This article contains information about albums and singles released by American musician and bandleader Ike Turner.
Overview In March 1951, Ike Turner and his band the Kings of Rhythm entered Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service, where they recorded several songs including the No. 1 R&B hit often regarded as the first rock 'n' roll record, "Rocket 88," featuring Jackie Brenston on vocals with the band credited as the Delta Cats. The recordings were licensed to Chess Records.
As an A&R man in the early 1950s, Turner arranged for other artists, such as Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, Roscoe Gordon, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Little Junior Parker and Little Milton, to record for Sun Records, Modern Records, and Modern's subsidiaries, including RPM Records.
As a session musician Turner contributed to many seminal blues records, including B.B. King's first two No. 1 singles "3 O'Clock Blues" and "You Know I Love You." Turner is featured on "Double Trouble" by Otis Rush and Albert King's first hit record, "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong."
By 1954, Turner had made the transition from pianist to guitarist. He took his Kings of Rhythm to Cincinnati in 1956 to record for Federal Records. In 1959, Turner released two singles on Stevens Records under the anagram "Icky Renrut" because he was still under contract with Sun for several more months, and he didn't want to cause friction with Phillips.
After Turner formed the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in 1960, he created various labels such as Sputnik, Teena, Prann, Innis, Sony and Sonja Records to release singles he wrote and/or produced for other artists. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Turner released albums and singles on Pompeii Records and United Artists.
After decades of absence, Turner released the critically claimed albums Here and Now (2001) and Risin' with the Blues (2006), the latter winning a Grammy award for Best Traditional Blues Album.
Studio albums
1962: Dance with Ike & Tina Turner's Kings of Rhythm, Sue ST LP-2003 1963: Rocks The Blues, Crown CLP-5367/CST-367 1969: Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm: A Black Man's Soul, Pompeii SD-6003; reissue: Funky Delicacies DEL CD-0047 (2002) 1972: Strange Fruit, United Artists UAS-5560 1972: Blues Roots, United Artists UAS-5576 1973: Confined To Soul, United Artists UA-LA051-F 1973: Bad Dreams, United Artists UA-LA087-F 1980: The Edge (featuring Tina Turner and Home Grown Funk), Fantasy F-9597 1996: My Blues Country, Resurgent/Mystic MYSCD-115 1996: Without Love...I Have Nothing, C-Ya Records 63193 79654 23 2001: Here and Now, Ikon IKOCD-8850 2006: Risin' With The Blues, Zoho Roots ZM-200611
Live albums
2002: Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm – The Resurrection: Live Montreux Jazz Festival, Isabel IS-640202 2006: Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm – Live In Concert, Charly Films CHF-F1014LF [DVD/2CD]
Selected compilations
1976: Sun – The Roots of Rock, Volume 3: Delta Rhythm Kings, Charly CR-30103 1976: I'm Tore Up, Red Lightnin' RL-0016 1981: Kings of Rhythm, Flyright FLY LP-578 1984: Hey Hey, Red Lightin' RL-0047 [2LP] 1990: Cobra Sessions 1958, P-Vine PCD-2161 1991: Trailblazer, Charly R&B CD-CHARLY-263 1993: Rocks the Blues, P-Vine PCD-3031/2 [2CD expanded 44 track edition] 1994: I Like Ike! The Best of Ike Turner, Rhino R2-71819 1995: Rhythm Rockin' Blues, Ace CDCHD-553 2000: Ike's Instrumentals (1954–1965), Ace CDCHD-782 2001: The Sun Sessions, Varèse Sarabande 302 066 232 2 2003: Ike Turner (Blues Kingpins Series), Virgin/EMI 82714 2004: His Woman, Her Man: The Ike Turner Diaries — Unreleased Funk/Rock 1970–1973, Funky Delicacies DEL CD-0045 2004: The Bad Man: Rare & Unreissued Ike Turner Produced Recordings 1962–1965, Night Train International NTICD-7139 2004: King Cobra: The Chicago Sessions, Fuel 2000 302 061 390 2 2004: A Proper Introduction to Ike Turner/Jackie Brenston, Proper Intro CD-2048 2006: The Chronological Ike Turner 1951–1954, Classics (Blues & Rhythm Series) 5176 2006: Early Times, Rev-Ola CRREV-173 2008: Classic Early Sides 1952–1957, JSP 4203 [2CD] 2011: Rocket 88: The Original 1951–1960 R&B and Rock & Roll Sides, Soul Jam 600803 2011: That Kat Sure Could Play! (The Singles 1951 To 1957), Secret SECBX-025 [4CD] 2011: Jack Rabbit Blues: The Singles of 1958–1960, Secret SECSP-041 2012: Trouble Up the Road (The 1961 Recordings), Secret SECCD-060 2012: Real Gone Rocket: Session Man Extraordinaire: Selected Singles 1951–59, Jerome JRCD-002 2012: Ike Turner Studio Productions: New Orleans and Los Angeles 1963–1965, Ace CDCHD-1329 2017: She Made My Blood Run Cold, Southern Routes SR-CD-3502 2017: Sessionography, Vol. 1, Real Gone Music RGMCD-300 2018: Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm: Trailblazin' the Blues 1951–1957, Jasmine JASMCD-3130
Singles
1950s +Single (A-side, B-side)ReleasedateLabel & Cat No.ArtistNotes"Heartbroken and Worried" b/w "I'm Lonesome Baby"Apr 1951Chess 1459Ike Turner and his Kings of RhythmRecorded March 5, 1951 in Memphis, Tennessee"You're Drivin' Me Insane" b/w "Trouble and Heartaches"May 1952RPM 356Ike Turner with Ben Burton's OrchestraRecorded in Greenville, Mississippi Billboard review (May 31, 1952)"Looking for My Baby" b/w "My Heart Belongs To You"Aug 1952RPM 362Bonnie and Ike Turner with OrchestraRecorded in Clarksdale, Mississippi Billboard review (Aug 30, 1952)"Love Is Scarce" b/w "The Way You Used To Treat Me"May 1954RPM 409Lover Boy (alias for Ike Turner)"Cubano Jump" b/w "Loosely"May 1954Flair 1040Ike Turner & His OrchestraBillboard review (May 29, 1954)"Cuban Getaway" b/w "Go To It"1955Flair 1059"The World Is Yours" b/w "Suffocate"RPM 443Johnny Wright, Ike Turner's OrchestraRecorded in Los Angeles, CA"As Long As I Have You" b/w "I Wanna Make Love To You"Jan 1956RPM 446The Trojans, Ike Turner & OrchestraRecorded in Los Angeles, CA Billboard review (January 14, 1956)"I'm Tore Up" b/w "If I Never Had Known You"Apr 1956Federal 12265Billy Gayles with Ike Turner's Rhythm Rockers Billboard review (Apr 23, 1956)"Do Right Baby" b/w "No Coming Back"Nov 1956Federal 12282Billy Gayles with Ike Turner's Kings of RhythmBillboard review (Nov 3, 1956)"What Can It Be" b/w "Gonna Wait For My Chance"Nov 1956Federal 12283Jackie Brenston with Ike Turner's Kings of RhythmBillboard review (Nov 3, 1956)"Peg Leg Woman" b/w "Mistreating Me"1956Vita V-123Willie King with the Ike Turner BandWillie King is Billy Gayles"Just One More Time" b/w "Sad As A Man Can Be"Jan 1957Federal 12287Billy Gayles with Ike Turner's Kings of RhythmBillboard review (Jan 3, 1957)"Much Later" b/w "The Mistreater"Feb 1957Federal 12291Jackie Brenston with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm"Do You Mean It" b/w "She Made My Blood Run Cold"May 1957Federal 12297Ike Turner & His OrchestraBillboard review (May 20, 1957)"Rock-A-Bucket" b/w "The Big Question"Aug 1957Federal 12304Billboard review (Aug 5, 1957) "You've Changed My Love" b/w "Trail Blazer"Nov 1957Federal 12307Billboard review (Nov 4, 1957)"Boxtop" b/w "Chalypso Love Cry"Aug 1958Tune Town 501Ike Turner, Carlson Oliver & Little AnnTina Turner's first recording"(I Know) You Don't Love Me" b/w "Down & Out"Apr 1959Artistic 1504Ike Turner's Kings of RhythmVocal by Tommy Hodge Cash Box review (April 4, 1959)"Jack Rabbit" b/w "In Your Eyes Baby"1959Stevens 104Icky Renrut (alias for Ike Turner)Vocal by Jimmy Thomas"Walking Down The Aisle" b/w "Box Top"July 1959Cobra 5033Ike Turner's Kings of RhythmBillboard review (Jul 20, 1959)"Hey – Hey" b/w "Ho – Ho"1959Stevens 107Icky Renrut (alias for Ike Turner)Vocal by Jimmy Thomas Billboard review (Sep 7, 1959)"My Love" b/w "That's All I Need"Nov 1959Sue 722Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm
1960s +Single (A-side, B-side)ReleasedateLabel & Cat No.ArtistNotes"Crackerjack" b/w "Gettin' Late"Sep 1961Crackerjack 4000Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm"She Made My Blood Run Cold" b/w "(Do You Think That I Should Change) The Big Question"Oct 1961King 5553Ike TurnerReissue of Federal 12297/B-side and Federal 12304/A-side Billboard review (Oct 23, 1961)"Prancing" b/w "It's Gonna Work Out Fine"Mar 1962Sue 760Ike & Tina's Kings of RhythmBillboard single advertisement (March 24, 1962)"Drifting" b/w "Love You Baby"Apr 1962Kent 378Bobby "Blue" Bland, Ike Turner and his OrchestraBillboard review (April 28, 1962)"What I Say" b/w "Ya ya"Mar 1963Prann 5001Little Bones (alias for Ike Turner)Cash Box review (March 9, 1963) Billboard review (March 9, 1963)"You Can't Have Your Cake (And Eat It Too)" b/w "The Drag"Feb 1964Innis 3002Ike & Dee Dee JohnsonBillboard review (February 15, 1964)"Getting Nasty" b/w "Nutting Up"1964Sonja 5001Nasty Minds (alias for Ike Turner & the Kings of Rhythm)"(I Know) You Don't Love Me" b/w "I'm on Your Trail"Mar 1965Royal American 105Ike Turner & His OrchestraRecorded circa 1958 Reissued on the CD I Like Ike! The Best of Ike Turner"The New Breed (Pt. 1)" b/w "The New Breed (Pt. 2)"Dec 1965Sue 138Ike Turner & His Kings Of RhythmCash Box review (December 25, 1965)"Everythings-Everything Part I" b/w "Everythings-Everything Part II"1969Pompeii 7001Ike Turner and the Soul Seven"Thinking Black" b/w "Black Angel"1969Sterling Award 100Ike TurnerSingle from the album A Black Man's Soul
1970s–1980s +Single (A-side, B-side)ReleasedateLabel & Cat No.ArtistAlbumNotes"Love Is A Game" b/w "Takin' Back My Name"Sep 1970Liberty 56194Ike TurnerNon-album tracks"River Deep – Mountain High" b/w "Na Na"Nov 1971United Artists 50865"Right On" b/w "Tacks In My Shoes"Apr 1972United Artists 50900Blues RootsBillboard Pick Singles (April 22, 1971)"Soppin' Molasses" b/w "Bootie Lip"1972United Artists 50901Family VibesStrange FruitRecorded at Bolic Sound in October 1971"Lawdy Miss Clawdy" b/w "Tacks in My Shoes"1972United Artists 50930Ike TurnerBlues Roots"Dust My Broom" b/w "You Won't Let Me Go"Dec 1972United Artists 51102"Garbage Man" b/w "El Burrito"1973United Artists UA-XW278-WFamily VibesConfined To SoulRecorded at Bolic Sound in February 1973"Father Alone" b/w "Take My Hand, Precious Lord"Jul 1974United Artists XW460Ike TurnerThe Gospel According to Ike & TinaNominated for a Grammy Award Billboard Top Single Picks"Party Vibes" b/w "Shame, Shame, Shame"1980Fantasy D-161Ike Turner Feat. Tina Turner & Home Grown FunkThe EdgeReached No. 27 on Billboard Disco Top 100
Uncredited recordings +TitleReleasedateArtistLabel & Cat No.USR&BNotes"Rocket 88"Apr 1951Jackie Brenston & His Delta CatsChess 14581Recorded by Ike Turner & the Kings of Rhythm
Recorded at Memphis Recording Service in March 1951 "Come Back To Where You Belong"—"My Real Gone Rocket"Oct 1951Chess 1469—"Tuckered Out"—"Canton, Mississippi Breakdown"Sep 1970Elmore JamesKent LP 9901—Ike on lead guitar, credited to Elmore James
Recordings as a sideman
Albums Howlin Wolf
1962: Howling Wolf Sings the Blues (Crown CLP 5240) 1971: Going Back Home (Syndicate Chapter)
Albert King
1962: The Big Blues (King)
Earl Hooker
1969: Sweet Black Angel (Blue Thumb)
Sly and the Family Stone
1971: There's a Riot Goin' On
Otis Rush
2000: The Essential Otis Rush: The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956–1958 (Fuel 2000)
Gorillaz
2005: Demon Days (Virgin)
Bobby "Blue" Bland
2011: It's My Life, Baby: The Singles As & Bs 1951–1960 (Jasmine)
Other appearances
2003: The Modern Downhome Blues Sessions, Volume 1: Arkansas & Mississippi (Ace CDCHD 876) 2003: The Modern Downhome Blues Sessions, Volume 2: Mississippi & Arkansas 1952 (Ace CDCHD 982)
Singles
Howlin' Wolf