Their first hit, “A Fool in Love,” was recorded in 1961 when another singer failed to show up for a session. After several early ‘60s hit R&B singles, including “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” in 1961, they became major stars in England.
A 1971 cover version of John Fogerty’s “Proud Mary” reached No. 4 on the pop chart. Ike and Tina divorced in 1976.
TIMELINE
November 5, 1931: Ike Turner was born.
November 26, 1939: Tina Turner was born.
March 1, 1951: Sam Phillips records “Rocket 88” with singer Jackie Brenston and Ike Turner’s band. for Chess records. This recording is widely considered the first rock and roll record.
October 17, 1960: Ike and Tina Turner hit #27 on pop and #3 on R&B with the Sue records single “A Fool In Love”.
September 18, 1961: Ike and Tina Turner #14 on pop and #2 on R&B “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine”.
1961: Ike and Tina Turner hit #4 on the R&B chart and #38 (1/27/62) on the pop chart with “Poor Fool”.
July 2, 1962: After getting hurt during a jump, Jimi Hendrix gets an honorable discharge from the Army. Over the next three years, he will play numerous gigs and studio sessions with such R&B stars as Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner and Sam Cooke.
March 27, 1971: Ike & Tina Turner hit #4 with “Proud Mary.”
November 17, 1973: Ike & Tina Turner hit #22 with “Nutbush City Limits”.
(2) As husband and wife, Ike & Tina Turner headed up one of the most potent live acts on the R&B circuit during the '60s and early '70s. Guitarist and bandleader Ike kept his ensemble tight and well-drilled while throwing in his own distinctively twangy plucking; lead vocalist Tina was a ferocious whirlwind of power and energy, a raw sexual dynamo who was impossible to contain when she hit the stage, leading some critics to call her the first female singer to embody the true spirit of rock & roll. In their prime, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue specialized in a hard-driving, funked-up hybrid of soul and rock that, in its best moments, rose to a visceral frenzy that few R&B acts of any era could hope to match. Effusively praised by white rock luminaries like the Rolling Stones and Janis Joplin, Tina was unquestionably the star of the show, with a hugely powerful, raspy voice that ranks among the all-time soul greats. For all their concert presence, the Turners sometimes had problems translating their strong points to record; they cut singles for an endless succession of large and small independent labels throughout their career, and suffered from a shortage of the strong original material that artists with more stable homes (Motown, Atlantic, Stax, etc.) often enjoyed. The couple's well-documented marital difficulties (a mild way of describing Ike's violent, drug-fueled cruelty) eventually dissolved their partnership in the mid-'70s. Tina, of course, went on to become an icon and a symbol of survival after the resurgence of her solo career in the '80s, but it was the years she spent with Ike that made the purely musical part of her legend.
Izear Luster "Ike" Turner, Jr. was born in Clarksdale, MS, in 1931; initially a pianist, he formed his first band in high school and put together the Kings of Rhythm in the late '40s. In 1951, that group cut the pivotal "Rocket 88," a tune often pinpointed as the first ever rock & roll record; however, since sax player Jackie Brenston took the vocal, the song was credited to Brenston & His Delta Cats rather than Turner & the Kings of Rhythm. Not long after, Turner switched from piano to guitar, and he and his band became a prolific session outfit in Memphis, backing various Sun artists and bluesmen during the early '50s. Turner moved the Kings of Rhythm to East St. Louis in the mid-'50s, where they became kingpins of the local R&B circuit. In 1956, he met a teenage, gospel-trained singer from Nutbush, TN, named Anna Mae Bullock, and promised her a chance to sing with his band. That chance kept failing to materialize, until one night Bullock simply grabbed the microphone and started belting. Impressed, Turner made her a part of his revue, changing her name to Tina. After Tina became pregnant by the band's saxophonist, Raymond Hill, she moved into Turner's house, an arrangement that led to their own relationship; the two were married in 1958 and soon had a child of their own.
In late 1959, Turner's band entered the studio to cut a song called "A Fool in Love" for the Sue Records label. The scheduled male vocalist failed to show up for the session, and Tina was pressed into service. Released in 1960, "A Fool in Love" shot to the number two spot on the R&B charts, also making the pop Top 30. Tina was now clearly the focal point of the act, which Turner rechristened the Ike & Tina Turner Revue; with a large, horn-filled ensemble and a group of leggy backup singers dubbed the Ikettes (who complemented Tina's short-skirted, uninhibited gyrating), the Revue eventually developed a reputation for putting on one of the most exciting live shows in R&B. The R&B-chart hits came fast and furious during the early '60s: 1961's "I Idolize You" (number five) and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" (number two), 1962's "Poor Fool" (number four) and "Tra La La La La" (number nine). It was an impressive run, but the well went dry over the next several years; Ike supplied much of the band's original material, and although he was responsible for many of the early successes, he simply wasn't a world-class songwriter who could deliver hit-caliber tunes with regularity. Much of the Revue's repertoire consisted of bluesy, chitlin circuit R&B that wasn't exceptionally memorable. Ike & Tina branched out from Sue Records and spent the next few years issuing records on additional labels, including Kent, Modern, and Loma. While they had some undeniable high points and several chart entries, none reached the level of their initial run of Top Ten hits.
In 1966, the Turners worked with legendary producer Phil Spector, who was seeking a way to restore his artistic and commercial standing at the forefront of pop music in the wake of advances by the Beach Boys and Beatles. The powerful instrument that was Tina's voice appealed to Spector's sense of grandeur, and he conceived of a massive-scale production framing that voice that would rank as his greatest masterpiece. Ike already had a reputation for demanding control, and Spector struck his deal accordingly: although the records would be fully credited to Ike & Tina Turner, Ike would not be allowed to enter the studio or alter the finished recordings (in effect, Spector was paying him not to meddle). The centerpiece of Spector's collaboration with Tina was "River Deep - Mountain High," a monumental pop symphony that cost over $22,000 to produce (in 1966, this was a whopping sum for an album, let alone a single). The single represented Spector's so-called Wall of Sound style at its most gloriously excessive, and Tina's was one of the few voices in popular music strong enough to cut through the monolithic orchestral backing. With the high cost and his own slipping stature, Spector was betting the farm on "River Deep - Mountain High," and although it rocketed into the British Top Five and made Tina a star in the U.K., it flopped in America, where its mixture of black and white musical aesthetics was still slightly ahead of its time. A crushed Spector retreated from the music business not long after, and his Philles label yanked the accompanying album of the same name from American release (Spector wound up producing only five of the 12 cuts). Although some critics dismiss "River Deep - Mountain High" as overproduced bombast, many still consider it one of rock's greatest singles; George Harrison famously described it as "a perfect record from start to finish."
After the Spector deal fell through, Ike & Tina returned to their somewhat mercenary recording habits, cutting songs for Modern and Innis, then moving to Minit and Blue Thumb in 1969. That year, they went on the road as the opening act for the Rolling Stones, and Ike slightly retooled the Revue's sound to appeal to white rock audiences in addition to their core black following. In 1970, they signed with Liberty/United Artists and recorded Come Together, which incorporated contemporary rock & roll covers into their repertoire; versions of the Beatles' title track and Sly & the Family Stone's "I Want to Take You Higher" made the R&B Top 30. Released later that year, Workin' Together became the most popular album of their career, making the Top 25 on the strength of a storming reinterpretation of CCR's "Proud Mary." Featuring a notorious spoken intro by Tina, the "nice...and rough" version of "Proud Mary" gave Ike & Tina their first Top Five hit on the pop charts, and returned them to the same heights on the R&B side as well; it also won them a Grammy. The covers gimmick couldn't last forever, though, and their formula soon grew predictable; their last major success was 1973's "Nutbush City Limits," a semi-autobiographical song written by Tina that made the R&B Top 20 and just missed that placing on the pop side. By that point, Tina had grown increasingly uninterested in the duo's well-established act, and was tiring of the largely unchallenging material she continued to perform.
Unfortunately, the music itself wasn't the only factor in Ike & Tina's downturn. As a bandleader, Ike had long been a disciplinarian, but during the '60s he developed severe addictions to alcohol and, especially, cocaine. Wanting to maintain control over the star of his show at any cost, Turner kept his wife in line through an increasingly violent pattern of emotional and physical abuse; often drug-related, his flights of rage could result in severe beatings or burns that pushed Tina to attempt suicide in 1968, according to her autobiography. She continued to endure Ike's dominance through the early '70s, and her performances were clearly weary by the end; finally, she walked out on her husband and generally declined to pursue claims for financial compensation from their work together. Their divorce became official in 1976. After a long period of struggle, Tina re-emerged triumphantly in the '80s as a superstar solo act; Ike, meanwhile, ran his own recording studio for a time, but his drug problems worsened, resulting in several arrests. Sadly, and perhaps fittingly, he was serving prison time when he and his former wife were jointly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, and was unable to attend the ceremony. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter
Ike & Tina Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You do your thinking with a one track mind
You keep preachin' about heaven and glory
But on your face it shows a different story
Clean up your rap your story's getting dusty
Wash out your mouth
Your lies are getting rusty
I can't believe nothin' you say
You know you're funkier than a mosquita's tweeter
You gotta mouth like a herd of boll weevils
Same old game
You never change
Always rappin 'bout the same old thing
Blowin' minds is a thing of the past
You blew your chance that's why you never last
You want to be a graduated mother
But in reality you're just another brother
You think your slick but you could stand a load of greasin'
The things you do ain't never really pleasin'
I can't believe nothin' you say
'Cause I'm around and I see what you do
You know you're funkier than a mosquita's tweeter
You got a mouth like a herd of boll weevils
Same old thing, you never change
Always rappin 'bout the same old thing
You know you're funkier
You put yourself up on a big stool
Nothin' worse than an educated fool
Talkin' sex is your favorite conversation
But peace and love is a famous generation
What's in your head has really started showin'
Your conversation is gettin' kinda borin'
You're funkier than a mosquita's tweeter
You got a mouth like a herd of boll weevils
Same old game
You never change
Always rappin' 'bout the same old thing
You know you're funkier than a mosquito's tweeter
You got a mouth like a...
End
The song "Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter" by Ike & Tina Turner is a powerful rebuke of a dishonest, hypocritical man who claims to be righteous and pious but whose actions suggest otherwise. In the first verse, the singer challenges the man's claims of moral authority by pointing out his crude language and dishonesty. She urges him to reconsider his behavior and clean up his act before it's too late. The second verse continues in a similar vein, calling out the man's tendency to obfuscate his true intentions with slick talk and empty promises. The singer ultimately concludes that the man is nothing but a poser and a pretender, trying to pass himself off as something he's not.
The lyrics of "Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter" are notable for their sharp wit and pointed social commentary. The song represents a powerful indictment of the hypocrisy and double standards that often plague society, particularly in regards to issues of gender and sexuality. By calling out a man who claims to be one thing while acting another, the song suggests that we must all do better in our efforts to live up to our professed ideals. Ultimately, the song is a call to action, urging listeners to recognize the ways in which we all contribute to a culture of dishonesty and to work towards a more honest and just society.
Line by Line Meaning
You're nothing but a dirty, dirty old man
You have a perverted mind and use it to think of inappropriate things
You do your thinking with a one track mind
You are narrow-minded and can only think of one thing
You keep preachin' about heaven and glory
You often talk about religion and spirituality
But on your face it shows a different story
Your actions and behavior do not reflect your religious preaching
Clean up your rap your story's getting dusty
You need to change your words and start speaking about something new and different
Wash out your mouth
You need to stop using vulgar language
Your lies are getting rusty
Your lies are becoming old and stale and no one believes them anymore
I can't believe nothin' you say
I don't trust anything that you say
'Cause I'm around and I see what you do
I witness your actions and they contradict what you say
You know you're funkier than a mosquita's tweeter
You are very strange and odd
You gotta mouth like a herd of boll weevils
You talk too much and say things that are annoying
Same old game
You repeat the same actions and behaviors
You never change
You refuse to change your ways
Always rappin 'bout the same old thing
You talk about the same topic over and over again
Blowin' minds is a thing of the past
You used to be interesting and thought-provoking, but not anymore
You blew your chance that's why you never last
You missed your opportunity and now you can't succeed in the same way anymore
You want to be a graduated mother
You aspire to be sophisticated and knowledgeable
But in reality you're just another brother
In reality, you are just like everyone else
You think your slick but you could stand a load of greasin'
You think you are clever, but you need to improve and do better
The things you do ain't never really pleasin'
Your actions often are not enjoyable or satisfying for others
You put yourself up on a big stool
You consider yourself to be superior or important
Nothin' worse than an educated fool
There is nothing worse than someone who thinks they are intelligent but is actually ignorant
Talkin' sex is your favorite conversation
You enjoy talking about sex more than anything else
But peace and love is a famous generation
The younger generation values peace and love more than sex
What's in your head has really started showin'
Your true thoughts and values are becoming more apparent
Your conversation is gettin' kinda borin'
Your talk is becoming dull and uninteresting
You're funkier than a mosquita's tweeter
You are very quirky and unconventional
Same old game
You continue to behave in the same way
You never change
You do not change your ways
Always rappin' 'bout the same old thing
You talk about the same topic all the time
You know you're funkier than a mosquito's tweeter
You are very strange and unconventional
You got a mouth like a...
You talk too much and say annoying things
Contributed by Kaelyn M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jeffreydenson4855
All my love to Ms Tina. I've been blessed to see her 7 times. Her voice & music marking time on my soul. Whatever you want!
@poetcomic1
First time I saw her was at a High School Prom in St. Louis - I guess I'm getting old.
@InASenseGuilty
That guitar and bass at the beginning is so FUNKY!! LOVE IT
@bharpo
A real funk at its most iconic state.
@songbird6352
When I was 18 I worked in a bar in NC and this was definitely the flip of Proud Mary. Certain people played it all the time and it became a favorite. Loved to dance to it!
@rickschwartz2447
not a lot of people know that it was the flip side
@darylbeatty15
Same here I worked in a restaurant and this song got played on the juke all the time.
@denisemiller2271
Absolutely the best song !!! I was 16 when I heard this song we would all get up & danced great song . It was @ a dancing club called the d'Scene they lost their liquor license I cried the day it burned down
@ROCKNROLLFAN
I have this 45. Rest in Heavenly Peace, Tina Turner. 🙏🕊️
@stephengiese7549
One of my favorites with ike and Tina's revue