The Ike & Tina Turner Show (1986 via 1971) Some old footage of Ike and Tina performing at Caesar's Palace in 1971.

Theme Song: A bunch of songs from a few different Ike & Tina albums. If you are a fan you know them well and will find nothing new here.

Interesting Dated References: Well, this release had one sole purpose: To cash in on Tina Turner’s mid-80s success. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind Tina from the mid-80s and Tina from the 70s are two totally different things. First off, Tina from the 70s had Ike, and therefore, was good. Tina from the 80s only had stories about Ike, therefore she was not as good.

Best Line: Anything Ike says during the backstage footage. The man can say whatever he wants and it both sounds good and makes sense.

Social Context: Again, most of the social context here lies in the fact Tina Turner was so attached to Ike, even third-rate video companies knew they could use old footage to cash-in.

Summary: Ike Turner with Tina was a good combo. All of the musicians in the Ike Turner Revue were excellent, The Ikettes were excellent, and Tina was good. This was filmed at their height in 1971 in Caesar’s Palace. Of course the camera spends almost the entire time on Tina. As a result, we miss seeing one of the tightest rhythm sections work their magic so Tina can shake her ass. The tape starts right out with a version of Sweet Soul Music, then (luckily) it goes into backstage footage of Tina and Ike talking to the camera. Of course Ike talks about the album and the sound and the music and how much he wants the crowd to enjoy the show. He cares, he was a true showman.

Watch Ike roll his eyes around the 34-second mark for a laugh.

So a few more songs happen including Honky Tonk Woman, and The Ikettes (sans Tina on stage) do Everyday People. Still, the cameramen are stupid and all you see is Ike’s back as he jams with the drummer.

Seriously, every time he’s on camera, we see a shot of his back. That’s him circled.

Ike tells it like it is. Okay, so then they do Proud Mary and a few others and the tape ends.

Ike Turner was a real musician, he was real talent. He wasn’t a phony who cared about image.

Poster and Box Art: There’s an interesting font going on, but that’s about it.

Availability: eBay has used copies.