River Deep – Mountain High
"River Deep – Mountain High" | ||||
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Single by Ike & Tina Turner | ||||
from the album River 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 Turner singles chronology | ||||
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Ike & Tina Turner singles chronology | ||||
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"River Deep – Mountain High" is a song by
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,
Background
Phil Spector had seen the
Recording
"River Deep – Mountain High" was the first recording that Tina Turner did for Philles at Gold Star Studios. It was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie 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 that the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson attended the session, where he sat "transfixed" and "did not say a word".[14]
When Spector inducted Ike & Tina Turner into the
The recording of the song was later dramatized for Tina Turner's 1993 biographical film, What's Love Got to Do with It.
Personnel
- Lead vocals: Tina Turner
- Background vocals: Darlene Love, Fanita James, Jean King, Gracia Nitzsche, Clydie King[16]
- Composer lyricists: Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie 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
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Record World | [17] |
Reviewing the single, Billboard wrote: "Exciting dance beat production backs a wailin' Tina vocal on a solid rock tune penned by Barry and Greenwich."[18] Record World predicted 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 the Billboard Hot 100 and 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 an R&B record 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]
Writer Michael Billig speculated 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 on
George Harrison praised the record,[1] declaring it "a perfect record from start to finish. You couldn't improve on it."[22][23]
Reissues
After "River Deep – Mountain High" was revived by other bands, Ike & Tina Turner's original version was reissued by A&M Records in 1969.[24] It has since gained the recognition Spector wanted for the record. Reviewing the single, Record World called 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 album Nutbush City Limits was released as a single titled "River Deep, Mountain High 1974" on United Artists Records in France. Another version from an undetermined year was released on the 1991 compilation Proud 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 Europe and Tina Live.
Chart performance
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI)[41] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
The Supremes and the Four Tops version
"River Deep – Mountain High" | ||||
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the Four Tops | ||||
from the album The Magnificent 7 | ||||
B-side | "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" | |||
Released | 1970 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:13 (single version) 4:50 (album version) | |||
Motown Records | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Ashford & Simpson | |||
The Supremes singles chronology | ||||
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The Four Tops singles chronology | ||||
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In 1970, their post-Diana Ross era,
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Other notable covers
A ten-minute version was recorded by Deep Purple for 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 Canadian RPM charts.[citation needed] It had a progressive rock sound to it, as Deep Purple had not yet adopted the hard rock sound for which they are most famous.
Amber Riley and Naya Rivera covered the song on episode four ("Duets") of the second season of Fox television show Glee. Their version peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100.[62]
Christina Aguilera performed the song at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.[63]
Beyoncé, who had credited Tina as one of her musical influences, added "River Deep – Mountain High" to the setlist of her Renaissance World Tour, after news of Tina's death broke.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b c "Show 21 – Forty Miles of Bad Road: Some of the best from rock 'n' roll's dark agesb". UNT Digital Library. Part 2. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- ^ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. April 7, 2011. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- ^ 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 from the original on June 1, 2007. Retrieved April 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.
- ISBN 9781408819500.
- ^ "Philips Signs Ike & Tina Turner". Cash Box: 45. April 23, 1966.
- ^ a b Fong-Torres, Ben (October 14, 1971). "Tales of Ike and Tina Turner". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "Ike & Tina To Philles" (PDF). Cash Box: 56. April 30, 1966.
- ISBN 978-1-58979-253-1.
- ^ ISBN 9781408819500.
- Rolling Stone. 11 December 2003. Retrieved August 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. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
- ISBN 978-0-688-15657-2.
- ^ a b "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. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ ISBN 9780815607052. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ a b LOS40. "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) - ISBN 9780711998643.
- ISBN 978-0-306-81471-6.
- ^ "Spotlight Singles: Top 60 Pop Spotlight" (PDF). Billboard. October 4, 1969. p. 88.
- ^ "Go-Set Australian charts - 16 November 1966". Poparchives.com.au. 1966-11-16. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- ^ "Ike & Tina Turner – River Deep - Mountain High" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5756." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – River Deep Mountain High". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "Ike & Tina Turner – River Deep - Mountain High" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Ike & Tina Turner" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "Ike & Tina Turner: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "Ike & Tina Turner Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "Looking Ahead" (PDF). Cash Box: 14. June 4, 1966.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 50 in R&B Locations". Cash Box. June 25, 1966.
- ^ a b "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. Retrieved August 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.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3748." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "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". Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "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. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "The CASH BOX Top 50 In R&B Locations". Cashbox. January 30, 1971. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "THE SINGLES CHART: Week of January 16, 1971" (PDF). Record World. worldradiohistory.com. January 16, 1971. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "THE R&B SINGLES CHART: Week of January 23, 1971" (PDF). Record World. worldradiohistory.com. January 23, 1971. p. 40. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "The CASH BOX Top 50 In R&B Locations". Cashbox. January 2, 1971. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Falling into You - Céline Dion | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
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- ^ Promis, Jose F. "Live à Paris - Céline Dion | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- ^ tolsen (2013-01-02). "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- ^ Bloom, Madison (October 30, 2021). "Watch H.E.R. and Mickey Guyton Play Tina Turner Hits at Rock Hall 2021". Pitchfork.