Nutbush City Limits – Ike and Tina Turner – 1973

Mr and Mrs Turner’s last (decent) single together was their 31st single release – Nutbush City Limits, by Ike and Tina Turner was released in June 1973.

better on her own

The tumultuous nature of Ike and Tina’s relationship is well chronicled. What’s not so widely appreciated is the mountain of music they made together – 34 singles, 30 studio albums, and 10 live albums – all in just 19 years.

Not one #1 single or album, however. Even the wonderful Creedence Clearwater cover, Proud Mary, only made it to #4 on the US charts.

what can’t be doubted

There is no doubting Mrs Turner’s staying power, though. Sans Ike, she has produced more singles than I could be bothered adding up from her website – still only one #1, though; What’s Love Got To Do With It, in 1984.

ike rip

Ike died of a cocaine overdose in 2007. He and Tina hadn’t spoken to each other for over 30 years.

meanwhile, back in tina’s world

Tina remarried in August this year (2013) in Switzerland where she now lives. She and her husband have been together for 27 years.

nutbush city limits fax

• The lyrics to Nutbush City Limits were written by Tina Turner and is a semi-autobiographical account of her hometown of Nutbush, Tennessee. Ike composed the music but didn’t put his name on the record.
• Nutbush City Limits was released June 1973, and was the last song Tina produced with her husband Ike.
• Nutbush City Limits peaked at #4 on the US singles charts.
• It has long been rumoured that UK guitarist Marc Bolan played guitar on the song – this is usually disputed.
• Since its release, Tina has released a number of versions of the song.
• Nutbush City Limits has been covered by artists such as Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band, and Alvin Lee.
• Brian Johnson sang Nutbush City Limits as part of his first audition for the band AC/DC.
• There is a dance named The Nutbush. It’s performed to Nutbush City Limits and was popular in Australia during the disco era (go figure!).
• Nutbush City Limits lyrics.

nutbush city limits – ike and tina turner – 1973 – video

nutbush dance – video – what they call entertainment in aussie!

follow seventiesmusic on facebook.

You’ll find out when the latest blog is posted and every Monday you’ll get “This Week in 70s Music.” Click the Facebook logo to go to the seventiesmusic Facebook page and click “Like.”

Yellow River – Christie – 1970

The musings of a young soldier who is looking forward to returning to his home town on Yellow River, is the theme of Christie’s 1970 #1 UK single, Yellow River.

not quite a one hit wonder

Formed in the 1960s, Christie was a UK band whose greatest hit was Yellow River. The follow-up single, San Bernadino, peaked at #7 on the UK charts before the band faded away…

Many US one-hit-wonder lists include Christie because, while Yellow River peaked at #23 in the US, classifying it as a hit, San Bernadino didn’t survive the Atlantic crossing and was unheard of Stateside.

(I must confess – for years I thought Christie were an American band, linking their second hit to San Bernardino, California).

name-dropper

The band’s name came from the founder – Jeff Christie. The band broke up in 1976, but Jeff resurrected it (well, the name at least – it was a completely new line-up) in 1990. They toured until 2009.

In all, the band released five albums between 1969 and 1976.

yellow river fax

• Yellow River was written by Jeff Christie.
• Yellow River was originally offered to, and recorded by, The Tremeloes. They decided against releasing it although it has since appeared on a number of their compilation albums.
• So, rather than Christie recording it, the vocals were taken off The Tremeloes version, and Jeff’s vocals added to their music.
• Where is Yellow River? No one has ever said. The video of the song had Christie on a barge sailing down the Thames River, however.
• Yellow River lyrics.

yellow river – christie – 1970 – video

follow seventiesmusic on facebook.

You’ll find out when the latest blog is posted and every Monday you’ll get “This Week in 70s Music.” Click the Facebook logo to go to the seventiesmusic Facebook page and click “Like.”

Sundown – Gordon Lightfoot – 1974

Back in the 70s, Canadian Gordon Lightfoot helped define the folk/pop scene.  His greatest hit was 1974’s, Sundown.

how time flies

He’s 74 now, but Gordon Lightfoot is still revered in his native Canada. Often referred to as Canada’s greatest songwriter, his career has lasted over 50 years and he’s produced more than 200 recordings.

gordon’s awards include:

• Juno Awards* for top folk singer in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977.
• Juno Awards for top male vocalist in 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973.
• 2 Juno Awards for composer of the year in 1972 and 1976.
• ASCAP awards for song-writing in 1971, 1974, 1976, and 1977.
• Five Grammy Award nominations.
• Pop record of the year in 1974 for Sundown.
• Canadian male recording artist of the decade (1970s).
• Induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2001.
• Induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 1998.
• He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honour, in May 2003.
• In 2007, Canada Post honoured Gordon Lightfoot and three other legendary Canadian music artists (Anne Murray, Paul Anka, and Joni Mitchell) with postage stamps.
• On June 24, 2012, Gordon was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (at the same ceremony as Bob Seger.

*Juno Award = a Canadian Grammy Award.

the guess who connection

The Canadian band The Guess Who recorded a song called “Lightfoot” on their 1968 album Wheatfield Soul, made up of many of Gordon’s song titles.

ultimate trivia – the john belushi connection

Another of Gordon’s big hits was If You Could Read My Mind. It was said to have been written during the breakdown of his first marriage. He was involved with another woman, Cathy Smith.

Cathy Smith was a hard-core groupie of The Band. Her real fame came, however, when she was sentenced to 15 months in prison for injecting John Belushi with a fatal dose of heroin and cocaine in 1982.

sundown fax

• Sundown was released in March 1974. Gordon’s career had stalled after his 1971 hit song, If You Could Read My Mind. Sundown reignited his career.
• Sundown hit number one on the US singles chart.
• Sundown lyrics.

sundown – gordon lightfoot – 1974 – video

follow seventiesmusic on facebook.

You’ll find out when the latest blog is posted and every Monday you’ll get “This Week in 70s Music.” Click the Facebook logo to go to the seventiesmusic Facebook page and click “Like.”

Groovin’ With Mr Bloe – Mr Bloe – 1970

One hit wonders with an Elton John connection, from 1970; Mr Bloe and their instrumental, Groovin’ With Mr Bloe.  You may not recognise the name – but chances are you’ll recognise the tune when you hear it!

okay, it wasn’t on the radio

This week, I’ve stepped outside of the rules a little. I didn’t hear this on the radio but remember it being on an ad years ago and I’ve always wondered what the tune was.  I recognised it, but couldn’t recall the name.

I searched my most distant cranial crevices, but to no avail. Then it occurred, if one person would know, my mate Wozza (font of knowledge for all things musical) would.

Email sent, his answer came back almost immediately; the first word being, “Simple.” I guess it was his way of saying I must be slightly stupid not knowing the answer myself… Groovin’ With Mr Bloe; and then it all came back.

elton john connection? what elton john connection?

Mr Bloe was a group of musicians put together to perform and release Groovin’ With Mr Bloe. It was on DJM, or Dick James Music, which Elton John’s, was, of course, signed to.

Dick James originally used a group of musicians that included Elton John on piano. Dick didn’t like the result and so grabbed another set of muso’s to give it another go.

And the result was a hit record!

groovin’ with mr bloe fax

• Groovin’ with Mr Bloe was released in the UK on 9 May 1970. Two months later it peaked at #2 on the UK singles chart.
• The B-side of the single included two instrumentals written by Elton John; Get Out Of This Town, and 71-75 New Oxford. Elton played piano on them both.
• Follow up singles and an album both bombed making Mr Bloe a true one-hit-wonder.

groovin’ with mr bloe – mr bloe – 1970 – video

the saatchi and saatchi commercial

follow seventiesmusic on facebook.

You’ll find out when the latest blog is posted and every Monday you’ll get “This Week in 70s Music.” Click the Facebook logo to go to the seventiesmusic Facebook page and click “Like.”