Ike Turner

[Andamo]

Cat, thanks for the slap in my face, I needed it. The news media looked upon Ike troubles and based their entire stories on the negative side. Yes, Ike had some troubles, but the man is gone and left behind good things also. Thank you for pointing it out. And thank you Ike.

[WildcatOne]

I honestly didn't expect these words from you great people...thank you...when I wrote what I did up there, it was 3:45 in the morning, I had been up for 2 days straight, and I had just gotten in from playing a rare (for this band) one-off gig at the Rockin' Texas Lounge, a smoky, beer-soaked, packed-to-the-rafters with cowboys and rednecks (and their female counterparts) roadside converted barn on a backwoods Farm-to-Market road outside of Santa Fe, Texas...something right out of "The Blues Brothers" with no exaggeration (except for the chicken wire screen)...I was kind of in a floating, almost dreamy state...you know, sometimes words can just fall in place depending on the subject, and this was something I had in my oven for a couple of days, since I heard of Ike's passing. We do Ike's arrangement of "Proud Mary" (with me doing Ike's bass vocal..."Rollin'...Rollin'...etc.) that became a staple of his band's greatness; the ultimate rave-up...The Prisonaires' record kept after me and I had to say something about it...

I cannot condone Ike's actions in his most successful period. Behind that "Bad Guy" image was...a really...bad...guy...but all who knew him said that without drugs in him, he was the best at what he did. With drugs in him, he was a monster. He played the opening slots for the Stones on tour. He wasn't all that impressed with them, and looking back on that tour, who was it that really stood out? It also monumentalized his mojo when Phil Spector, the Prince of Darkness himself, backed down from having him come in and play on "River Deep, Mountain High" when he hired his singer and his band to play on the record...by the way, it flopped. What if Ike had been involved? Go figure. I never mentioned the "T" word. I adore her, like everybody does. But as far as I'm concerned, that's another story altogether, ya know. It has its (huge) place, and Ike died without ever having had the privilege of any training or counseling on how to handle relationships gracefully...he admitted that he deserved everything she and the press said about him and he didn't try to dodge any of it. He was sorry. He would have done it differently if...But that's all personal. It had nothing to do with business.

Les Paul and Mary Ford. Sonny and Cher. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. John and Christine McVie. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. Dale and Terry Bozzio. George Jones and Tammi Wynette. John Doe and Exene Cervenka. Nancy Sinatra and Tommy Sands. None of them lasted as a couple. It's more often than not just too much for love to survive...even me and my wife. We were divorced for 10 years until I finally changed, gave up the struggle and she took me back, thank God...I have to mention Steve Lawrence and Edye Gourmet, Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows & Johnny and June Carter Cash (RIP), and Toni Tenille and Daryll Dragon. They were (are) still together...

I looked up Living Blues on the net...I can email that eulogy to them, or maybe I should print it out and mail it to them?

Thanks again for this wonderful series of replies. I hope Ike's spirit can rest. There was more karma there than if there were a dozen of anybody else. WC1

[Andamo]

Please forgive me to all that are looking for a eulogy about Ike on this thread, but I know I give my thanks to folks like Cat who have the insight and ability to tell the story of folks as he does without the media influences. Maybe it's wrong, but I want to remember Ike as I grew up hearing him on the radio. Maybe it's a insulated way of thinking, but that's the way I like it. Thank you Cat, and I'm so glad you're a member of this motley group.
Dan

[draglist]

He was supremely talented and at times, a dick. Both things were completely true and do not cancel one another out. No need to apologize for growing up and enjoying Ike's music.

More great words, Cat. I would email that sucker in a heartbeat, but I'm afraid they'll see how good you are and steal you from us! bp

[WildcatOne]

Well, I sent it. I cleaned up some of the phoenetics but other than that, it was copied and pasted into the text box...thanks for the "challenge", Coffee...I'm not going anywhere, BP...I'm home, where I belong! I did put an inaccuracy in the original post. I said it was recorded in '56, but it was actually more like '54. The liner notes on the album I have (from The Sun collection) were a little vague but still offered good background info...this article pretty much tells the whole story... http://www.answers.com/topic/the-prison ... ertainment
Amazon.com has all their stuff in donwloadable MP3 format..."Surleen"..."That Chick's Too Young To Fry"..."Walkin' In The Rain"..."Rockin' Horse"..."Two Strangers"..."My God Is Real"...incredible...
Again, all respects to Ike Turner. WC1

[draglist]

I can't wait to see if they print it. bp

[racersforcoffee]

Glad you took up my double-dog dare. Your emotional tug from the man's music is surface..and worth sharing with worldside fans..

[Gator]

his music yes