Tina Turner documentary set for debut on HBO
Few musical artists have experienced the wildly successful highs and devastatingly low lows as the iconic Tina Turner. This weekend, the celebrated songstress sees the broadcast debut of a retrospective feature documentary on her life and career.
Directed by Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin, ‘Tina’ debuts March 27 at 8 p.m. on HBO and will stream on HBO Max. The Academy Award-winning directors chart Turner’s early fame, the private and public personal and professional struggles, and her return to the world stage as a global phenomenon in the 1980s.
It’s an unvarnished, dynamic account that features interviews with Turner herself, conducted in her hometown of Zurich, Switzerland, and with those closest to her. It also features a wealth of never-beforeseen footage, audio tapes and personal photos, telling a deep and absorbing story about the queen of rock and roll in all its complexity.
Struggling to gain meaningful momentum in her career in the fall of 1981, Turner sat for an interview with Carl Arrington, the music editor of People Magazine. Five years earlier, she had filed for divorce from Ike Turner, her husband and musical partner for over 16 years. Together they had climbed the charts and made musical history with their hits “A Fool in Love”, “River Deep — Mountain High” and “Proud Mary.” Off stage, they appeared to have a healthy marriage and family life, but Turner relayed what was underneath the surface in a harrowing account of the abuse and torture.
The singer suffered during her marriage and made a brave escape after years of trauma. The People article would be the first of many profiles that would cement Turner’s image as a survivor, helping to fuel the story of her extraordinary yet improbable career comeback.
Having lost everything but her name in the divorce, the singer spent several years in Las Vegas, performing in cabaret clubs and appearing on television variety shows. Then, in 1983 at the age of 44, she recorded the album ‘Private Dancer’ in just two weeks and it quickly became a commercial and critical sensation. Her single ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It’ became her first and only number one hit on the Billboard Top 100.
‘Private Dancer’ sold over 12 million copies worldwide and cemented Turner as a bona fide superstar. She performed with Mick Jagger at Live Aid in Philly, won a slew of Grammys and wrote a best-selling autobiography, ‘I, Tina’ with journalist Kurt Loder. Cut to 1988, where the singer performed to a record-breaking crowd of 180,000 people in Brazil. Five years later, a feature film was made about her life, starring Angela Bassett in the lead role.
As her fame grew, so did her identity as a cultural symbol, becoming a representation of strength and resilience to her fans. Privately, she wrestled with the survivor narrative that shaped her later life and career and struggled to be released from her past.
Added to a stunning amount of archival footage spanning 60 years, Tina includes interviews with Bassett, Loder, Oprah Winfrey, playwright Katori Hall, who wrote ‘Tina — The Tina Turner Musical’ and husband and former record executive Erwin Bach, among many others.
The emotional conclusion of the documentary sees Turner taking a bow at the opening night of the Broadway musical about her life, a fitting swan song for an incredibly talented performer
who courageously spoke her truth about domestic abuse, and refused to let age, gender or a difficult past stand in her way.
VINYL OF THE WEEK
Keep an eye on this spot as each week we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a variety of artists. It might be a repressing of a landmark recording, special edition or new collection from a legendary act. This week, it’s a box set from a band who brought back late-60s/ early-70s rock and roll at the dawn of the 1990s.
THE BLACK CROWES: ‘SHAKE YOUR MONEY MAKER 30TH ANNIVERSARY’
‘Shake Your Money Maker,’ the classic 1990 debut album from The Black Crowes, has received the super deluxe treatment for its 30th anniversary, with hours of audio from the original studio sessions and live shows curated under by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson and album producer George Drakoulias. Inspired by early Rolling Stones and Faces rock and roll swagger, the LP went five times platinum on the heels of the hits “Hard to Handle,” “Jealous Again” and “She Talks to Angels” and ultimately peaked at No. 4 on the charts.
The new collection features five unreleased songs including studio recording covers of Humble Pie’s “30 Days in the Hole” and John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.” The set also includes two previously unreleased demos from when the band was originally called Mr. Crowe’s Garden and liner notes penned by David Fricke. One of the previously unheard studio songs, “Charming Mess,” was originally slated to be the band’s first single but was ultimately left off of the album entirely.
Also unearthed were the original multitrack tapes from the band’s homecoming concert in December 1990. Recorded over two nights in Atlanta at Center Stage, the full concert is now available for the first time ever. Previously, only the live version of “She Talks to Angels” was released from this show.
The original ‘Shake Your Money Maker album has been newly remastered from the original tapes and creation of the entire release was overseen by the brothers Robinson with Drakoulias. Most exciting is the 4LP super deluxe version, which includes reproductions of an early Mr. Crowe’s Garden show flyer, setlist and tour laminate, a Crowes patch and a 20page book.
The 30th anniversary of ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ can be purchased online and in stores from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.
To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@gmail.com. Also, check out his blog at www. thechroniclesofmc.com