Ike & Tina Turner, Proud Mary | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 86^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “Proud Mary” by Ike & Tina Turner. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 86^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2023), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Proud Mary”, performed by 🎙 Ike & Tina Turner. 

via GIPHY

Sometimes, a cover becomes the definitive version of a song, period.  It has happened many times historically.  Once 🎙 Ike & Tina Turner covered 🎵 “Proud Mary”, originally a 🎙 Creedence Clearwater Revival song, it became theirs.  When you think of the late, great 🎙 Tina Turner prior to her transformation into the Queen or Rock, one of the songs that stands out is “Proud Mary.” “Proud Mary” was a massive hit (duh),  peaking at No. 4 on Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. Fittingly, Ike & Tina totally transformed the record from the original, giving a masterclass on how to make someone else’s fabulous song into your own masterwork.

On “Proud Mary,” it all begins with the intro, which is distinct.  The intro is slow and finds the electrifying Tina Turner delivering a memorable spoken word performance against guitar accompaniment and a hi-hat groove.  Tina lays out how this joint is going to go:

“So, we’re going to take the beginning of this song

And do it easy

Then, we’re going to do the finish rough

This is the way we do ‘Proud Mary’

And we’re rolling, rolling, rolling on the river

Listen to the story now”.

From there, we get that easygoing start with relatively poised vocals by Tina, and those rich bass vocals of Ike.  The first verse, first chorus, second verse, and second chorus maintain the slow tempo. But – wait for it – after that second chorus, the tempo increases, the horns are lit (including baritone sax 🎷) , and the full-fledged rock-soul kicks in.  Turner essentially prefaces her rock career with her confident, high-flying vocals and big-time personality.  Notably, on the third verse (same as the first), she performs in this ‘rough’ style, solo, that she’s beloved for to this day.  Of course, the crowning achievement, ultimately, is the chorus: “Big wheel keep on turning (turning) / Proud Mary keep on burning (Burning) / Rolling, rolling, yeah / Rolling on the river.” Can’t fail to shout out The Ikettes, which provide superb support to Turner.  No deep analysis of 🎵 “Proud Mary” is necessary though – it speaks for itself.

via GIPHY

🎙 Ike & Tina Turner • 💿 Workin’ Together  • 🏷 Capitol • 🗓 1970

Ike & Tina Turner, “Proud Mary”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 86 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Capitol; John Alan Sperry, PIRO via  Pixabay]