Ike & Tina Turner, “Sweet Rhode Island Red” | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 127^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2022), we recollect and reflect on “Sweet Rhode Island Red” 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 Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome – we don’t discriminate ‘round here! In the 127^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2022), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Sweet Rhode Island Red” performed by 🎙 Ike & Tina Turner.

Theme & Lyrics ✍

Years before she made a comeback for the ages in the mid 1980s, 🎙 Tina Turner made a name for herself recording with her husband, 🎙 Ike Turner.  The duo had no shortage of hits.  The thing is, a gem like 🎵 “Sweet Rhode Island Red”, from their 1974 album, also titled, 💿 Sweet Rhode Island Red, is lesser known.  Notably, Sweet Rhode Island Red was created exclusively for the international market, which explains why it is a rarer LP. Even so, the Tina Turner-penned titular joint shines, showing off her dynamic voice and once-in-a-lifetime personality.  Honestly, “Sweet Rhode Island Red” goes H.A.M. from the onset.

“Born in Louisiana in a town called Franklin / I was fully matured by the time I reached the age of 10,” Tina Turner sings expressively.  She continues in the colorful first verse, “Mulatto girl, that’s what they called me / And us mulattos have no trouble at all with men.” That is probably true.  For those who do not know, a mulatto is defined as a person of mixed white and black ancestry. Britannica adds in their entry, “today in North America mulatto is considered to be a dated and offensive term.” In the 70s, however, this term was acceptable.  We won’t extensively analyze this moment, but rather, explore the excellence of most of the song.  The pre-chorus which follows – “All the men say that I’m sweet as honey / ‘Cause I’m 34, 28, and 22 at the tummy” –  sets up the epic chorus which highlights the titular lyric.  Cock-a-doodle-doo! There is even more of a narrative component beyond the first verse.  Tina sings about attending church, school, and how Pastor Taylor and Deacon Jones treated her (“They were just too hot headed to leave me alone”).  Furthermore, it is captivating when Turner sings, “People there said it was a shame and a pity / When old Mayor Daley gave me the key to the city [New Orleans].” Woo!  Beyond the energetic, fun lyrics, the music backing Tina is epic, produced by Ike.

Final Thoughts 💭

It goes without saying that Ike & Tina Turner had bigger, more notable hits than 🎵 “Sweet Rhode Island Red”. Similarly, Tina, as a solo artist, has many bigger singles than “Sweet Rhode Island Red” could ever hope to be.  Still, revisiting the past, this incredibly groove soul cut deserved more recognition than it received.  A full-fledged US release of the album could have helped too.  Oh, well! At least “Sweet Rhode Island Red” is readily available now!

🎙 Ike & Tina Turner • 💿 Sweet Rhode Island Red • 🏷 Capitol • 🗓 1974

Ike & Tina Turner, “Sweet Rhode Island Red”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 127 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Capitol, Gerhard G., JL G via Pixabay,  Karl Hörnfeldt via Unsplash,  The Musical Hype]