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River Deep - Mountain High
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "River Deep - Mountain High" | |||||
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| Single by Ike & Tina Turner from the album River Deep - Mountain High |
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| Released | 1966 | ||||
| Format | 7" single | ||||
| Recorded | Gold Star Studios, New York City, 1965 | ||||
| Genre | Pop/soul | ||||
| Length | 3:40 | ||||
| Label | Philles 131 |
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| Writer | Phil Spector Jeff Barry Ellie Greenwich |
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| Producer | Phil Spector | ||||
| Ike & Tina Turner singles chronology | |||||
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| "River Deep - Mountain High" | |||||
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| Single by Deep Purple from the album The Book of Taliesyn |
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| B-side | "Listen, Learn, Read On" | ||||
| Released | February 1969 | ||||
| Format | 7" single | ||||
| Recorded | August 1968 at De Lane Lea, London |
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| Genre | Hard rock | ||||
| Length | 2:35 (single edit) 10:12 (album version) |
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| Label | Tetragrammaton (US) | ||||
| Writer | Phil Spector Jeff Barry Ellie Greenwich |
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| Producer | Derek Lawrence | ||||
| Deep Purple singles chronology | |||||
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"River Deep - Mountain High" is a 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner. Considered by producer Phil Spector to be his best work, "River Deep - Mountain High" was commercially unsuccessful upon its original release in the US but was a huge hit in the UK peaking at #3. It was re-released in 1969, and has since become one of Tina Turner's signature songs.
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The single 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 to be allowed in the studio, and only Tina Turner's vocals would be used on record.
The terms were agreed to, and Spector began recording the LP, brandishing his full "Wall of Sound" production technique to support Tina's strong voice. "River Deep - Mountain High" cost a then-unheard of USD 22,000, and required two dozen session musicians and background vocalists. Written by Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich, "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. Tina Turner promises to "love [her man] just the way I loved that rag doll", and to love her man just like the puppy he had as a child did.
When the single and album were finally released, however, the public did not quite know what to make of it. "River Deep - Mountain High" was considered "too black for white radio, but too white for black radio". The single stalled out at #88 on the pop charts, effectively crushing Spector's spirit and causing him to shut the label down.
The single had better fortune in the UK, however, peaking at #3 in the singles charts on first release. It was only held off the #1 spot by singles from The Beatles and The Kinks. George Harrison declared that it was "a perfect record from start to finish". UK Chart Run: 33-12-8-4-{3}-3-4-9-11-18-31-35-44->13weeks in the Top75.
Rolling Stone put it at #33 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
A year after the single's initial release, 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, 1967's Pandemonium Shadow Show.
Deep Purple recorded a 10 minute cover version for their 1968 album The Book of Taliesyn, and released a single edit in the US reaching #53 in early 1969.
The Turners' "River Deep - Mountain High" was re-released in 1969 to a more receptive public, and since then has gained the recognition Spector wanted from the record. Several cover versions have been done since, including some by Tina Turner herself without Ike Turner, a cover by Erasure, and a live cover by Céline Dion on the Late Show with David Letterman, which resulted in a studio version for her Falling into You album. The most successful cover was a 1970 duet between the post-Diana Ross Supremes and The Four Tops. 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.
The Flamin' Groovies also covered the song in the early 70's, which can be found on their compilation Grease."
The Bob Seger System also did an extended cover version off of their album Mongrel. Also Jimmy Barnes did a cover of this song on his early 90's album Soul Deep. His delivery is very powerful and soulful much like Tina's 1960's version.
The Animals have also a cover of this song, in the 1968 album Love Is and on their 1969 compilation The Greatest Hits of Eric Burdon and The Animals.
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.
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- In his fictional Discworld books Terry Pratchett mentions a version of "River Deep, Mountain High" sung by the dwarves as "cavern deep, mountain high". It is believed to be one of the more original pieces of traditional dwarvish music.
- Art Brut's "Post Soothing Out," includes the lyrics: "River deep and mountain high / There's some lyrics that'll never apply / 'Cause I don't like awake at night / With thoughts of river depth or mountain height"
- Sting claims to have lost his virginity to this song. [1]
- Meat Loaf sang a duet version of the song with former backup singer Karla Devito for his concert "Live at the Bottom Line" [2]
- Lead vocals by Tina Turner
- Written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich
- Produced by Phil Spector
- Arranged by Jack Nitzsche
- Instrumentation by Leon Russell keyboards, Jim Horn Saxophone, Barney Kessel guitar, Glen Campbell guitar, Hal Blaine drums, Carol Kaye bass
- BBC.co.uk: Sold on Song - "River Deep - Mountain High"
- Ralph MacLean
- "River Deep - Mountain High" lyrics