Proud Mary

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

According to Tina, Ike was not keen on the original version by Creedence Clearwater Revival, but the cover of "Proud Mary" by the Checkmates, Ltd. piqued his interest. Ike and Tina Turner's version was substantially rearranged by Ike Turner and Soko Richardson. The song starts off with a slow, sultry soulful tone in which Tina introduces the song and warns the audience that she and the band are gonna start it off "nice and easy" as "we never do nothing nice and easy" but say they would finish it "nice and rough." After the lyrics are first sung softly by the Turners, the song is then turned into a funk rock vamp with Tina and the Ikettes delivering gospel-influenced vocals. The single peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 27, 1971, two years after the original by Creedence Clearwater Revival was at its peak. It also reached No. 5 on the Billboard R&B chart, and earned the duo a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards in 1972. Ike and Tina performed a version of the song on *Playboy After Dark* on December 3, 1969; episode aired on February 3, 1970. They also performed it on *The Ed Sullivan Show* on January 11, 1970; in the film *It's Your Thing* (1970); and on a *Soul Train* episode aired on April 22, 1972. The song became a staple in all of their live shows. Live versions of the song were released on the albums *Live at Carnegie Hall* (1971) and *Live In Paris* (1971). The song continued to be an essential part of Tina's performances as a solo artist. In 1988, a live version was included on the album *Tina Live in Europe*. In the 1993 biopic *What's Love Got to Do with It*, the song is performed in a timeline of events in Ike and Tina Turner's career in which the couple are transformed from an opening act for the Rolling Stones to a major headlining act in the 1970s. Tina re-recorded the song for the biopic's 1993 soundtrack album of the same name. This track was released as a promotional single issued to radio stations and DJs. Tina Turner's solo performance was later included on her 2004 greatest hits album *All the Best*. Another live version was released in 2009 on the *Tina Live* album. It was recorded on March 21, 2009, in Arnhem, Netherlands as part of Turner's 50th Anniversary Tour. Tina also performed duets of "Proud Mary" with Beyoncé and Cher.

In Their Own Story

The stage is half-dark. A low hum of anticipation rolls through the crowd. Then Ike and Tina Turner launch into a slow, sultry soulful tone. Tina introduces the song and warns the audience that she and the band are gonna start it off "nice and easy" as "we never do nothing nice and easy" but say they would finish it "nice and rough." The lyrics are first sung softly by the Turners. Then the song is turned into a funk rock vamp with Tina and the Ikettes delivering gospel-influenced vocals. The crowd sways as one. The chorus hits. The band breathes for two bars, then Tina breaks into that run—voice a raw, laughing howl that drowns out the monitors. The crowd surges forward. The song ends. The silence lasts one heartbeat. Then the noise is a physical thing, pressing against the walls.

Reader's Guide

Ike & Tina Turner released "Proud Mary" on Liberty Records in January 1971 as the second single from their 1970 album *Workin' Together*. According to Tina, Ike was not keen on the original version by Creedence Clearwater Revival, but the cover of "Proud Mary" by the Checkmates, Ltd. piqued his interest. Ike and Tina Turner's version was substantially rearranged by Ike Turner and Soko Richardson. The song starts off with a slow, sultry soulful tone in which Tina introduces the song and warns the audience that she and the band are gonna start it off "nice and easy" as "we never do nothing nice and easy" but say they would finish it "nice and rough." After the lyrics are first sung softly by the Turners, the song is then turned into a funk rock vamp with Tina and the Ikettes delivering gospel-influenced vocals. The single peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 27, 1971, two years after the original by Creedence Clearwater Revival was at its peak. It also reached No. 5 on the Billboard R&B chart, and earned the duo a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards in 1972. The song became a staple in all of their live shows. Live versions of the song were released on the albums *Live at Carnegie Hall* (1971) and *Live In Paris* (1971). The song continued to be an essential part of Tina's performances as a solo artist. In 1988, a live version was included on the album *Tina Live in Europe*. In the 1993 biopic *What's Love Got to Do with It*, the song is performed in a timeline of events in Ike and Tina Turner's career in which the couple are transformed from an opening act for the Rolling Stones to a major headlining act in the 1970s. Tina re-recorded the song for the biopic's 1993 soundtrack album of the same name. Another live version was released in 2009 on the *Tina Live* album. It was recorded on March 21, 2009, in Arnhem, Netherlands as part of Turner's 50th Anniversary Tour. Tina also performed duets of "Proud Mary" with Beyoncé and Cher.

Did You Know?

• Ike was not keen on the original Creedence Clearwater Revival version, but the cover by the Checkmates, Ltd. piqued his interest.
• The song was substantially rearranged by Ike Turner and Soko Richardson.
• Tina introduces the song by warning the audience they'll start it 'nice and easy' but finish it 'nice and rough.'
• The single peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 27, 1971, exactly two years after the original by Creedence Clearwater Revival was at its peak.
• Tina performed duets of 'Proud Mary' with Beyoncé and Cher.