Workin' Together
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Album Summary
"Workin' Together" came to life in 1970, released on the Liberty Records label and produced with that trademark iron grip by the one and only Ike Turner. This was a man who knew exactly what he wanted in the studio — and what he wanted was fire. Recorded during one of the most creatively charged periods in the duo's career, the album captured Ike & Tina Turner at a crossroads moment, straddling the raw, sweat-soaked energy of their legendary live shows and the polished demands of the commercial soul market. Ike's production vision pushed Tina's voice into territory that few singers of any era could follow, and the result was an album that felt less like a studio project and more like a front-row seat at the most electrifying revue in the country.
Reception
- The album achieved moderate chart success on the Billboard 200, a testament to the duo's enduring commercial presence in the soul and R&B marketplace at the dawn of the new decade.
- The record's standout moment — a scorching, locomotive reinterpretation of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" — became a massive hit single, crossing over to mainstream audiences and introducing Ike & Tina Turner to a whole new generation of listeners.
- "Proud Mary" reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the duo a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, representing a landmark commercial and critical breakthrough.
Significance
- "Workin' Together" stands as one of the defining documents of early 1970s soul-funk, showcasing Tina Turner's voice as an instrument of pure, uncontainable power — a force that Ike's inventive arrangements framed rather than contained.
- The album demonstrated Ike & Tina Turner's extraordinary range as interpreters, folding rock, R&B, and funk into a seamless sound that was entirely their own — a sound that helped lay the groundwork for the genre-blending that would define the decade ahead.
- With tracks like "Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter" sitting side by side with a soul-drenched reading of the Beatles' "Let It Be" and the barnburning "Proud Mary," the album reflected the cultural fluidity of Black musical artistry in an era when genre walls were being torn down one record at a time.
Samples
- "Proud Mary" — one of the most celebrated recordings in the duo's catalog, this version has been referenced and interpolated across soul, hip-hop, and pop productions drawn to its raw energy and iconic opening narrative.
- "Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter" — sampled across hip-hop and funk productions, with its deep pocket groove making it a recurring source for producers hunting that authentic early-seventies Turner sound.
Tracklist
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A1 Workin' Together 170
3:36
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A2 (As Long As I Can) Get You When I Want You 132
2:25
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A3 Get Back 127
3:15
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A4 The Way You Love Me 112
2:38
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A5 You Can Have It 145
3:28
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A6 Game Of Love 90
2:47
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B1 Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter 125
2:40
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B2 Ooh Poo Pah Doo —
3:35
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B3 Proud Mary 99
4:48
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B4 Goodbye, So Long 93
1:56
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B5 Let It Be 141
3:15
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.
