LOVE AND MARRIAGE: But the Wigs Were Her Idea

For those who found yesterday's entry a bit sappy, I'll offer this: sometimes the explosive energy that can create magic onstage can also make for disastrous relationships. Just because the music is pretty doesn't mean the feelings are. Ike and Tina Turner gave us the best example of a horrible marriage that resulted in great tunes.

When a music legend dies, there's a mad rush for canonization in the music press. But when Ike Turner peaced out last December, there was not even the slightest attempt to sugarcoat his 76 years of being an asshole. Tina Turner's representatives issued this terse statement: "Tina is aware that Ike passed away earlier today. She has not had any contact with him in 35 years. No further comment will be made." And none was.

Shame, though, that he had to go and act like that, because the man was a genius. A singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and producer, he and Tina pioneered the soul revues of the 1960s. The man even co-invented rock and roll. In 1951, he and his band the Kings of Rhythm recorded the legendary "Rocket 88." The song, credited to Jackie Brenston but actually written by Turner, is often called the first rock and roll record ever made. It's an unusually hard-driving chunk of early r&b, complete with guitar distortion (the amp was damaged) and Ike's rockin' piano intro (later stolen and perfected by Little Richard.) Before he'd even met and renamed young Anna Mae Bullock, Ike Turner was a pioneer.

But meet her he did, and he liked what he heard. Tina Tuner was and remains one of the most stirring performers on earth, and with Ike as her bandleader, she always had the right material to tear into. From 1960 until 1976, Ike and Tina churned out the hits. "A Fool in Love," "River Deep, Mountain High" and their beloved, not so nice and easy take on "Proud Mary" made them one of the most popular acts in the country. It all fell apart when their marriage did, and Tina went on to enormous solo success.

Problem is, as much as I admire Tina's talents, she was never better than when she was with Ike. He may have been a terrible husband, but he understood her assets more than any slick pop producer ever would. Who else would have given her that red-hot arrangement of "Honky Tonk Women"? I think the only reason she stayed married to him as long as she did is because she knew how much of her success she really owed to the big jerk.

Did their violent supernova of a marriage make the music more intense, or did their personal flameout just deny us of more music to enjoy? I guess it's more productive to just forget the Angela Bassett/Laurence Fishburne reenactments and enjoy the sounds they made together. And I don't mean 911 calls.

TODAY'S RECOMMENDATION: "A Fool in Love" by Ike & Tina Turner
AVAILABLE ON: Proud Mary-The Best of Ike and Tina Turner; iTunes