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 Want to Take You Higher
Ike Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beat is gettin' stronger
Beat is gettin' longer too-oo-oo
Music's soundin' good to me
But I want to, said I want to
I want to take you higher
Baby, baby, let me light your fire
Ooo yeah, little bit higher
Boom-shaka-laka-laka
Boom-shaka-la-boonka-boo
(Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!)
Beat is nitty-gritty
Music's in your city too-oo-oo
Music's gettin' good to me
But now don't ya, I said don't ya
Don't ya want to get higher
Yeah, don't ya want to get higher
Baby, baby, let me light your fire
Ooo ha, little bit higher
Boom-shaka-laka-laka
Boom-shaka-la-boonka-boo
(Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!)
------ guitar ------
Come on baby (higher!)
Don't ya want to get high (higher!)
Ooo yeah! (higher!)
Light your fire (fire!)
Come on daddy (higher!)
A little bit higher (higher!)
I want to (higher!)
Said I want to light your fire (fire!)
Boom-shaka-laka-laka
Boom-shaka-la-boonka-boo
(Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!)
Beat is here to make you mo-ove
Music's here to help ya groo-oo-oove
Music's soundin' good to me
But take your places
I'm gonna take you higher (higher!)
Yeah, baby (higher!)
Gonna take ya higher (higher!)
Ooo yeah (higher!)
Little bit higher (higher!)
c'mon daddy (higher!)
A little bit (higher!)
(higher!)
(higher!)
(higher!)
(higher!)
(higher!)
{fade}
The lyrics to "I Want to Take You Higher" by Ike Turner & Tina Turner are about the desire to increase the tempo and energy on the dance floor. The words mention the beat and music getting stronger, longer, and nitty-gritty, indicating that the music is becoming more intense and infectious, urging the listener to move and groove. The refrain "I want to take you higher" is repeated throughout the song, and it serves as an invitation to the audience to join the singers and elevate themselves both physically and mentally. The song suggests that music has the power to transcend mundane existence and create a communal experience that lifts people's spirits and energizes them.
The use of the phrase "light your fire" in the song implies that music has the power to ignite passion and enthusiasm in people. The refrain "Boom-shaka-laka-laka, Boom-shaka-la-boonka-boo" is a memorable hook that creates a call-and-response effect with the audience. The lyrics contain various questions asking the listener if they want to get higher, encouraging them to let loose and enjoy the moment while taking the opportunity to transcend their physical and mental limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
(Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!)
The song is starting and building up excitement with all the energetic repeated heys.
Beat is gettin' stronger
The rhythm of the song is increasing in intensity.
Beat is gettin' longer too-oo-oo
The duration of the beat is also increasing, which adds to the energy of the song.
Music's soundin' good to me
The instrumentation and harmonies of the song are pleasing to the singer.
But I want to, said I want to
Despite the song already sounding great, the singer wants more from it and is excited to make it even better.
I want to take you higher
The singer wants to take the listener to a higher level of enjoyment and energy.
Yeah, let me take you higher
The singer is requesting permission to do so.
Baby, baby, let me light your fire
The singer wants to ignite the listener's passion and excitement with the song.
Ooo yeah, little bit higher
The singer is continuing to build excitement and energy.
Boom-shaka-laka-laka
This is an example of a vocable or scat syllable, which is a nonsense word meant to be sung rhythmically as part of the song.
Boom-shaka-la-boonka-boo
Another example of a vocable meant to be in rhythm with the song.
Beat is nitty-gritty
The song's rhythm continues to build in intensity and complexity.
Music's in your city too-oo-oo
The song is meant to be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere.
But now don't ya, I said don't ya
The singer is interrupting the build-up of energy to make a request of the listener.
Don't ya want to get higher
The singer is asking the listener if they want to join in on the increasing excitement and energy of the song.
Baby, baby, let me light your fire
Again, the singer wants to ignite the listener's passion and excitement with the song.
Ooo ha, little bit higher
Continuing to build energy and excitement.
Come on baby (higher!)
The singer is encouraging the listener to join them in this higher level of enjoyment and energy.
Don't ya want to get high (higher!)
Again, the singer is asking if the listener wants to join in on the increasing excitement.
Ooo yeah! (higher!)
Continuing to build excitement and energy.
Light your fire (fire!)
The singer wants to ignite the listener's passion and excitement even more.
Come on daddy (higher!)
The singer switches to addressing the male listener as they continue to build excitement.
A little bit higher (higher!)
The singer is encouraging the male listener to join in on the increasing level of excitement.
I want to (higher!)
The singer still wants to take the listener to a higher level of enjoyment and energy.
Said I want to light your fire (fire!)
The singer reiterates their desire to ignite the listener's passion and excitement with the song.
Beat is here to make you mo-ove
The song is meant to encourage the listener to dance and move their body.
Music's here to help ya groo-oo-oove
The song's melody and rhythm are designed to aid in the listener's dance moves and grooves to the beat.
Take your places
This line is meant to cue the listener to get in position for enjoying the song and dancing.
I'm gonna take you higher (higher!)
The singer reiterates their intention to bring the listener to a higher level of excitement and enjoyment.
Yeah, baby (higher!)
The singer is continuing to build excitement and energy with these repeated exclamations.
Little bit higher (higher!)
The singer is still encouraging the listener to join in on their excitement and building energy.
{fade}
The song and this energetic build-up come to an end as the song fades out.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sylvester Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lechat8533
It`s incredible how much quick movements all the ladies are performing while singing at the same time. Tina is an energy bomb. No wonder she managed to stay famous and present for so many years. It is always a delight and an uplifting experience to watch her.
My deepest respect, Tina!
@timburr4453
She is one of the greatest performers in music history.
@Keitarts
And Ike was no musical slouch.
@Conda17
Keitarts - quite the boxer also from what i’ve heard
@Digmen1
I am so glad That I saw her live in the 1980's I think!
@John-nz6jb
@@Conda17?
@riderskater7248
OMG. Thank you for posting this incredible performance by Tina Turner. I've never seen this before. How on earth was Tina able to perform such high quality routines while being in an extremely abusive situation. Astounding brilliant Artist!
@stephenedgecock
she gave back as good as she got - Ike Turner
@madysmimi
Rest in peace dear lady!! There will never be another like her 😢
@porkfied
Yes so true and I knew it was coming sad.