THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

192-Ike & Tina Turner-River Deep-Mountain High.

1966-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-3.03. Phil Spector was a perfectionist and made Tina Turner sing the song over and over for several hours in the studio until he thought he had the perfect vocal. Tina Turner has said,’I must have sang that song 500,000 times. I was drenched in sweat. I had to take my shirt off and stand in my bra.

‘River Deep-Mountain High’ was co-written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, (1940-2009) (see also best songs 820-331 and 262) and also the songs producer Phil Spector, (1939-2021) (see also best songs 820-782-737-262-127-91 and 20) and appears on Ike & Tina Turner’s sixth studio Album of the same name from 1966.

Phil Spector had seen Tina Turner (see also best songs 752 and 485) perform live, and was so impressed with her voice that he wanted to record her with the ‘Wrecking Crew,’ (see also best songs 978-846-811-744-672-660-527-486-262-202-197-180-127 and 71) and use his ‘Wall of Sound’ production technique. Spector struck a deal with Ike Turner, (1931-2007) and Ike & Tina’s manager Bob Krasnow to buy the duo out of their contract with ‘Loma Records’ for $20,000 (around $170,000 today.) Spector who was so confident of the songs potential also invested a then unheard-of $22,000 (around $185,000 today) in the production, and the required 21 session musicians. Spector saw this recording as the pinnacle of his career, and considered it his best ever work, so when the song stalled at Number 88 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America, he was shell shocked, and left the music business for over two years, with many pointing to this song not living up to his expectations, as a main contributor to the downward spiral in Spector’s mental health. ‘River Deep-Mountain High’ was however very successful in Europe, where it reached Number 1 in Spain, Number 3 in the UK, and Number 9 the Netherlands. A cover version by the post Diana Ross era Supremes and the Four Tops, taken from their joint 1970 Album ‘The Magnificent 7’ is the most successful version in America, where it made Number 14 on Billboards Hot 100 chart in 1970.

In Ike Turner’s opinion on why the song failed to chart in America he has said,’If Phil had released the record and put anybody else’s name on it, it would have been a huge hit, but because Tina Turner’s name was on it, the white stations classified it an R&B record and wouldn’t play it. The white stations say it was too black, and the black stations say it was too white, so that record didn’t have a home.’ Although many other records also had mixed black singers with a white Pop sound, in 1966 the ‘Civil Rights 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. That is a possible explanation, with the timing just being wrong.

‘When I was a little girl, I had a rag doll, only doll I’ve ever owned. Now I love you just the way I loved that rag doll, but only now my love has grown.’