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"River Deep - Mountain High"

cover art by actor Dennis Hopper[1]
Single by Ike & Tina Turner
from the album River Deep - Mountain High
Released September 1966
Format 7" single
Recorded Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles, 1965
Genre Pop/soul, Rock and Roll
Length 3:40
Label Philles
131
Writer(s) Phil Spector
Jeff Barry
Ellie Greenwich
Producer Phil Spector
Ike & Tina Turner singles chronology
I Can't Believe What You Say (For Seeing What You Do)"
(1964)
"River Deep - Mountain High" (non-US)
(1966)
"A Man Is a Man Is a Man" (non-US)
(1966)

"River Deep - Mountain High" is a 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner. Considered by producer Phil Spector to be his best work, [2], the single was successful in Europe, peaking at #3 in the United Kingdom, though flopped on its original release in the United States, resulting in Spector withdrawing from the music industry for two years, and beginning his personal decline.

After Eric Burdon's version it was re-released in 1969, and has since become one of Tina Turner's signature songs.

Contents

[edit] Recording and release

Written by Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich, "River Deep - Mountain High" was among the first recordings that Ike & Tina Turner did for Phil Spector's Philles Records. Spector was well aware of Ike Turner's controlling attitude in the studio, and resultantly drew up an unusual contract: the River Deep - Mountain High album and single would be credited to "Ike & Tina Turner", but Ike was not allowed in the studio, and only Tina Turner's vocals would be used on record.[3]

The track was recorded using Spector's "Wall of Sound" production technique, and cost a then-unheard of USD 22,000, and required two dozen session musicians and background vocalists.

The single entered the lower end of the Billboard 100 and stopped at #88 on the pop charts. Even though it had better fortune in the United Kingdom, peaking at #3 in the singles charts on first release, Spector was so disillusioned that he ceased involvement in the recording industry totally for two years, and only intermittently returned to the studio after that; he effectively became a recluse and began to self-destruct.[4] Ike Turner remarked that he felt the record didn't do well in America because the sound was "pop or white", while Tina Turner's voice was R&B, so that "America mixes race in it" - though the writer Michael Billig observed that earlier records which had mixed black singers with a white pop sound had sold well, so it was likely to be that in 1966 the black political movement was encouraging African Americans to take a pride in their own culture, and "River Deep - Mountain High" was out of step with that movement.[5]

Rolling Stone put it at #33 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

George Harrison declared that it was "a perfect record from start to finish."[citation needed] "River Deep - Mountain High" compared a woman's love to the love that a child feels for a doll, or a puppy feels for his master.

[edit] Covers

"River Deep - Mountain High"
Single by Deep Purple
from the album The Book of Taliesyn
B-side "Listen, Learn, Read On"
Released February 1969
Format 7" single
Recorded August 1968
at De Lane Lea, London
Genre Pop rock
Length 2:35 (single edit)
10:12 (album version)
Label Tetragrammaton (US)
Writer(s) Phil Spector
Jeff Barry
Ellie Greenwich
Producer Derek Lawrence
Deep Purple singles chronology
"Kentucky Woman"
(1968)
"River Deep - Mountain High!"
(1969)
"Black Night"
(1970)

1960s
In 1967, Harry Nilsson (who had worked with Spector as a songwriter early in his career) released a cover version of the song on his first RCA Victor album, Pandemonium Shadow Show. This was followed by an epic, ten-minute version recorded by Deep Purple for their 1968 album, The Book of Taliesyn. An edited version was released as a single in the United States and reached #53 in early 1969 and #42 on the Canadian RPM charts.

The original Ike and Tina Turner version of the song was re-released the same year to a more receptive public and since then has gained the recognition Spector wanted from the record. Numerous versions have been recorded since, including two different recordings by Ike and Tina Turner that do not feature Spector's "Wall of Sound" production style, as well as some by Tina Turner herself without Ike Turner[citation needed].

Eric Burdon & The Animals have also a cover of this song, on their 1968 album Love Is and on their 1969 compilation The Greatest Hits of Eric Burdon and The Animals. In 1985, Burdon recorded a live version of it and released it in 1992 on "That's Live". He still performs it on his concerts.

1970s
The Shadows performed an instrumental version of this song in their 1970 album Shades of Rock.

The Bob Seger System did an extended cover version on their 1970 album Mongrel (album).

Also in 1970, the post-Diana Ross Supremes and The Four Tops released the most successful cover version to date. Produced by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, the single was one of several recordings that paired the two Motown groups. The Supremes/Four Tops cover, included on the 1970 LP The Magnificent 7, peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971, making it the highest-charting version of the song in the United States.

Australian punk band The Saints did a wilder version on their One Two Three Four EP, which is also included in the All Times Through Paradise box set.

Another Australian band, The Easybeats, did a cover version.

The Top of the Poppers covered the song in their Top of the Pops, Volume 18 album, which hit No. 1 on the UK charts during 1971.

1980s
The English synth pop duo Erasure covered the song on their 1988 album, The Innocents. The BBC extensively used the non-vocal section of the "Private Dance Mix" during the Seoul Olympic Games in that year.

The Flamin' Groovies also covered the song in the early '70s, which can be found on their 1989 compilations Grease and Groovies Greatest Grooves.

"River Deep Mountain High"
Single by Eric Burdon & The Animals
from the album Love Is
B-side White Houses
Released 1969
Format 7" single
Recorded October 1968
Genre Hard Rock, Progressive, Alternative
Length 3:52 (single version), 7:26 (album version)
Label MGM
Writer(s) Phil Spector
Jeff Barry
Ellie Greenwich
Producer Tom Wilson
Eric Burdon & The Animals singles chronology
"Ring of Fire"
(1969)
"River Deep Mountain High"
(1969)

1990s
Annie Lennox performed the song live in July 1992 on her MTV Unplugged Special and released the audio track on the "Walking On Broken Glass" EP.

Neil Diamond released a version on his album Up On The Roof: Songs From The Brill Building in 1993.

The Eric Burdon - Brian Auger Band performed the song live and released it on Access All Areas in 1993.

A live cover was performed by Céline Dion on the Late Show with David Letterman circa 1994/5, which resulted in a studio version for her extremely successful 1996 album Falling into You. Later, Dion performed it live on VH1 Divas Live concert in 1998 as the opening number of her part. She also performed this song from November 2006 - December 2007 in her A New Day... show in Las Vegas. The song is part of her 2008/9 Taking Chances World Tour as well.

2000s
In 2005, American Idol contestant Amanda Avila performed this song during the last round of the season 4 semifinals. She was eliminated after this performance.

During a handful of 2006 concerts, the song was covered by Kettle Joe's Psychedelic Swamp Revue, who are now known as Donna Jean and the Tricksters.

Fefe Dobson covered the song for the TV series American Dreams, where she portrayed Tina Turner as well.

Tarisai Vushe performed this song in the semi finals of Australian Idol 2007 Series 5.

Phương Vy (Vietnam Idol 2007 winner) performed this song in the Asian Idol 2007

On April 22, 2008, Mary Wilson (who recorded it as a Supreme with the 4 Tops in 1971) took the stage with Australian vocal group Human Nature (band), on the Seven Network television show It Takes Two. They performed two duets from Human Nature (band)'s Get Ready (album) album: "It Takes Two (song)" and "River Deep, Mountain High".

  • Meat Loaf sang a duet version of the song with former backup singer Karla Devito for his concert "Live at the Bottom Line"

[edit] Credits

[edit] References

[edit] External links




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