*Going Back Home To The Blues- The Early Ike Turner

Click On Title To Link To YouTube's Film Clip Of Ike Turner And His Kings Of Rhythms Performing "Thinking Black" From 1969.

CD Review

Here is a little taste of Ike Turner's early work. Some of the comments used here have been used in other reviews of the late Ike Turner's work.

Blues King Plus, Ike Turner, Capitol Records, 2003

I have mentioned the recently departed Ike Turner’s rough and tumble drug-induced later lifestyle and his problems with ex-wife Tina Turner elsewhere in this space so there is no need to repeat that here. I have also mentioned Ike’s key role as ‘talent spotter’ in the 1950’s for Chess Records (and Sun Records' Sam Phillips, I believe) and his pivotal role in the early move from R&B to rock & roll with the super-classic hit “Rocket 88”. Thus, his place in musical history (with the appropriate asterisks) is secure. And should be.

This early effort "Blues King Plus" like a late Turner effort “Risin’ with the Blues” (2006) is a place where Ike goes out in front and does many of the lead vocals, some successfully, some not. The instrumental work is excellent, as is to be expected on a Turner platter. But, to be honest, not all of the vocals made me want to jump, which I assume was Ike’s intention here since some of the works are tributes to those like Louis Jordan who influenced the young Ike Turner. That said, his versions of “Trouble And Heartache ”, " You're Driving Me Insane" and a jumping "Looking For My Baby" are , as is “Night Howler" and "Cubano Jump". We part company, however, on “Early Times", "The World Is Yours" and a couple of others where his voice cannot carry the song.

You know what, go out and get some early Ike and the Rhythm Kings. Then you will be sure to get what Ike was all about and why he has a secure place in musical history. And remember that seminal “Rocket 88”. I went crazy when I listened to it recently after not hearing it for a long time.

*******

Songfacts:

In 1991, after a great deal of debate, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognized this as the first Rock and Roll song ever recorded. Turner was in jail at the time for cocaine possession, so his daughter accepted the award.

The song is about a car. The Oldsmobile "Rocket 88" just came out and was the fastest car on the road at the time. It was advertised as having a V-8 "Rocket" engine.

This was produced by Sam Phillips, who formed Sun Records in 1954. Phillips discovered Elvis in 1955.

Jackie Brenston, who was a member of Ike Turner's Rhythm Kings, sang lead. The single was credited to "Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats" because Phillips wanted to release a different record credited to Turner.

This was a #1 R&B hit. There were no rock charts at the time.

Turner and his band were playing black clubs in the American South when B.B. King set up a recording session for them in Memphis with Phillips. They wrote most of this on the way to the session.

On the drive to the session, the band's amplifier fell out of the car and broke the woofer. Turner shoved paper in it at the studio to cover the problem, which ended up providing a more distinct sound. The sounds that came from the damaged amp resulted in this being cited as one of the first songs to feature guitar distortion.

Brenston was credited with writing this, although he admitted he stole the idea from a 1947 song called "Cadillac Boogie."

General Motors gave Brenston a Rocket 88 to thank him for the publicity this generated for the car.

Brenston did not handle success well. He quickly spent the money he made from this, became an alcoholic, went broke, and died in 1979.

Turner played piano on this. It was a huge influence on Little Richard, who used the piano intro on his 1958 hit, "Good Golly Miss Molly."

There were other songs recorded before this that could be considered Rock and Roll, but this was unique in that it appealed to a white audience.

Turner recorded a new version of this in 2000.

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine (issue 93) in 1971, Ike Turner recalled how despite this being a local hit, he made little from it: "Some dude at the record company beat me, and I only got $40 for writing, producing, and recording it. And the lead singer (Jackie Brenston) took the band from me and went on his own."

Rocket '88 lyrics

You may have heard of jalopies,
You heard the noise they make,
Let me introduce you to my Rocket '88.
Yes it's great, just won't wait,
Everybody likes my Rocket '88.
Gals will ride in style,
Movin' all along.(Guitar solo, leading into steel guitar solo.)
V-8 motor and this modern design,
My convertible top and the gals don't mind
Sportin' with me, ridin' all around town for joy.(
Spoken) -- Blow your horn, Rocket, blow your horn!(Horn sound effect leading into guitar solo.)
Step in my Rocket and-a don't be late,
We're pullin' out about a half-past-eight.
Goin' on the corner and-a havin' some fun,T
akin' my Rocket on a long, hot run.
Ooh, goin' out,Oozin' and cruisin' along.(Guitar solo.)
Now that you've ridden in my Rocket '88,
I'll be around every night about eight.
You know it's great, don't be late,Everybody likes my Rocket '88.
Gals will ride in style,
Movin' all along.(Fade out, ending with sound effect of a car driving away.)
Labels: chess records, drugs and rock and roll, ike turner,

*A Taste Of The Later Career Of R&B's Ike Turner

Click On To Title To Link To YouTube's Film Clip Of Bill Haley Performing Ike Turner's "Rocket 88". Wow!

CD Review

Here is a little taste of Ike Turner's later work.

Risin’ With The Blues, Ike Turner, Zoho Roots, 2006

I have mentioned the recently departed Ike Turner’s rough and tumble drug-induced later lifestyle and his problems with ex-wife Tina Turner elsewhere in this space so there is no need to repeat that here. I have also mentioned Ike’s key role as ‘talent spotter’ in the 1950’s for Chess Records (and Sun Records' Sam Phillips, I believe) and his pivotal role in the early move from R&B to rock & roll with the super-classic hit “Rocket 88”. Thus, his place in musical history (with the appropriate asterisks) is secure. And should be.

“Risin’ with the Blues” is a late effort (2006) where Ike goes out in front and does many of the lead vocals, some successfully, some not. The instrumental work is excellent, as is to be expected on a Turner platter. But, to be honest, not all of the vocals made me want to jump, which I assume was Ike’s intention here since some of the works are tributes to those like Louis Jordan who influenced the young Ike Turner. That said, his version of “Eighteen Long Years” (usually five in most versions but the number is used as a dig at Tina) is fine, as is “Big Fat Mama” and “Rockin’ Blues”. We part company, however, on “Jesus Loves Me” his musical retort to Tina’s charges in her book and in the movie.

You know what, go out and get some early Ike and the Rhythm Kings. Then you will be sure to get what Ike was all about and why he has a secure place in musical history. And remember that seminal “Rocket 88”. I went crazy when I listened to it recently after not hearing it for a long time.

*******

Songfacts:

In 1991, after a great deal of debate, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognized this as the first Rock and Roll song ever recorded. Turner was in jail at the time for cocaine possession, so his daughter accepted the award.

The song is about a car. The Oldsmobile "Rocket 88" just came out and was the fastest car on the road at the time. It was advertised as having a V-8 "Rocket" engine.

This was produced by Sam Phillips, who formed Sun Records in 1954. Phillips discovered Elvis in 1955.

Jackie Brenston, who was a member of Ike Turner's Rhythm Kings, sang lead. The single was credited to "Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats" because Phillips wanted to release a different record credited to Turner.

This was a #1 R&B hit. There were no rock charts at the time.

Turner and his band were playing black clubs in the American South when B.B. King set up a recording session for them in Memphis with Phillips. They wrote most of this on the way to the session.

On the drive to the session, the band's amplifier fell out of the car and broke the woofer. Turner shoved paper in it at the studio to cover the problem, which ended up providing a more distinct sound. The sounds that came from the damaged amp resulted in this being cited as one of the first songs to feature guitar distortion.

Brenston was credited with writing this, although he admitted he stole the idea from a 1947 song called "Cadillac Boogie."

General Motors gave Brenston a Rocket 88 to thank him for the publicity this generated for the car.

Brenston did not handle success well. He quickly spent the money he made from this, became an alcoholic, went broke, and died in 1979.

Turner played piano on this. It was a huge influence on Little Richard, who used the piano intro on his 1958 hit, "Good Golly Miss Molly."

There were other songs recorded before this that could be considered Rock and Roll, but this was unique in that it appealed to a white audience.

Turner recorded a new version of this in 2000.

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine (issue 93) in 1971, Ike Turner recalled how despite this being a local hit, he made little from it: "Some dude at the record company beat me, and I only got $40 for writing, producing, and recording it. And the lead singer (Jackie Brenston) took the band from me and went on his own."

Rocket '88 lyrics

You may have heard of jalopies,
You heard the noise they make,
Let me introduce you to my Rocket '88.
Yes it's great, just won't wait,
Everybody likes my Rocket '88.
Gals will ride in style,
Movin' all along.(Guitar solo, leading into steel guitar solo.)
V-8 motor and this modern design,
My convertible top and the gals don't mind
Sportin' with me, ridin' all around town for joy.(
Spoken) -- Blow your horn, Rocket, blow your horn!(Horn sound effect leading into guitar solo.)
Step in my Rocket and-a don't be late,
We're pullin' out about a half-past-eight.
Goin' on the corner and-a havin' some fun,T
akin' my Rocket on a long, hot run.
Ooh, goin' out,Oozin' and cruisin' along.(Guitar solo.)
Now that you've ridden in my Rocket '88,
I'll be around every night about eight.
You know it's great, don't be late,Everybody likes my Rocket '88.
Gals will ride in style,
Movin' all along.(Fade out, ending with sound effect of a car driving away.)

*Miss (Ms.) Rhythm Is In The House- The R&B Of Miss Ruth Brown

Click On Title To Link To YouTube’s Film Clip Of Ruth Brown Doing "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean". Wow!

CD Review

Ruth Brown, Miss Rhythm (Greatest Hits And More), 2CD Set, Ruth Brown, Atlantic Records, 1989

Okay, I have spent a fair amount of time tracing the roots of rock and roll back to the early 1950s and the heyday of rhythm and blues. And of course part of that process required a look, a serious look, at the pivotal roles of the likes of black male R&B performers like Big Joe Turner, Ike Turner and Little Milton. Those are some of the key forces that drove the sound. Unlike the early blues, however, where black female singers dominated the charts and the flow of where the music was heading women were not as prominent in the link between R&B and the emergence of rock and rock as a national (and later international) musical genre. But they were there. And the black (and proud) female singer under review here, Ruth Brown, rightly known under the moniker "Miss Rhythm", was right there along with Dinah Washington and Lavern Baker to sing up a storm. Thanks, gals.

The name Ruth Brown has come up a number of times in this space when talking about 1950's blues, R&B and rock. However, those occasions have usually been as a "talking head" commentator in documentaries like Martin Scorsese's multi-part PBS blues series of 2003. And the tale Miss Brown had to tell about the background to her performing career was not pretty concerning the segregated dance halls, second-rate accommodations and other intolerable conditions that black musicians, great and small, male and female had to work under. Despite that, she still had a few crossover hits and got those white teenagers jumping. That doesn't make up for the indignities she suffered, nothing will, but she has to know that in her prime she had that thing- "Miss Rhythm, indeed!"

Some of this material on this 2CD set sounds as fresh today as when it was first recorded. Others, as is the nature of such compilations, are either gimmicky, second-rate or both. Here are some of the fresh sounds that highlight Miss Brown's talent; "So Long", "Be Anything", "5-10-15 Hours", "Daddy Daddy" and "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" (Wow, on this last one). From Disc One. From Disc Two; "Why Me', "This Little Girl's Gone Rocking", "Somebody Touch Me" and "Don't Deceive Me".

"This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'"

I wrote my mom a letter
And this is what I said

Well-a, well-a, well-a, well-a
I washed all the dishes
And I did a lot more
I even bought the dinner
At the grocery store

Now, Mom, you'll find
The key next door cause
This little girl's gone rocking

I left some biscuits for the pup
I put fresh water in his cup
And now I'm off
I'm gonna live it up cause
This little girl's gone rocking

Well, I'm be home about
Twelve tonight and not a
Minute, minute, minute later
Don't forget the front door lock
That's all for now
I'll see you later, mater

You'll find these things
That you wanted done
I'm off to meet that special one
Boy, oh, boy, will we have fun
Cause this little girl's gone rocking

Well, I'm be home about
Twelve tonight and not a
Minute, minute, minute later
Don't forget the front door lock
That's all for now
I'll see you later, mater

You'll find these things
That you wanted done
I'm off to meet that special one
Boy, oh, boy, will we have fun
Cause this little girl's gone rocking
Yeah, this little girl's gone rocking.....


"(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean"


Mama he treats your daughter mean
Mama he treats your daughter mean
Mama he treats your daughter mean
He's the meanest man I've ever seen

Mama he treats me badly
Makes me love him madly
Mama he takes my money
Makes me call him honey

Mama he can't be trusted
He makes me so disgusted
All of my friends they don't understand
What's the matter with this man

I tell you mama he treats your daughter mean
Mama he treats your daughter mean
Mama he treats your daughter mean
He's the meanest man I've ever seen

Mama this man is lazy
Almost drives me crazy
Mama he makes me squeeze him
Still my squeezes don't please him

Mama my heart is aching
I believe it's breaking
I've stood all that I can stand
What's the matter with this man?

I tell you Mama he treats your daughter mean
Mama he treats your daughter mean
Mama he treats your daughter mean
He's the meanest man I've ever seen

The Birth of Rock and Roll- Big Joe Turner

CD REVIEW

Big Joe Turner’s Greatest Hits, Big Joe Turner, Atlantic Records, 1989

A few years ago there was a little controversy about whether songs like Joe Turner's Shake, Rattle and Roll or some early Elvis Presley tunes like Hound Dog or It's All Right, Mama represented the genesis of rock and roll. That might be an interesting discussion for musicologists with time on their hands but if you really want to know the answer listen here. If you do not find the base line here for all later classic rock then I am afraid it is lost in the mist of time. Musical trends draw from many influences but the rhythm and blues of the early 1950's seems to have been the real jump point for the turn to rock.

This compilation, that is moreover a technically competent one unlike others from this period, is a case study for the above stated propositions. It all comes together here on Shake, Rattle and Roll- the rest just complete the argument.


Jazz Legends: Rhythm and Blues At The Apollo Theater, Storyville Films AB, 1989

One of the questions that I have been posing to myself over the past several months as I trace the roots of rock ‘n’ rock, the music of my youth is to see what prior musical trend was most influential in its development. An argument can be made for old country black blues, for black city blues and for white rockabilly. However I am coming more and more to a view that rhythm and blues of the late 1940’s and early 1950’s was critical. Furthermore, one of the performers here, Big Joe Turner and his Shake, Rattle and Roll of 1954 was probably is the most influential in driving that form of music. Thus there is no accident that Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley, Elvis and many others covered the song.

So much for that. Here we have an all-star cast of jazz, rhythm and blues and just plain blues artists at New York City’s fame black musical Mecca- The Apollo Theater. We get full-bore performances from Big Joe, Dinah Washington and the legendary Ruth Brown, among others. A little old time humor is thrown in by the Emcee and some novelty songs as one would expect in a variety musical show. One interesting sidelight is that repeated scans of the audience show it is to an integrated but from the looks of it mainly white. This is one time that composition is good- that is the transmission belt to bringing that taste for black music to white audiences. If you need to see one aspect of the history of our common musical experiences look here. Rock on.