Face '83: Tina Turner

If you're just joining us, this is a rather long-haul project which is pitting the judgement of The Face magazine against the judgement of history. It's all about trying to establish if the Face was able to spot style in 1983 or not. Or something.

We left off with the score at four-all.

Let's leave unembedded Kiss FM Mastermixes Vol. II - because if you're a style guide, no matter how good a compilation album is, it's like opening a pop-up restaurant to host somebody else's tasting menu. 4-5.

Which brings us to Let's Stay Together. Tina Turner.



Back in 1983, Tina Turner was quite something. She'd skilfully executed a come-back in the face of quite some serious "squawking granny" hostility (people who think the gentle-joshing the Stones get is real agism should dig out some of the cuttings) and two enormous flop albums; and there was this - a perfect rereading of an Al Green song.

Sure, it was about to go to shit. A couple of years down the line, and the empty bombast of Simply The Best would see her extract maximum rewards from a lazily-adopted tune beloved of every shitarse furniture store and struggling sports team, while burning through goodwill as every repetition chipped away at the hard-won respect.

In 1983, though? This looked like an example of how to rebuild sales and status.

The Face 5; History 5.

[Part of The Face's best recordings of 1983]

All she's asking for is a little respect

Aretha Franklin is reportedly unhappy with Beyonce. Beyo introduced Tina Turner at The Grammys as "the Queen of Soul". Reet was not happy:

"I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyonce."

Aretha, don't confuse ignorance and a lack of history with a deliberate snub.

Poor Ike

Ike Turner is complaining that the Tina biopic What's Love Got To Do With It "ruined his career":

"You know, during the time I was doing drugs, my attorney coerced me into signing a contract that said I wouldn't sue them if they got someone else to play me in a film.

"I didn't know I was signing away my rights and that they could portray me any way they wanted to. You have to have a villain and you have to have a hero, so I was the villain."

Hmm. On the other hand, it might be a little bit more the "wife-beating" bit of your character that ruined your career, Ike.

Take a hike, Ike: Calls for Turner to be dropped from fest

Campaigners against domestic violence are calling for organisers of the Edinburgh Jazz festival to withdraw an invitation to Ike Turner. Because of the wife-beating, not because he's not a jazz musician:

A spokeswoman for the charity [Shakti Women's Aid] said: “It’s well known that he abused Tina Turner when they were married, so I really don’t think he should be allowed to come and play here.

“Having someone who has admitted that he is a domestic abuser sends out completely the wrong message.”

Ike, of course, has been very precise in his admission of violence, insisting he never beat Tina:

“Sure, I've slapped Tina . . . there have been times when I punched her to the ground without thinking. But I never beat her.”

We're sure that as she lay on the floor, having been punched to the ground, Tina was thankful for the semantic nicety.

Brian Fallon, chair of the festival, is minded to keep Turner on the bill:

“Some will have their reservations about us featuring a man of his reputation in the festival and I can understand that.

“But Ike has paid his dues. He remains a formidable artist – he recently won a Grammy award – and we are confident that he will sell out the Queen’s Hall,” he said.

We're sure that when the Women's Aid centre has it explained to them that, yes, he might have beaten women up, but that won't affect his ability to sell out quite a large venue, they'll withdraw their objections in a moment.

Staging posts

It's never easy coming back, is it? Tina Turner forgot the words to What's Love Gt To Do With It during her out-of-retirement charity date; obviously she could remember Simply The Best as she's probably as sick of hearing that on adverts every five bloody minutes as the rest of us.

Meanwhile, Britney Spears' latest comeback special had a problem when the "backing" tape (i.e. all the music) got stuck, and then her headset fell off. Apparently, Britney was especially upset by all this as she'd been busy learning when to open and close her mouth in time to the words for weeks.

Re-Turner: Tina's coming back

We hasn't realised Tina Turner had officially retired, but apparently she had. Only now, she's coming back for charity:

"I am delighted to be associated with a charity which reaches out to so many young people. If my songs make people dig deep into their pockets, then I will have achieved my aim."

The money will go to Caudwell Hall; Turner's gig will be at the Natural History Museum - quite brave of Tina to agree to play in a place known for exhibiting the remains of long-lost and half-forgotten creatures.