Come Together
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Album Summary
Released in 1970 on Liberty Records, 'Come Together' finds Ike & Tina Turner in a bold and restless moment, stretching their raw revue energy into the psychedelic soul and hard funk territory that was reshaping Black music at the dawn of a new decade. The album is a confident statement — part cover showcase, part original firepower — with Ike Turner steering the production from behind the boards as he so often did, shaping the Ikettes and Tina's volcanic voice into something that felt both dangerous and irresistible. It arrived at a time when the Ike & Tina Turner Revue was one of the most electrifying live acts in the country, and Liberty was clearly looking to capture some of that heat on wax.
Reception
- The album did not generate significant mainstream chart attention upon its release, though the Turners were better known at the time as a live phenomenon than as album-oriented artists.
- Critical appreciation for the record grew over time as listeners and scholars revisited Ike & Tina's Liberty-era catalog and recognized the ferocity and ambition buried in these grooves.
- Their cover interpretations — particularly of rock and pop songs recast through a heavy soul lens — drew notice for how completely Tina Turner could transform source material into something unmistakably her own.
Significance
- The album stands as an early document of soul artists crossing freely into rock territory, with Tina Turner's interpretations of songs like 'Honky Tonk Women' and 'Come Together' helping to blur genre lines at a culturally pivotal moment.
- Ike & Tina's willingness to reimagine rock standards through a funk and soul framework on this record anticipated the cross-genre fluidity that would define much of the decade ahead.
- The inclusion of Sly & the Family Stone's 'I Want To Take You Higher' signals the Turners' deep awareness of the psychedelic funk movement and their desire to plant their flag right in the middle of it.
Samples
- I Want To Take You Higher — the Turners' scorching rendition of Sly Stone's anthem has been sampled and interpolated by hip-hop and R&B artists drawn to its raw, ascending energy.
- Doin' It — this deep funk closer has attracted producers digging for gritty rhythm-section breaks within the Ike & Tina Liberty-era catalog.
Tracklist
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A1 It Ain't Right (Lovin' To Be Lovin') —
2:34
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A2 Too Much Woman (For A Henpecked Man) —
2:31
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A3 Unlucky Creature —
2:25
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A4 Young And Dumb —
2:50
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A5 Honky Tonk Women —
3:10
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A6 Come Together 79
3:37
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B1 Why Can't We Be Happy —
3:49
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B2 Contact High —
2:16
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B3 Keep On Walkin' (Don't Look Back) —
2:07
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B4 I Want To Take You Higher 116
2:51
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B5 Evil Man —
3:25
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B6 Doin' It —
2:41
Artist Details
Ike & Tina Turner were a powerhouse husband-and-wife duo out of St. Louis, Missouri, who came together in the late 1950s and turned the music world upside down with a raw, electrifying blend of R&B, soul, and rock and roll that hit you like a freight train on a hot summer night. Ike was the architect, the guitar-slinging bandleader who built a tight, funky machine, but it was Tina — that force of nature on the mic — who lit the whole thing on fire, delivering vocals so fierce and physical that audiences couldn't help but surrender to every single note. Together they bridged the gap between the gritty chitlin' circuit and the international stage, influencing generations of performers and cementing themselves as one of the most electrifying live acts the world has ever seen.
