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
Workin' Together
Ike & Tina Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Regardless of race, creed or color...
The problems of the world will never be solved
Unless we put a little love in our hearts...
Workin' together, we can make a change;
Workin' together, we can help better things,
So let us put our hate aside,
Let's now try a little love for a change...
Just try a little love for a change...
People disliking one another
Because we were born of a different color...
Many are protesting the wars across the sea
'Cause there are people here that are still not free...
Workin' together, we can make a change;
Workin' together, we can help better things,
So let us put our hate aside,
And let us let love be our guide...
Say, let's try a little love for a change...
Let's try a little love for a change...
Unless we get together, the world would never survive,
And the hopes for the world will surely, surely die...
People like you and me should speak up for what is right;
Only then will the world see the light...
Workin' together, we can make a change;
Workin' together, we can help better things,
Let us put our hate aside,
And let us let love be our guide...
Say, let's try a little love for a change...
Let's try a little love for a change...
Try a little love for a change... (Workin' together, we can make a change...)
Oh, let's try a little love for a change... (Workin' together, we can help better things...)
If we stick together, we'll make things better, yeah, yeah, yeah... (Workin' together, we can make a change...)
Oh, but we got to try a little love for a change... (Workin' together, we can help better things...)
Ooh, try a little love, a little bit of love, (Workin' together, we can make a change...)
Try a little love, love, love, love... (Workin' together, we can help better things...)
The lyrics of Ike & Tina Turner's song Workin' Together are a call for unity among people of all races, creeds and colors to solve the problems of the world. The song revolves around the idea that hate and division only lead to more hatred and division. The first verse emphasizes the importance of love in the world while the second verse discusses the issue of racial discrimination. The third verse broadens the scope to include all kinds of conflicts, suggesting that only by working together can we make a change and better things.
The chorus reinforces this message of unity and cooperation, urging people to put aside their hate and let love be their guide. The song acknowledges that the world is a difficult place to live in, but it also suggests that we have the power to change it for the better. If we work together and try a little love, we can make a difference. The repetition of "let's try a little love for a change" is a hopeful and optimistic call to action that encourages listeners to take part in creating a better world.
Overall, the song's message of unity and love is a powerful one that still resonates today. It highlights the importance of coming together to solve the world's problems and emphasizes the hope that positive change is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
Calling out to all my sisters and brothers,
Addressing everyone in a warm and welcoming manner
Regardless of race, creed or color...
No discrimination based on race, religion, or skin tone
The problems of the world will never be solved
Global issues remain unresolved
Unless we put a little love in our hearts...
Love is lacking as a solution to global issues
Workin' together, we can make a change;
Collaboration can bring positive transformation
Workin' together, we can help better things,
Partnership creates opportunities for improvement
So let us put our hate aside,
Abandon negative emotions for a more positive approach
And let us let love be our guide...
Rely on love to show the way forward
Let's now try a little love for a change...
Embrace love in our efforts to create a better world
People disliking one another
Negativity among people
Because we were born of a different color...
Discrimination based on skin tone
Many are protesting the wars across the sea
Demonstrations against foreign wars
'Cause there are people here that are still not free...
Issues with social justice in their own country
Unless we get together, the world would never survive,
Without collaboration, there's no hope for the world
And the hopes for the world will surely, surely die...
Lack of hope for the future
People like you and me should speak up for what is right;
Everyone should stand up for what is just and fair
Only then will the world see the light...
Justice and fairness bring enlightenment
Say, let's try a little love for a change...
Encouragement to embrace love as a tool for change
Let's try a little love for a change...
Reiteration of the need for love in creating a better world
If we stick together, we'll make things better, yeah, yeah, yeah...
Unity brings progress and improves the world
Oh, but we got to try a little love for a change...
Emphasizing the importance of embracing love as a solution
Ooh, try a little love, a little bit of love,
Encouragement to pursue love in our actions
Try a little love, love, love, love...
Repeated urging to embrace love in our efforts
Contributed by Adalyn H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
OfficialAdamClarke
"Calling out to all my sisters and brothers,
Regardless of race, creed or color,
The problems of the world will never be solved,
Unless we put a little love in our hearts,
Working together, we can make a change,
Working together, we can help better things,
So let us put our hate aside and let us let love be our guide".
R.I.P. Tina 💜🎶💃🏽🙏🏼
Raul Ezquerra
Llamando a todas mis hermanas y hermanos
Independientemente de raza, credo o color
Los problemas del mundo nunca serán resueltos
A menos que pongamos un poco de amor en nuestros corazones,
Trabajando juntos, podemos hacer un cambio
Trabajando juntos, podemos ayudar a mejorar las cosas
Así que dejemos a un lado nuestro odio
Y dejemos que el amor sea nuestro guía
Ahora probemos un poco de amor para variar
Sólo prueba un poco de amor para variar.
Gente que no se gusta el uno al otro
Porque nacimos de un color diferente
Muchos protestan por las guerras a través del mar
Porque hay gente aquí que todavía no es libre.
Trabajando juntos, podemos hacer un cambio
Trabajando juntos, podemos ayudar a mejorar las cosas
Así que dejemos a un lado nuestro odio
Y dejemos que el amor sea nuestro guía
Vamos a probar un poco de amor para variar
Vamos a probar un poco de amor para variar
A menos que nos juntamos
El mundo nunca sobreviviría
Y las esperanzas para el mundo seguramente morirán
La gente como tú y yo debería hablar por lo que es correcto
Sólo entonces el mundo verá la luz
Trabajando juntos, podemos hacer un cambio
Trabajando juntos, podemos ayudar a mejorar las cosas
Dejemos de lado nuestro odio
Y dejemos que el amor sea nuestro guía
Vamos a probar un poco de amor para variar
Vamos a probar un poco de amor para variar
Prueba un poco de amor para variar
(Trabajando juntos, podemos hacer un cambio)
Oh, vamos a probar un poco de amor para variar
(Trabajando juntos, podemos ayudar a cosas mejores)
Si nos mantenemos juntos
Mejoraremos las cosas
Sí, sí, sí
(Trabajando juntos, podemos hacer un cambio)
Oh, pero tenemos que probar un poco de amor para variar
(Trabajando juntos, podemos ayudar a cosas mejores)
Oh, prueba un poco de amor, un poco de amor
(Trabajando juntos, podemos hacer un cambio)
Prueba un poco de amor, amor, amor, amor
(Trabajando juntos, podemos ayudar a cosas mejores)
perry cox
'Calling out to all my sisters and brothers
Regardless of race, creed or color
The problems of the world will never be solved
Unless we put a little love in our hearts
Working together we can make a change
Working together we can help better things
So let us put our hate aside and let us let love be our guide
Let's now try little love for a change
just try little love for a change.
People disliking one another
because they were born of a different color
And maybe I'm protesting the wars across the sea
'Cuz there are people here that are still not free
Working together we can make a change
working together we can help better things
So let us put our hate aside and let us let love be our guide
I say let's now try little love for a change
just try little love for a change
Unless we get together the world would never survive
and the hopes of the world will surly surly die
It takes People like you and me to speak up for what is right
'Cuz only then will the world see the light
Working together we can make a change
Working together we can help better things
So let us put our hate aside and let us let love oh yea be our guide
OfficialAdamClarke
"Calling out to all my sisters and brothers,
Regardless of race, creed or color,
The problems of the world will never be solved,
Unless we put a little love in our hearts,
Working together, we can make a change,
Working together, we can help better things,
So let us put our hate aside and let us let love be our guide".
R.I.P. Tina 💜🎶💃🏽🙏🏼
Gilbert Ikorong
@OfficialAdamClarke; you just gave the most beautiful tribute to Tina Turner; THANKS.
CBS
The minute Tina Turner starts to sing, is the minute you know: that is SOUL music. It's energetic, comes out like a blast, hits you, you listen, it moves you... Not much of that these days
OldSkool2007
Cornelis Steinitz Exactly and that's everything soul music should be!
Géraldine Barhoumi
C’est tout à fait ça la Soul. Ce son et cette émotion universelle, même sans comprendre les paroles à la 1ère écoute
Harold Dottin
You spoke like a bicycle wheel right on! Scintillating!
Not-so-smart aleck
From the album that gave us their legendary version of Proud Mary! One of the greatest rock/soul songs of all time! 😀
Lothar Waltner
this was the first song i heard on 74 from them 😊 tempi passati 📟🥂
JBird akaMrCoolGuy
R.I.P. to Tina Turner. She was so unique, she had an amazing singing voice. Her legacy will be remembered forever
Javier Taramona
One of my all time favorite songs