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."
You Got to Lose
Ike Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now you dont want what you got
Once I was a thrill to you, 'till suddenly I'm not
Was it my mistake
To give you everything I got?
You got what you wanted
Now you dont want what you got
(You got it, now you don't want me)
You (you) used to whisper in my ear, "baby, it's you"
Now you're laughing in my face
Say it with me
You got what you wanted
Now you don't want what you got
I wish I could do something
Lord knows, I don't know what
I guess you thought I'd be something I'm not
You got what you wanted
Now you don't want what you got (you don't want me)
I wish I still had what you wanted
I wish I could take back what you got
I said I gave you everything that you wanted
How come you don't want what you got?
I wish you still had what you wanted
I wish I could take back what you got
The song "Gave You What You Wanted" by Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm is all about the heartbreak of a relationship gone wrong. The lyrics tell the story of a man who gave everything he had to make his partner happy, only to be rejected once she got what she wanted. The first verse sets the scene by acknowledging that the woman got what she wanted, but now she doesn't want what she has. The man is left questioning his own behavior and wondering if he made a mistake by giving her everything he had. The chorus repeats the main idea of the song, that the woman doesn't want what she has now that she has gotten what she wanted.
The second verse delves deeper into the relationship and the emotions of the man. He used to be the center of the woman's attention and affection, but now he is laughed at and rejected. The man is confused and hurt, not knowing what he did wrong to make the woman change her feelings. He wishes he could do something to fix the situation, but ultimately realizes that he cannot change who he is. The song ends with the man expressing his regret and longing for what used to be.
Overall, "Gave You What You Wanted" is a poignant tale of a relationship that did not work out. The lyrics are relatable, and the tune is catchy, making it an enduring classic.
Line by Line Meaning
You got what you wanted
You obtained the things you wished for
Now you dont want what you got
But now that you have them, you are not content
Once I was a thrill to you, 'till suddenly I'm not
I used to be exciting to you, but now I am no longer
Was it my mistake
Did my actions cause this change?
To give you everything I got?
Did providing everything I could be a contributing factor?
You got what you wanted
You received your desires
Now you dont want what you got
But now that you have them, you are no longer pleased with them
(You got it, now you don't want me)
(You acquired your wishes, but are not interested in me)
You (you) used to whisper in my ear, "baby, it's you"
You used to express your love for me
Now you're laughing in my face
But now you disrespect me openly
Say it with me
Join me in saying...
I wish I could do something
I desire to improve things
Lord knows, I don't know what
Even though I wish to help, I don't have solutions
I guess you thought I'd be something I'm not
Maybe you hoped for me to be someone I'm not
You got what you wanted
You received your desires
Now you don't want what you got (you don't want me)
But now that you have them, you are not happy with what you have (and you do not want me as well)
I wish I still had what you wanted
I desire to have what you once desired
I wish I could take back what you got
I desire to undo what you obtained
I said I gave you everything that you wanted
I previously mentioned that I provided you everything you wished for
How come you don't want what you got?
Why are you uninterested in what you obtained?
I wish you still had what you wanted
I long for you to still desire what you once wished for
I wish I could take back what you got
I desired to undo what you obtained
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group
Written by: IKE TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MikeDial
That's some uninhibited, raw singing. Love it.
@marcusferreira3230
Ele era fera!
@acbloom17
#19 on my playlist: 1 [you better change your way, you strut your stuff] [1930 - 1959]
@a.b.sproductionsllc
Who’s singing lead? That doesn’t sound like Ike.
@LiloFunk68
It's Jackie Brenston on vocals.
@peterward9446
'0' comment ...really???...
@tommytramp
FUCKIN SMOKING YOU GOT TA MOOOOOOO OO OOOVE Great est ever IKE TURNER KILLS IT