#23 "PROUD MARY"
IKE and TINA TURNER, 1971

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When Ike and Tina Turner were working together in their prime, they were an unstoppable combination of greatness.  Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" was an instant classic when it was first released in 1969, so it was an odd idea for Ike and Tina to remake the song only 2 years later.  But while John Fogerty's original take relied on twangy swamp rock to sing the tune, The Turners turned the song on its side, kicked its ass, and called it their own.  Tina tells you all about how the song's gonna start out easy, then assuring those who really came to dance, "then we're gonna finish rough...that's the way we do 'Proud Mary!'" Boy does it ever!  Once things speed up in the second half of the song, there's no holds barred.  The horn section goes crazy and you just imagine Tina's hot body shaking thousands of little tassles around while she jumps about like a Voodoo Priestess.  Then screaming, "Left a good job in city..." Younger music fans often don't realize what a rock goddess Tina really was.  I can't recall if it was Hullabaloo or The Ed Sullivan show, but if you get to actually watch a vintage performance of this, you're in for a treat.

-Robert Berry

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