Listen: Sexy Ida (Part 1) / Ike & Tina Turner IkeTinaSexyIda.mp3
You are correct, this is not my first Ike & Tina Turner post, nor will it be the last. My wall shelf easily has a foot long upright section dedicated to their singles, all of them essentials.
I recently played ‘Sexy Ida (Part 1) at the Brooklyn Bowl residency, and man did it sound hot through a big PA. Parts 1 and 2 would certainly have you thinking a six or seven minute album version was lazily divided into halves so as to fit the whole song onto a 7″. Not the case here, which is a rare occasion – indeed possibly one of a kind.
Listen: Sexy Ida (Part 2) / Ike & Tina Turner IkeTinaIda2.mp3
‘Sexy Ida (Part 2) is in fact a less black, more rock-of -the day rendition. Sounds to me like their recent mainstream successes with ‘Proud Mary’ and ‘I Want To Take You Higher’ inspired Ike Turner to record a more guitar heavy rendition to the track, just in case the white underground and pop stations took a shine. In fact, it has a uncanny resemblance to The Rolling Stones, who Ike & Tina Turner had been touring with quite frequently at the time. Despite Part 2 being pressed up as a double sided DJ promo, it was Part 1 that got some traction, eventually struggling to an unjust #65 on Billboard’s Top 100 (#29 Black) in early ’74.
Choose your favorite – but it should be well easy to guess mine.
Tags: Billboard, Brooklyn Bowl, Ike & Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, United Artists