River Deep - Mountain High was the first single from the same named album, written and produced by Phil Spector. The song was recorded at Gold Star Studios in March 1966, with 42 session musicians and background vocalists, reviewed in Billboard magazine in it’s issue from May 21, 1966. When Spector inducted Ike & Tina Turner into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, he revealed in his speech that he had invited Ike Turner to play guitar in the session, but Turner did not show up.
The single was very successful in Europe, but not in the USA. As a result, Spector withdrew from the music industry for two years and released the album not before 1969 in America. Ike & Tina promoted the song at several TV-Shows and performed it live in their concerts, but in a very different version, available on the album The World of Ike & Tina from 1973.
The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #33 on it's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. It was reissued variously with different b-side tracks over the years. A very strange version with lead vocals from Ike Turner was released as a promo in 1971, and in Europe, an Ike Turner produced version was released as a single in 1974.
Producer: Phil Spector
Release: May 1966 / January 1969 (UK) / September 1969 (USA) / Various
Label: Philles / London / A&M
Format: 7“ Vinyl
Charts: UK (1966): #3 / UK (1969): 33 / USA: #88 (Pop)
Grammy: Hall of Fame (1999)
Album: River Deep - Mountain High
"River Deep, Mountain High" is a perfect record from start to finish — you couldn’t improve on it. — George Harrison
Tracks
- River Deep, Mountain High 3:39
- I’ll Keep You Happy 2:00
- A Love Like Yours 3:06
- Save The Last Dance For Me 3:03
- It's Gonna Work Out Fine 2:32
- Oh Baby! 2:46
- I'll Never Need More Than This 3:15
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