King of Rhythm (2004)

Looks at the life and career of the man who is best known as "Mr. Tina Turner" and discusses Ike Turner's influence on blues, R&B, and rock and roll music. Ike Turner deserves a niche in the pop pantheon even had he never met Anna Mae Bullock, aka Tina Turner. At Sun Records, he participated in birthing rock 'n' roll. Already established on the R & B charts when he met Bullock, Turner built a new act around their collaboration and tackled the pop charts. In the late 1960s, Ike and Tina were at the apex of the pop world with "Proud Mary." Then came Phil Spector's overcooked production of their album River Deep Mountain High, after which Ike drifted into drug use and paranoia; physically abused Tina; went to prison; and became an icon of domestic abuse. Out of prison, reformed and apparently rehabilitated, he is again performing. Despite its inadequate, 100-plus-page discography, Collis' less-than-reverential book should be a jumping-off point for reassessing an important career.

Writer: John Collis
Release: April 05, 2004
Publisher: Do Not Press
Pages: 252
Format: Hardcover
Language: English