In 1951 Ike Turner was 20 years old and leading an R&B group called the Kings of Rhythm. The band had a somewhat convoluted hit with "Rocket 88," a song credited to the band's saxophonist, Jackie Brenston, who sang lead on the rollicking jump blues track that would go on to be argued over as a contender for the title of first ever rock & roll song. Turner, of course, would go on to musical fame in his collaborations with Tina Turner, and later even more prominent infamy as a propagator of domestic abuse in his relationship ...
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In 1951 Ike Turner was 20 years old and leading an R&B group called the Kings of Rhythm. The band had a somewhat convoluted hit with "Rocket 88," a song credited to the band's saxophonist, Jackie Brenston, who sang lead on the rollicking jump blues track that would go on to be argued over as a contender for the title of first ever rock & roll song. Turner, of course, would go on to musical fame in his collaborations with Tina Turner, and later even more prominent infamy as a propagator of domestic abuse in his relationship with Tina. In the happier times between "Rocket 88" and the rocky road of fame, Turner worked primarily as a session player as well as a talent scout and songwriter for various record labels and studios. Real Gone Rocket: Session Man Extraordinaire collects 14 of Turner's obscure singles from his days between 1951 and 1959 as a hard-working, ever-hustling music man in the R&B sector of rock & roll's early days. The compilation kicks off with Jackie Brenston's "My Real Gone Rocket," the would-be follow-up to his one hit. Turner's boogie-woogie piano drives the song through its changes and walks the line of competing with Brenston's vocal. His piano playing also stands out on the hilarious alcoholic anthem "I Ain't Drunk" by Lonnie the Cat. When acting as a guitarist, Ike showboats less, acting more as an uncredited producer. In the forefront on "Peg Leg Woman," a song he wrote for Willie King, Turner's guitar seems to be keeping the band lively and in check. Chuck Bernard's wistful ballad "Calling Your Name" relies on a cavernous chorus of female backing vocals to sweeten the mournful proto-soul production. The tracks are all raw, pre-stereo slabs of early R&B, regionally minded soul, and gritty rock & roll. Turner is behind the scenes on most of these tracks, but serves as the invisible hand pulling the strings as either writer, standout instrumentalist, organizer/arranger, or bandleader on every song. His presence pulls the collection together into a unified feel, and the whole album gives the listener a sense of a happy time of discovery. It seems like anything was possible and young entrepreneurs like Turner weren't slowing down to get too whimsical about the possibilities, but instead jumping at any and every opportunity presented them. Real Gone Rocket ends fittingly with "Ho Ho," a jumpy guitar instrumental credited to Ikey Renrut (Turner spelled backwards, probably pretty out there for 1959). The wiry whammy-bar guitar leads push the song into a groove, and as the record draws to a close, it becomes clear that whatever instrument Turner was wielding on these early sessions always doubled as a conductor's wand -- pushing his band to its highest capabilities and resulting in some timeless sounds. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi
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