The year is 1984. I have not yet turned to the Dark Side and become a metal head. MTV, The Devil's Channel, is not yet available via cable in Mena, Arkansas. But we do have Night Tracks every weekend on the TBS Superstation, and Friday Night Videos on NBC after The Tonight Show. There was also this thing called radio. You may have heard of it.
Since 1983, I've been a huge Stevie Nicks fan. Then this older singer from the 60s and 70s made this fantastic comeback and I've switched gears.
Her name is Tina Turner.
I know one song. I have the 45 single that belonged to my sister called "Proud Mary." The B-Side is "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Twitter." The new song though is called "What's Love Got to Do With It" and it's pretty good. In the video, this 42-year-old woman looks fantastic: Strutting around in the jean jacket and the leather mini skirt and the black patent leather pumps with the spike heels. I copy the outfit - still have my teardrop pearl earrings and the rhinestone necklace. That hair, though. And those legs. Those cheekbones. And the VOICE.
Then there's "Better Be Good to Me." Again, a WOMAN dancing around in black leather, with Cy Curnin of The Fixx, no less, and making it look classy and sexy and cool all at the same time. She's just BAD ASS. (Oh, and Jamie West-Oren, also of The Fixx, is playing guitar.)
I got the "Private Dancer" cassette for Christmas that year. (As well as "Purple Rain," "Reckless," and "1984." What at year that was. Wow.) I played it as nauseum. "I Might Have Been Queen." "I Can't Stand the Rain." "Steel Claw." Not a bad track on it. I sang along and knew every word. I also got (maybe for my birthday?), a VHS of one her shows in England. Again, watched it over and over. (And yes, that's the Lost Boys saxophone guy, Tim Cappello, before he was the Lost Boys saxophone guy.) I copied the dance moves, and inadvertently became quite well-known for my Tina Turner impression. I performed it between acts for the FBLA March of Dimes Variety Show matinees we did for the High School and Middle School. Not bad for a white girl.
The first pair of heels I ever owned were black patent pumps. I wanted to BE Tina Turner.
When we finally got MTV in Mena (I'll tell my bootleg cable story some other time) and our own exorbitantly priced VCR. I recorded her videos (along with many, many others) when they came on, and Tina came on a lot. She was even mentioned in the very first episode of "Heavy Metal Mania" for her role in "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome." Dee Snider: "Now, Tina Turner's not strictly heavy metal, but the lady's definitely heavy, all right?" "We Don't Need Another Hero," performed in full Auntie Entity garb, played a lot that summer. I didn't see it in the theater. I think we rented it? Or maybe I didn't see it until it came on HBO? I don't remember.
"Master Blaster runs Bartertown!"
I can still see her last scene, prancing up and hopping on Auntie Entity's vehicle. How we'd all like to move like that, that combination of grace and sass. She could be sexy without being slutty. Rock and Soul Bar None.
My favorite Thunderdome song though was "One of the Living." The video first aired in the fall of 1985 and there she was slinging around a red Jackson guitar. Didn't really work but nice try there, unnamed video producer. Too bad it wasn't a bigger hit because it's a really good song.
"Break Every Rule," the follow-up to "Private Dancer," came out in 1986 and it was...okay. I didn't really like "Typical Male," "What You Get is What You See" almost sounded country. but I absolutely loved "Back Where You Started." I've always wanted to cover it.
By this time though, I was deep into the Metal Realm, so I took a Tina hiatus. I did eventually move on to my second pair of patent leather pumps by the early 90s. The ones I'd had since high school had served me well and were retired. I think I had the heel taps replaced twice. I did read "I, Tina" at some point.
Day-um. Then they made the movie.
"What's Love Got to Do With It?" came out in 1993. I was living in Little Rock (unfortunately) and my buddy Craig Crane went with me to see it one afternoon on a weekday and there were about 6 people in the theater. Angela Bassett was phenomenal. She lip-synced Tina's voice, so when the scene comes up where she sings with the Kings of Rhythm for the first time...chills.
It's not the prettiest voice, but there's something about it - it's unique and distinctive, and that's what used to sell records - a sound that just catches your attention and you go, "WOW." It just has that "thing."
And it's amazing I don't hate Laurence Fishburne. His Ike Turner was terrifying.
I managed to snag copies of "The Best" and the "What's Love" soundtrack on CD, and also found a karaoke tape of "I Don't Wanna Fight". I used it to audition for a band that looking for a singer. I didn't get that gig.
Bastards.
I'd even bought my first wig for that, trying to get back into performing, because I'd cut my hair super short in 1994. (I went through this Legend of Billie Jean phase, plus I needed to lose the over-permed, over-colored, wanna-be-big hair damage of the last 8 or 9 years). It was with that haircut that Mom and I went to watch Tina perform at Riverfront Amphitheater. (Chris Isaak was the opener. He was going on about cooking oil and saran wrap at one point. Mom: Who IS this guy??) Tina's show was fantastic, worth every dime and more. Keep in mind though the diversity of Tina's audience, and me with that pixie haircut? I was getting a lot of looks from the other side of the fence. Mom: "You need to grow your hair back out." I just laugh about that.
Somewhere around in here I rented The Who's "Tommy" just to watch Tina as "The Acid Queen." Yikes. Did she just pull Roger Daltry up a flight of stairs? (View at your own discretion. Cheesy now, yet still disturbing.)
1995: Pierce Brosnan became the new James Bond. The first film would be "Goldeneye" and oh wow! Tina is singing the theme song! But...it's not one of the better Bond songs. Not for me anyway. I was a little disappointed. Oh well.
More years went by. Tina moved to Switzerland. She remarried. I remember an article about how she didn't attend her mother's funeral in 1999, with a good enough reason I suppose; she didn't want her fame to detract from her mother; but I found that sad. Part of me felt like maybe Tina had become a little too full of herself, but I've never been a world-famous superstar, or one of the top-selling female artists of all time, so what do I know.
I'm certainly glad she was though.
With the Groovetones, we did her version of "Honky Tonk Woman."
We also would do "Steamy Windows" every once in a while. I always wanted to do "Love Thing", from the Simply the Best album.
I've sung along with "River Deep, Mountain High" on more than one occasion; I don't know how you pull that off without a full orchestra. I know the "Proud Mary" dance better than "Thriller".
And I'll always remember when Dr. (Mr.) Rye told me not to stand like Tina Turner when I was conducting. That advice didn't work. It's a learned thing because I still do it. Sorry not sorry.
I must go see the Tina musical at some point. I missed it at Memphis a little while back.
Tina was a big part of my adolescence, even though I'd always known who she was since I was little girl. She was legendary. Truly a Comeback Queen in so many ways. She's why I'm not afraid to keep trying "new" things in my life. Age is just a number. Even in her 80s she looked as if she hadn't aged a day. Good genes, y'all. And all that dancing, I'm sure. I'd heard when she'd had stomach cancer and was sorry to hear that.
I'm very sorry she's gone. This one hurts. Rock on and rest well, Anna Mae. Take care of my little girl up there, because her mama loved you and and was inspired by you. I wouldn't be who I am today without either of you. Show her how to continue to be a Queen.
And I'm on my FOURTH pair of black patent pumps.
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