  (bootleg or video)

1991 turner, tina- break every rule  (bootleg or video)

1991 turner, tina- do you want some action  (bootleg or video)

1991 turner, tina- private dancer  (bootleg or video)

1991 stewart, rod- vagabond heart

1991 two rooms: celebrating the songs of 

1991 rolling stones- gimme shelter [video]

1992 rock the first, vol. 5

1992 american me

1993 peter's friends

1993 turner, tina- disco inferno (ep or single)   

1993 turner, tina- why must we wait until tonight (ep or single)   

1993 turner, tina- what's love got to do with it

1993 turner, tina- sing the hits of tina turner [karaoke]- singing machin

1994 turner, tina- collected recordings - sixties to nineties capitol

1994 turner, tina- steamy windows (ep or single)

1994 turner, tina- proud mary (ep or single)   

1994 minit records story

1994 brilliant! the global dance music e

1995 all day thumbsucker revisited

1995 frank zappa- strictly commercial

1995 turner, tina- goldeneye (ep or single)

1996 turner, tina- missing you (ep or single)

1996 turner, tina- in your wildest dreams (ep or single)

1996 turner, tina- love thing (ep or single)    

1996 turner, tina- wildest dreams

1996 turner, tina- good hearted woman

1996 turner, tina- passport cd

1996 turner, tina- typical male

1996 turner, tina- tina turner goes country

1996 turner, tina- tina turner [virgin]

1996 turner, tina- tina turner [bella musica]

1996 turner, tina- goes country

1996 turner, tina- greatest hits [cema]

1996 storming 60's soul soun

1996 abc's of soul, vol. 1

1996 best rock anthems in the world ever

1997 diana, princess of wales: tribute 

1997 turner, ike and tina- bold soul sister: the best of the b

1997 turner, tina- collection                         

1998 turner, ike & tina- ike & tina turner

1998 ramazzotti, eros- cosas de la vida

1998 turner, ike and tina- finger poppin'

1998 prince's trust 10th anniversary bir

1998 various artists- rykodisc 15th anniversary sampler

1998 rubber souled

1998 all day thumb sucker

104

frank zappa: the crux of the biscuit     (2016, cd, usa, zappa records zr20020)