Originally, I was going to use the title of the Martha and the Vandellas' 1963 single, Come and Get These Memories as the title of this post, then I started listening to Ike and Tina.
In June 1963, Ike and Tina released their 5th album together, It's Going to Work Out Fine. All of those songs were written by Ike Turner except for the album title track and in hindsight it's maybe an indication of what's to come for Tina. With titles like, Gonna Find Me a Substitute, Why Should I?, I'm Gonna Cut You Loose, Poor Fool, and the most appropriate title, This Man's Crazy, all written from Ike's self-centered and sexist perspective, but delivered through Tina's vocal and performance. It's safe to say some 60 years later... there's blood on the tracks.
With Tina's recent passing on May 24th, I didn't intend this post to turn dark, but I'm still so inspired about her life story and eventual fulfillment of this 1963 album title, It's Going to Work Out Fine.
Last week, I featured one of Tina's biggest hits, The Best. This week before I get to the playlist, I wanted to show the famous 1976 incident where Tina finally leaves Ike after another beating by her psycho-husband. Here, she bravely takes the first step in taking her life back. This scene is from the 1993 movie, What's Love Got To Do With It, and followed her 1984 smash hit single of the same name.
Warning...the following video clip contains domestic violence. Feel free to skip it and read on.
Here's Tina's 1984 #1 song, What's Love Got To Do With It
Long live the queen of rock 'n' roll!
Then, as I was going through the Wikipedia, June 1963 in Music list, I came to Leslie Gore's album, I'll Cry If I Want To, and smash hit single, It's My Party.
Judy and Johnny just walked through the door
Like a queen with her king
Oh, what a birthday surprise
Judy's wearing his ring
It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to
Cry if I want to
You would cry too, if it happened to you
Seemingly, this teeny-bopper pop was a million miles away from the more raw R&B of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. But wait, maybe with the wisdom of time we've all learned that Leslie needs Johnny like a hole in the head. In fact, Johnny is probably going to turn out like the monster of Ike Turner in just a few short years. Run Leslie, run!
As this year of 2017 wraps up in a couple of weeks, I'm going to pick up with a blog I did in January called, Our Democracy and Takin' It To The Streets. The focus was on the March, 21st Women's March across theworld. In the time since, it has been quite a year through the total black hole experience of Donald Trump, and the emergence and sustainability of the #MeToo movement. Even with the dark shadow of Trump, women have emerged from behind all shadows and came to triumph and own this year.
As a man, I've become so sick and tired of male politicians, business moguls, actors and news people evoking their daughters into the public dialog either in their own defense of sexual allegations against them, or pontificating on how they are a protector of women. So, as a father of two daughters, two step-daughters and three granddaughters, I say, BULLSHIT. Men in general need to stop being hypocritical about their simultaneous protection and sexual objectification of women, and simply behave and treat ALL women with respect as equals.
My admiration of women runs deep and started young. I remember when I was probably eleven or twelve years old, I had a paper route. At the end of each month, I would go around and collect the money subscriptions door to door. On occasion, somebody would stiff me by moving out without paying me and I would lose my take as the newspaper delivery rules stated that it was my responsibility to make the collection. On one such occasion, a couple moved and didn't pay me. My mother actually tracked this couple down, took me in her car to their new location, walked with me to the door, and demanded payment when a shocked man opened the door. I'll never forgot the man's expression but better yet, my mom's smile to me on the walk back to the car with the cash in my hand.
As a teenager in the 1970's, I started listening to music as a passion. Men dominated rock 'n' roll but I began listening and buying records by women, especially women singer-songwriters. I loved Carol King, Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell to name some of the greats of the day. Their perspective in song, helped shape me. If you were a guy back in the day and were into Joni Mitchell, well that didn't hurt in your conversations with girls, but more importantly, Joni made you think about things a little differently than most male songwriters.
During this month, I've watched three TV streaming shows of significance that actually inspired the writing of this post. I recommend you see all three in the weeks ahead. First on Netflix, Godless, a western that turns the "damsels in distress" thing on it's head. Second on Amazon, Good Girls Revolt, a "Mad Men" from a woman's perspective with three key female leads working at Newsweek magazine in 1969-1970. (As a side note- as you watch the opening credits, you'll see a paperboy on his bike throwing a paper somewhere towards a house. I swear to God that kid looked like/was me.) And third on Amazon, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a housewife in the 1950s decides to become a stand-up comic. In all three shows, the women are front and center, great writing, acting and must sees for watching in the year of 2017.
In putting the playlist together for this post, I couldn't help but notice the increased level of empowerment by women singers as the decades rolled up to current times. I hope you enjoy my mix of old and newer songs performed by women of heart and mind, and if you're a guy out there, there's wisdom to be mined here toward our respect, work, and gift of women in our lives. And, a final thought, women are going to save this world, just as they have always done.
