Seven From Tina
Nothing again from DPAA again this week – I guess the “holiday break” affected their workflow substantially. So once again, some Sunday morning music instead.
. . .
A few days ago, I wrote that there were two ladies I’d pay serious money to see perform in a small venue.
That previous article identified the first: the exquisite Annie Lennox. Here are seven from the second – the exceptional Tina Turner.
And, my personal two favorites. (Note: if you’ve recently lost someone close or are having serious relationship issues with someone you care about, you might want to give the first of these a pass.)
Damn, that woman can sing.
. . .
FWIW: the “backstory” of the last tune – Private Dancer – is quite an interesting one. If it sounds quite different from most of the lady’s other tunes . . . well, it should. It was written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, and was originally recorded by Dire Straits during the sessions for their 1982 album “Love Over Gold”.
After recording the instrumentals for the song (some accounts say Knopfler recorded the vocals as well), Knopfler thought the song was really one a woman should sing. So the tune was dropped from “Love Over Gold”; Knopfler later offered the tune to Tina Turner.
When I say “offered the tune”, I mean exactly that. Knopfler originally wanted to give Turner the complete recorded instrumental tracks from the Dire Straits recording sessions and let her provide a vocal track to complete the song. Unfortunately, his record company apparently balked at that. So members of the band (less Knopfler, presumably for the same reason) performed as Turner’s session musicians when she recorded it in 1984. Jeff Beck sat in for Knopfler on lead guitar, and IMO did a fine job.
To my knowledge, the original Dire Straits version was never released (as noted above, accounts vary regarding whether Knopfler ever recorded a vocal track for the song). That’s a pity – I’d love to hear Knopfler’s guitar work and his take on the vocals for the tune.
Category: Pointless blather, Who knows
Yes, she could sing. A fine entertainer as well. Difficult to determine if talent such as hers would have so fully developed without the angst in the rest of her life.
One if those unanswerable questions: did the talent develop as a coping mechanism or would it have surfaced no matter what? Bottom line, very glad that we got to share it.
I saw her perform in Vegas years ago, she really put on a great show!
I remember an Ike and Tina Turner performance at Fillmore West in 1970. Tina did a remarkable rendering of CCR’s Proud Mary, which was relatively new at the time. Mostly what Ike did was play his guitar with an amused look on his face while he ogled the back-up vocal babes they had called the “Ikettes.”
For a “comeback” album, Private Dancer stands up against anything she’s ever done, and has stood the test of time as well as anything her contemporaries have put out, including the likes of Diana Ross, Cher, Bette Midler, and even Aretha Franklin.
Sadly, I have no plans to go to Switzerland and at her age, I’m sure she’s happily retired.
And showing my age and musical tastes, when I read the title, for a second I thought you might be profiling Tina Weymouth. Another band I’d pay good money to see if they were still around.
Plus, when you think of women in rock, you don’t often think of instrumentalists versus vocalists, let alone bassists. And bassists like Tina and Paz Lenchantin.
Maybe female instrumentalists would be a discussion for another time….
Geez – not yet another damn psycho fan! (smile)
“Two men enter. One man leaves.” Classic!
SHe had a hell of a set of legs.
Can’t believe she’s 89 now.