1972: Ike and Turner Live on Soul Train, "Proud Mary"

In his introduction for the dynamic soul duo, Soul Train's host Don Cornelius did not fail to note: “We’re about to witness what big is all about. The names of the people I’m about to introduce are so big they’ve become what you might call household words since their beginning in St. Louis twelve years ago.” Don Cornelius, host of Soul Trainphotobucket.com Click "Next" to read more. I think it's pretty obvious that the most sensational husband and wife duo in the history of soul music is Ike and Tina Turner. Their live performances contained explosive energy, primarily so because of Tina’s unforgettable stage presence and the choreography of her backup dancers, The Ikettes. Also, Ike and his band, The Kings of Rhythm produced a melodic sound that made audiences worldwide want to get down and boogie. Click "Next" to read more. Ike and Tina Turner were amongst the first major musicians to have the luxury of appearing on Soul Train. When they performed on the June 1972 taping of the show, the group tore the house down, spreading their stamina with everyone at the Soul Train studio. Ike and Tina sharing the energy with the audience.Soultrain.com Click "Next" to read more. Although most of the artists featured on the show would lip-synch, the Ike and Tina Turner Revue never faked it. Their performances were real and straight from the soul. They would never think in a million years to sing along to a pre-recorded track. Click "Next" to read more. The group ended their set with their signature hit “Proud Mary,” which had been a major chart topper for the duo from 1971. This classic performance had the Soul Train Gang's mouths gaping open in sheer awe, from the intimate slow beginning to the "rough" (as Tina says) second half of this timeless performance because "that is the way they do." Tina and the Ikettes had some fabulous energetic dance moves that would inspire future soul and pop singers for years and years to come. Tina Turner performs live on stage with the Ikettes in Copenhagen, Denmark in November 1972 (Photo by Jan Persson/Redferns)huffpost.com Click "Next" to read more. "Proud Mary" Lyrics: Left a good job in the city Workin' for the man ev'ry night and day And I never lost one minute of sleepin' Worryin' 'bout the way things might have been Big wheel keep on turnin' Proud Mary keep on burnin' Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis Pumped a lot of pane down in New Orleans But I never saw the good side of the city 'Til I hitched a ride on a river boat queen Big wheel keep on turnin' Proud Mary keep on burnin' Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river If you come down to the river Bet you gonna find some people who live You don't… What is your favorite song by the dynamic R&B duo? Related: TVs Hottest Dance Shows Of Yesteryear “Mr. Bojangles”: The Story Behind The Song That Hit Our Hearts DoYouRemember’s Picks Of The Greatest Rock Documentaries

1972: Ike and Turner Live on Soul Train, “Proud Mary”

by Brad Rosenberg
Published May 16, 2017