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've Been Loving You Too Long
Ike Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There were time and you want to be free
My love is growing stronger, as you become a haven to me
Oh I've been loving you a little too long
I don't want to stop now, oh
With you my life,
Has been so wonderful
I can't stop now
There were times and your love is growing cold
My love is growing stronger as our affair grows old
I've been loving you a little too long, long,
I don't want to stop now
Oh, oh, oh
I've been loving you a little bit too long
I don't want to stop now
No, no, no
Don't make me stop now
No baby
I'm down on my knees
Please, don't make me stop now
I love you, I love you,
I love you with all of my heart
And I can't stop now
Don't make me stop now
Please, please don't make me stop now
Good god of mine]I love you
I love you, I love you, I love you
I love you, I love you
I love you in so many different ways...
I love you in so many different ways...
In Ike Turner's song, "I've Been Loving You Too Long," the lyrics express a deep and profound love that cannot be stopped. The singer declares that they have been loving their partner for a long time and it has become difficult to let go. Despite moments when the partner wanted freedom or when their love seemed to grow cold, the singer's love only grows stronger. The partner has become a safe haven for the singer, making their life wonderful. The singer pleads for their love to continue, not wanting it to end because it has become an integral part of their life.
The song captures the raw emotions of a person who is deeply in love and is unwilling to let go, even in the face of potential heartbreak. The lyrics convey an intense longing and desperation, as the singer expresses their love and begs for it to be reciprocated. The repetition of phrases like "I love you" and "I've been loving you a little bit too long" emphasize the depth and duration of the love experienced.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been loving you too long to stop now
I have been deeply committed to loving you for an extended period, and I cannot bring myself to end it.
There were times and you want to be free
At certain moments, you expressed a desire for freedom and independence.
My love is growing stronger, as you become a haven to me
My affection for you is intensifying, as you provide me with a sense of security and refuge.
Oh I've been loving you a little too long
Oh, I have been loving you for a slightly excessive duration.
I don't want to stop now, oh
I do not wish to end our relationship at this moment.
With you my life, has been so wonderful
In your presence, my life has been filled with joy and happiness.
I can't stop now
I am unable to put an end to my feelings and affection for you.
There were times and your love is growing cold
There were moments when your love for me became distant and colder.
My love is growing stronger as our affair grows old
As our relationship matures and ages, my love for you continues to strengthen.
I've been loving you a little too long, long
I have been loving you for a noticeably extended period, possibly too long.
I don't want to stop now
I do not desire to end our connection at this point.
Don't make me stop now
Please, do not force me to cease my affection for you.
No baby, I'm down on my knees
No, my dear, I am figuratively on my knees, pleading with you.
Please, don't make me stop now
I implore you, please, do not make me end our love.
I love you, I love you, I love you with all of my heart
I love you deeply, passionately, and with complete devotion.
And I can't stop now
And I cannot bring myself to stop loving you at this moment.
Please, please don't make me stop now
Please, I beg you, do not compel me to end our affection now.
Good god of mine]I love you
My beloved, I adore you immensely.
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
I love you, I love you, I love you, my feelings for you are immeasurable.
I love you in so many different ways...
I love you in numerous diverse and meaningful ways...
I love you in so many different ways...
I love you in countless varied and significant ways...
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Jerry Butler, Otis Redding
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jenniferzamora7052
Ti ho amato da troppo tempo per fermarmi ora
Eri stanco e vuoi essere libero
Il mio amore sta diventando più forte, mentre diventi un'abitudine per me
Oh, ti ho amato da troppo tempo
Non voglio fermarmi ora, oh
Con te la mia vita
È stato così meraviglioso
Non riesco a smettere ora
Eri stanco e il tuo amore si sta raffreddando
Il mio amore sta diventando più forte mentre che la nostra relazione diventa vecchia
Ti ho amato per così tanto tempo
Per fermare ora
Oh oh oh
Ti ho amato per così tanto tempo
Non voglio smettere ora no, no, no
Non farmi fermare ora, niente baby
Sono in ginocchio, per favore, non farmi fermare ora
Ti amo ti amo
Ti amo con tutto il cuore
E non posso smettere ora
Per favore, per favore, non farmi fermare ora
@katgrrl77
A League of Her Own brought me here. 🔥
@carladourado5508
samee
@ezerlenewatkins9644
Tina is sho nuff on this. I never heard her sing this. She is singing the shit out of it. Don't know why I had not heard it until now. Rest in heavenly piece Tina!
@johnmorrell2670
With all due respect to Otis Redding, a super-talent in his own right, Tina crushes this song, as they both did with other songs throughout their lives. Treasures, all!
@anthonybetancourt718
Would have been a nice duet
@marcimonge3859
A League of Their Own?
@alextudor7688
They played this in a league of their own
@mlwtsn9971
Aye was looking for this comment haha
@romellofly7137
That’s how I found it too.
@norrisfong6445
RIP TINA! The greatest.