"River Deep – Mountain High" Released: 1969 (reissue)
"A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday)" Released: 1970 (reissue)
River Deep – Mountain High is a studio album by Ike & Tina Turner. It was originally released by London Records in the UK in 1966, and later A&M Records in the US in 1969. In 2017, Pitchfork ranked it at No. 40 on their list of the 200 Best Albums of the 1960s.[1]
Background and recording
After watching Ike & Tina Turner perform in a club on the Sunset Strip, producer Phil Spector invited them to perform on The Big T.N.T Show in 1965.[2] Spector wanted to produce for Tina Turner and sign the duo to his Philles label.[3] He negotiated a deal with Ike Turner for creative control over his sessions with Tina Turner, but Ike & Tina Turner were still signed to Loma Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records. Spector negotiated a deal with their manager Bob Krasnow, also head of Loma, offering $20,000 to have them released from their contract.[3] Spector signed Ike & Tina Turner and the Ikettes to his label in April 1966.[4][5]
By the time Ike & Tina Turner signed to Philles, the album had already been recorded at Gold Star Studios in March 1966. Phil Spector produced six songs using his wall of sound technique, including the title track, which was the first of three singles. Ike Turner produced the remaining tracks which are mostly re-recordings of Ike & Tina Turner's earlier hits. The Ikettes, which included P.P. Arnold, provided backing vocals on the Turner-produced side of the album.[6]
River Deep – Mountain High was intended to be released on Phil Spector's Philles label as LP-4011 in the US, but it was shelved when the single "River Deep – Mountain High" did not do well on the charts. Only a few copies of LP-4011 were pressed, the covers were never printed, before it was canceled by Philles. However, the single was successful in England. By popular demand, Spector released the album in the UK with liner notes written by Decca's promotion man Tony Hall. Hall included a quote from Spector stating, "We can only assume that England is more appreciative of talent and exciting music than the U.S."[11] Actor Dennis Hopper shot the cover of the album.[3] The album peaked at No. 27 in the UK.[9]
The album was eventually released in the United States when it was reissued by A&M Records in 1969.[13] The reissue has a slightly different track listing. It substitutes "You're So Fine" with "I'll Never Need More Than This," which was released as a non-album track in 1967. Upon its release in the US, the album reached No. 102 on the Billboard 200 and No. 28 on the R&B Albums chart.[14][15]
It's a pity that Spector and the Turners have parted company, for this album confirms that Tina's deep and throaty vocals are a perfect foil for his symphonie backing. The Spector-style treatment of standards like "Save the Last Dance For Me" and "Every Day I Have To Cry" is really worth hearing since it blends with wild, rhythmic blues style of the Turners with his rich, enormous sound creations. The other seven tracks show the Turner unadorned and in their best fettle.[21]
"River Deep-Mountain High" is one of Phil Spector's best compositions, and Ike & Tina Turner sing the original 1966 version, since revived by Eric Burdon, Deep Purple and others. A hit album in England, A&M and Phil Spector add this 'historic recording' to the Ike & Tina Turner sweepstakes. With the hits "A Fool in Love," "I Idolize You" and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine," this one looks like a big winner.[22]
Reissues
The album was reissued on CD by A&M in 1987. It has since been reissued on CD by various labels, most recently Universal Music in 2018.[23]
