Turner was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on November 5, 1931, to Beatrice Cushenberry, a seamstress, and Izear Luster Turner, a Baptist minister. Ike got his first taste the music business at the age of eight, helping the DJ at a local Clarksdale radio station, WROX.
Turner was soon carrying amplifiers for blues singer Robert Nighthawk, who often played live on WROX. Growing up, Turner's idol Pinetop Perkins helped teach the young Ike to play boogie-woogie on the piano. Ike soon was enamored of other blues artists such as Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), Charley Booker, Elmore James, Muddy Waters and Little Walter.
Ike Turner's actual music career began in earnest in the late-1940s where he formed a group he christened Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm. In 1951, the band recorded what some historians have called "the first rock and roll record" with "Rocket 88", credited to Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (this band did not actually exist). Brenston was both the band's saxophonist and the lead vocalist of the song, and on the original Chess release was listed as the song's writer. "Rocket 88" was produced at Sun Studio in Memphis by Sam Phillips. The record was one of the first examples of guitar distortion, which happened by accident when one of the amplifiers was dropped before the recording.
Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm settled into local fame in St. Louis where the band locally recorded for a St. Louis label and even appeared on local television shows. Throughout this early period, Turner became a recording scout and A&R man for independent record companies including Sun Records, helping the likes of Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James and Otis Rush get signed. He also became a sideman playing guitar for these blues acts and more. Musically, Turner was known for his hard-hitting guitar style. He was known to put the whammy bar of his Fender Stratocaster to frequent use.
Turner's music career changed drastically after meeting a teenage singer from Nutbush, Tennessee, named Anna Mae Bullock, who demandingly grabbed a microphone during a singing session at one of St. Louis' nightspots and sang a B.B. King song in her now-trademark throated raspy vocals. Bullock's performance impressed Ike so much he allowed Anna to join his band as a background singer. However within a year, Ike's plans for Bullock changed after Anna recorded what he originally stated was a demo for a song that was to be sung by a male vocalist. After hearing her vocals, he let it be released under an independent label and in the process changed the name of the singer from Anna Mae Bullock to Tina Turner - naming her after Sheena - and the name of the band to the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. It is believed that this singular act is what propelled Tina Turner into the spotlight. "A Fool in Love" became a national hit in early 1960, reaching the top three in the R&B charts and becoming a top thirty pop hit in the process. From then until 1976, Ike & Tina Turner became one of the most explosive duos in rock & soul music.
After Tina abruptly left Ike after a violent altercation in 1976, Ike lost ground in the national music market. As a solo artist, he struggled to find success after Tina and after releasing two failed solo albums, had found himself facing drug and weapons charges, of which he was convicted in 1989.
When Ike was released from prison in 1993, he was met at the prison gate by Jeanette Bazzell who later became his wife. Jeanette was instrumental in helping Ike rebuild his career. She replaced Tina as Ike's lead singer and eventually they toured the world playing many blues festivals. After the intense negative publicity generated against him as a wife abuser by Tina's movie, "What's Love Got to Do with It", Ike's acceptance in the USA as a legendary blues artist and composer was limited, though better in other countries. During this time he recorded two solo albums in his own studio, and he wrote his autobiography called Taking Back My Name. He also re-recorded "I'm Blue" in a duet style with Billy Rogers. The remake received strong reviews from Billboard Magazine.
Ike was back on the road and back into recording music, which continued until his death. In 2001, Ike released the Grammy-nominated Here & Now album. In 2005, he appeared on the Gorillaz' album, Demon Days, playing piano on the track, "Every Planet We Reach Is Dead". In 2007, Ike won his first solo Grammy in the Best Traditional Blues Album category for the album, Risin' With the Blues. Shortly before his death, a collaboration between Turner and The Black Keys was planned, but the project would never be completed, .
Turner died on December 12, 2007 at 76 years of age at his home in San Marcos, California, near San Diego. Little Richard was asked by the family to speak at the funeral. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office reported that Turner died from a cocaine overdose complicated by "[...] other significant conditions, such as hypertensive cardiovascular disease and pulmonary emphysema."
I'm Blue
Ike Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Do-be-do-be-do)
(Gong, gong, gong, gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
(I'm blue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue)
(Do-be-do-be-do)
(Gong, gong, gong, gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
(I'm blue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue)
(Do-be-do-be-do)
I want to tell-a all you people
(I dropped a penny in the well
Hoping you would come back soon
I couldn't believe what I heard
A fortune teller told me
My love with you was through
I hope her reading was wrong
I hope she was wrong
'Cause you been gone too long from home
(Hey! Gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
(I'm blue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue)
(Do-be-do-be-do)
(Gong, gong, gong, gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
(I'm blue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue)
(Do-be-do-be-do)
(Gong, gong, gong, gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
(I'm blue, I'm blue)
(Do-be-do-be-do)
I can't sleep at night
For thinking of you
Every night about 2
My love for you comes tumbling down)
I can't stand being here alone
I start to feeling and a-fumblin'
But you ain't nowhere around
I hope her reading was wrong
I hope she was wrong
'Cause you been gone too long from home
(Hey! Gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
(I'm blue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue)
(Do-be-do-be-do)
(Hey! Gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
(I'm blue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue)
(Do-be-do-be-do)
(Gong, gong, gong, gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
(I'm blue, I'm blue)
(Do-be-do-be-do)
Hmm, hmm, yrs
(I'm blue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue)
(Do-be-do-be-do)
(Gong, gong, gong, gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
The lyrics of Ike Turner's song "I'm Blue" convey the emotional turmoil and longing of a person who is deeply missing their loved one. The song begins with a repetition of the line "I'm blue" followed by "do-be-do-be-do" and the sound of a gong. This repetition and the use of the gong create a sense of melancholy and longing.
The singer then expresses their desire to share their feelings with everyone, revealing that they dropped a penny in a well, hoping for their loved one to return soon. They express disbelief and sadness upon hearing from a fortune teller that their love with this person is over. They desperately hope that the fortune teller's reading was wrong, emphasizing their longing for the person to come back. The repetition of "I'm blue" and the gong sound reflect their feelings of deep sadness.
The second verse continues with the singer expressing their inability to sleep at night due to constant thoughts of their loved one. They reveal that around 2 a.m. every night, their love for the person comes "tumbling down," suggesting a collapse of their emotions. They confess that being alone is unbearable and they feel lost without their loved one. Once again, they express their hope that the fortune teller was wrong and that their loved one will return.
Overall, "I'm Blue" portrays the intense longing, sadness, and desperation experienced by someone who is missing their love and hoping for their return.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to tell-a all you people
I want to communicate with all of you
(I dropped a penny in the well
I made a wish by tossing a penny into a well
Hoping you would come back soon
Having hope that you would return soon
I couldn't believe what I heard
I was unable to accept what I was told
A fortune teller told me
A psychic predicted to me
My love with you was through
Our relationship was over according to them
I hope her reading was wrong
I pray that her prediction was inaccurate
I hope she was wrong
I hope her forecast was incorrect
'Cause you been gone too long from home
Because you have been away from home for an extended period
(Hey! Gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
Expressing sound effects or excitement
I can't sleep at night
I'm unable to sleep during the night
For thinking of you
Because I constantly have you in my thoughts
Every night about 2
Each and every night around two o'clock
My love for you comes tumbling down)
My affection for you crumbles
I can't stand being here alone
I despise being alone in this place
I start to feeling and a-fumblin'
I begin to experience emotions and act clumsily
But you ain't nowhere around
But you are nowhere near
I hope her reading was wrong
I hope her prediction was incorrect
I hope she was wrong
I pray that she made a mistake
'Cause you been gone too long from home
Because you have been away from home for an extended period
(Hey! Gong-gong-gong-gong-gong-gong, yeah)
Expressing sound effects or excitement
(Hmm, hmm, yrs)
Murmuring or humming
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ike Turner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ILMJXXX
THE IKETTES - I'M BLUE (THE GONG GONG SONG) RARE CLIP FROM AMERICAN BANDSTAND 1ST MAY 1965. RECORD LABEL: ATCO RECORDS 45-6212. YEAR 1961. GROUP MEMBERS ARE: JESSIE SMITH, VANETTA FIELDS & ROBBIE MONTGOMERY.
@FuShengAlex
ILMJXXX Salt n Pepa sampled this 30 years later for their hit song Shoop! I'd have never known if you didn't upload this. Thanks!
@laminage
Wow! I knew there was something familiar about Shoop. I remember hearing this in the "Original" Version of Hairspray with Ricki Lake. Thanks for another Classic. Do you have the one of Aretha Franklin Singing "Soulville".
@zenileon
A week later, my mother would be pushing me out !!!! I was born a week after this.
@laminage
Good Old Mom.
@CodyCole80
Look at Ms. Robbie in the back. 😀
@carrienixon6663
Such great memories. Who else is still listening in 2023?
@davidhocde007
Moi. I just discover, by chance and sent it to some friends who are keen of this old-school u.s. music. From 🇨🇵
@dilsiam
Oh me, it's December 31, 2023 there's no better way to go on to 2024 than this beautiful music.
Greetings from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷
@ujimajame4601
Salt N Pepa used this as the basis for their "Shoop" song but I remember this from back in the day! By the way, the Ikettes were Ike & Tina Turner's back up group!