River Deep – Mountain High
"River Deep – Mountain High" | ||||
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![]() 1966 Dutch single | ||||
SinglebyIke & Tina Turner | ||||
from the albumRiver Deep – Mountain High | ||||
B-side | "I'll Keep You Happy" | |||
Released | May 1966 | |||
Recorded | March 1966 | |||
Studio | Gold Star(Los Angeles, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:40 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Phil Spector[1] | |||
Ike & Tina Turnersingles chronology | ||||
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Ike & Tina Turner singles chronology | ||||
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"River Deep – Mountain High"is a song byIke & Tina Turnerreleased onPhilles Recordsas the title track to their1966 studio album.Produced byPhil Spectorand written by Spector,Jeff BarryandEllie Greenwich.Rolling Stoneranked "River Deep – Mountain High" No. 33 on their list of the500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[2]NMEranked it No. 37 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[3]TheRock and Roll Hall of Fameadded it to the list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.[4]The song was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Famein 1999.[5]
The single did not perform well upon its original release in the US, but it was successful in Europe. Spector claimed to be pleased with the response from the critics and his peers,[1]but he then withdrew from themusic industryfor two years, beginning his personal decline. After a revival of the song from covers byEric Burdon and the AnimalsandDeep Purplein 1968, the original version was reissued byA&M Recordsin 1969.
Background
[edit]Phil Spector had seen theIke & Tina Turner Revueperform at a club on theSunset Stripand invited them to appear onThe Big T.N.T. Show.[6]Spector was impressed byTina Turnerand wanted to use her voice withthe Wrecking Crew,and his "Wall of Sound"production technique. He went to the Turners' house, and struck a deal withIke Turnerto produce Tina. Ike agreed, but wanted the recordings to be credited to Ike & Tina Turner.[7]At the time, they were signed toLoma Records(a subsidiary ofWarner Bros.). Spector negotiated a deal with Ike & Tina Turner's manager Bob Krasnow, who was also head of Loma.[8]He offered $20,000 ($188,000 in 2023) to have them released from their contract.[9]After Mike Maitland (then president at Warner Bros.) gave them their release, they signed with Spector'sPhilles Records.[9][10]
Recording
[edit]"River Deep – Mountain High" was the first recording that Tina Turner did forPhillesatGold Star Studios.It was written by Phil Spector,Jeff BarryandEllie Greenwich.The track cost a then unheard-of $22,000[11]($207,000 in 2023), and required 21 session musicians.
After several rehearsals, and two sessions for the musicians to lay down a backing track, Spector got Tina Turner into the studio on March 7, but she was unable to provide what he wanted. The following week she returned to the studio with Ike Turner.[12]Due to Spector's perfectionism and tendency to abuse workers in the studio, he made her sing the song over and over for several hours until he felt he had the perfect vocal take for the song. She recalled, "I must have sung that 500,000 times. I was drenched with sweat. I had to take my shirt off and stand there in my bra to sing."[13]
It was reported thatthe Beach Boys'Brian Wilsonattended the session, where he sat "transfixed" and "did not say a word".[14]
When Spector inducted Ike & Tina Turner into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 1991, he revealed in his speech that he had invited Ike Turner to play guitar in the session for "River Deep – Mountain High", but Turner did not show up.[15][better source needed]
The recording of the song was later dramatized for Tina Turner's 1993 biographical film,What's Love Got to Do with It.
Personnel
[edit]- Lead vocals:Tina Turner
- Background vocals:Darlene Love,Fanita James,Jean King,Gracia Nitzsche,Clydie King[16]
- Composer lyricists:Phil Spector,Jeff Barry,andEllie Greenwich
- Producer:Phil Spector
- Arranger:Jack Nitzsche
- Musicians:Leon Russell(keyboards),Michel Rubini(piano),Jim Horn(saxophone),Barney Kessel(guitar),Glen Campbell(guitar),Earl Palmer(drums),Carol Kaye(bass guitar),Frank Capp(percussion)
Release and reception
[edit]Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Record World | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Reviewing the single,Billboardwrote: "Exciting dance beat production backs a wailin' Tina vocal on a solid rock tune penned by Barry and Greenwich."[18]Record Worldpredicted that "this will be known as the classic Phil Spector record," stating that "everything goes on while Tina screams her love lyric."[19]It entered the lower end of theBillboardHot 100and stopped at No. 88 on the pop chart. The disappointing chart performance resulted in the album being shelved in the US. Spector was so disillusioned that he ceased involvement in the recording industry totally for two years, and only intermittently returned to the studio after that. He effectively became a recluse and began to self-destruct.[20]
Ike Turner remarked that "if Phil had released the record and put anybody else's name on it, it would have been a huge hit. But because Tina Turner's name was on it, the white stations classified it anR&Brecord and wouldn't play it. The white stations say it was too black, and the black stations say it was too white, so that record didn't have a home. "[12]
WriterMichael Billigspeculated that although earlier records which had mixed black singers with a white pop sound had sold well, by 1966 the black political movement was encouraging African Americans to take pride in their own culture, and "River Deep – Mountain High" was out of step with that movement.[20]
The single, released onLondon Recordsin Europe, was a hit overseas. It peaked at No. 3 in the UK, No. 9 in the Netherlands, and it reached No. 1 in Spain.[21]
George Harrisonpraised the record,[1]declaring it "a perfect record from start to finish. You couldn't improve on it."[22][23]
Reissues
[edit]After "River Deep – Mountain High" was revived by other bands, Ike & Tina Turner's original version was reissued byA&M Recordsin 1969.[24]It has since gained the recognition Spector wanted for the record. Reviewing the single,Record Worldcalled it a "classic, perhaps the greatest single of all time."[17]
Ike & Tina Turner recorded different renditions of the song without Spector's "Wall of Sound" production style. A version on the 1973 albumNutbush City Limitswas released as a single titled "River Deep, Mountain High 1974" onUnited Artists Recordsin France. Another version from an undetermined year was released on the 1991 compilationProud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner.
Tina Turner recorded a few solo versions, in 1986, 1991 and 1993.[citation needed]Tina included live performances on her albums,Tina Live in EuropeandTina Live.
Chart performance
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Certifications
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI)[42] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
The Supremes and the Four Tops version
[edit]"River Deep – Mountain High" | ||||
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![]() 1970 Dutch single | ||||
Singlebythe Supremesandthe Four Tops | ||||
from the albumThe Magnificent 7 | ||||
B-side | "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" | |||
Released | 1970 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:13(single version) 4:50 (album version) | |||
Label | Motown Records | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Ashford & Simpson | |||
The Supremessingles chronology | ||||
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The Four Topssingles chronology | ||||
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In 1970, their post-Diana Ross era,the Supremesandthe Four Topsreleased a version. Produced byNickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson,the single was one of several recordings that paired the twoMotowngroups. The Supremes and Four Tops cover, included on the 1970 LPThe Magnificent 7,with its soaring vocals and string section, peaked at No. 7 on the soul chart and No. 14 on theBillboardHot 100 in 1971,[43]making it the highest-charting version of the song in the United States. Their version also peaked No. 11 on theUK Singles Chart,No. 23 in Belgium, and No. 25 on Netherlands'MegaCharts.[44]
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
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Other notable covers
[edit]A ten-minute version was recorded byDeep Purplefor their 1968 album,The Book of Taliesyn.An edited version was released as a single in the United States and reached number 53 in early 1969 and number 42 on the CanadianRPMcharts.[citation needed]It had a progressive rock sound to it, as Deep Purple had not yet adopted thehard rocksound for which they are most famous.
Celine Dioncovered the song on her 1996 albumFalling Into You.[60]At first, Phil Spector showed interest in producing the album track, but left the project, soJim Steinmantook over as producer. Spector was unimpressed by Steinman's efforts, calling Steinman a "bad clone" of himself.[61]Dion had previously performed the song in some of her concerts, as included in her live albumLive à Paris,recorded in 1995.[62]
Amber RileyandNaya Riveracovered the song on episode four ( "Duets") of the second season of Fox television showGlee.Their version peaked at number 41 on theBillboardHot 100.[63]
Christina Aguileraperformed the song at the 2021Rock and Roll Hall of FameInduction Ceremony.[64]
References
[edit]- ^abc"Show 21 – Forty Miles of Bad Road: Some of the best from rock 'n' roll's dark agesb".UNT Digital Library.Part 2.Retrieved2016-09-29.
- ^"500 Greatest Songs of All Time".Rolling Stone.April 7, 2011.Retrieved2019-11-07.
- ^Barker, Emily (January 31, 2014)."The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time: 100-1".NME.
- ^ "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.1995. Archived fromthe originalon June 1, 2007.RetrievedApril 7,2020.
- ^"Grammy Hall of Fame".Recording Academy Grammy Awards.18 October 2010.
- ^Loder, Kurt (March 1, 1985)."Tina Turner Stages a Rock-Solid Comeback".Chicago Tribune.
- ^Mick Brown (October 17, 2012).Tearing Down The Wall of Sound: The Rise And Fall of Phil Spector.A&C Black. p. 209.ISBN9781408819500.
- ^"Philips Signs Ike & Tina Turner".Cash Box:45. April 23, 1966.
- ^abFong-Torres, Ben (October 14, 1971)."Tales of Ike and Tina Turner".Rolling Stone.
- ^"Ike & Tina To Philles"(PDF).Cash Box:56. April 30, 1966.
- ^Bego, Mark (2005).Tina Turner: Break Every Rule.Rowman & Littlefield.pp. 82ff.ISBN978-1-58979-253-1.
- ^abBrown, Mick (17 October 2012).Tearing Down The Wall of Sound: The Rise And Fall of Phil Spector.A&C Black. pp. 211–212.ISBN9781408819500.
- ^"500 Greatest Songs of All Time".Rolling Stone.11 December 2003.RetrievedAugust 12,2014.
- ^Kubernick, Harvey (March 10, 2011)."Phil Spector, the musical legacy: Part three".Goldmine.
- ^"Phil Spector Inducts and Accepts for Ike & Tina Turner at the 1991 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony".YouTube.15 June 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21.
- ^Love, Darlene (1998).My name is Love.Internet Archive. William Morrow and Co. p. 100.ISBN978-0-688-15657-2.
- ^ab"Singles Reviews"(PDF).Record World:8. October 11, 1969.
- ^"Spotlight Singles"(PDF).Billboard.May 21, 1966. p. 18.
- ^"Single Picks of the Week"(PDF).Record World.May 14, 1966. p. 1.Retrieved2023-07-17.
- ^abBillig, Michael (2001).Rock 'n' roll Jews.Syracuse University Press.p. 110.ISBN9780815607052.Retrieved2009-10-24.
- ^abLOS40."Cuando nací era número 1 de los 40: (1966-12-17) Ike & Tina Turner–River deep - Mountain high".LOS40(in Spanish).
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^Williams, Richard (2003).Phil Spector: Out of His Head.London:Omnibus Press.pp. 137–38.ISBN9780711998643.
- ^Ribowsky, Mark (2006).He's a Rebel: Phil Spector – Rock and Roll's Legendary Producer.Cambridge, Massachusetts:Da Capo Press.p. 250.ISBN978-0-306-81471-6.
- ^"Spotlight Singles: Top 60 Pop Spotlight"(PDF).Billboard.October 4, 1969. p. 88.
- ^"Go-Set Australian charts - 16 November 1966".Poparchives.au.1966-11-16.Retrieved2016-09-29.
- ^Billboard Magazine, Hits of the World.1966-11-05.Retrieved2024-07-20.
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- ^"Looking Ahead"(PDF).Cash Box:14. June 4, 1966.
- ^"Cash Box Top 50 in R&B Locations".Cash Box.June 25, 1966.
- ^ab"100 Top Pops / Top 50 R&B"(PDF).Record World:21, 34. June 18, 1966.
- ^"Top RPM Singles: Issue 6067."RPM.Library and Archives Canada.Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^"Holland's Best Sellers"(PDF).Cash Box:59. May 3, 1969.
- ^"Bubbling Under the Hot 100"(PDF).Billboard.November 1, 1969.
- ^"Looking Ahead"(PDF).Cash Box:20. October 18, 1969.
- ^"100 Top Pops"(PDF).Record World.October 18, 1969. p. 125.
- ^"British single certifications – Ike & Tina Turner – River Deep Mountain High".British Phonographic Industry.RetrievedAugust 17,2023.
- ^Whitburn, Joel(2004).Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004.Record Research. p. 558.
- ^"The Supremes & The Four Tops - River Deep - Mountain High".Dutch Charts.
- ^"The Supremes & The Four Tops – River Deep - Mountain High "(in Dutch).Ultratop 50.
- ^"The Supremes & The Four Tops – River Deep - Mountain High "(in French).Ultratop 50.
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- ^"The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Supremes ".Irish Singles Chart.
- ^"Nederlandse Top 40 – Supremes The "(in Dutch).Dutch Top 40.
- ^"The Supremes & The Four Tops – River Deep - Mountain High "(in Dutch).Single Top 100.
- ^"SA Charts 1965–March 1989".Retrieved2 January2021.
- ^"Supremes: Artist Chart History".Official Charts Company.
- ^"The Supremes Chart History (Hot 100)".Billboard.
- ^"The Supremes Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)".Billboard.
- ^"CASH BOX Top 100 Singles".Cashbox.January 2, 1971.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^"The CASH BOX Top 50 In R&B Locations".Cashbox.January 30, 1971.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^"THE SINGLES CHART: Week of January 16, 1971"(PDF).Record World.worldradiohistory. January 16, 1971.Retrieved29 January2021.
- ^"THE R&B SINGLES CHART: Week of January 23, 1971"(PDF).Record World.worldradiohistory. January 23, 1971. p. 40.Retrieved29 January2021.
- ^"The CASH BOX Top 50 In R&B Locations".Cashbox.January 2, 1971.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^Erlewine, Stephen Thomas."Falling into You - Céline Dion | Songs, Reviews, Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2016-09-29.
- ^MacLeod, Sean (2018).Phil Spector: sound of the Sixties.Lanham, Maryland. p. 153.ISBN9781442267053.OCLC982465319.
{{cite book}}
:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^Promis, Jose F."Live à Paris - Céline Dion | Songs, Reviews, Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2016-09-29.
- ^tolsen (2013-01-02)."Billboard Hot 100".Billboard.Retrieved2023-02-20.
- ^Bloom, Madison (October 30, 2021)."Watch H.E.R. and Mickey Guyton Play Tina Turner Hits at Rock Hall 2021".Pitchfork.
64https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Innocents_(Erasure_album)
External links
[edit]- 1966 songs
- 1966 singles
- 1968 singles
- 1969 singles
- 1970 singles
- 1971 singles
- Ike & Tina Turner songs
- Songs written by Ellie Greenwich
- Songs written by Jeff Barry
- Songs written by Phil Spector
- Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements
- Song recordings produced by Phil Spector
- The Supremes songs
- Four Tops songs
- Tina Turner songs
- The Animals songs
- Deep Purple songs
- Song recordings produced by Tom Wilson (record producer)
- MGM Records singles
- Motown singles
- Philles Records singles
- A&M Records singles
- London Records singles
- Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
- Number-one singles in Spain
- Songs about rivers
- Songs about mountains