What's Love Got To Do With It (1993)

 

     In celebration of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I thought I'd review  What's Love Got To Do With It? from 1993. I remember watching this film with my Mom and sisters. This was right around the time when compact discs became popular and Private Dancer by Tina Turner,  her first solitary album,   was one of the first compact discs my family owned.  I,Tina  is Tina's autobiography that she co wrote with Rolling Stone & MTV's Kurt Loder which is where the movie came out of and is based on. 

     Anna Mae Bullock was raised in Nutbush Tennessee in the early 1950's and BECAME Tina Turner in 1960 at the behest of her boyfriend and bandleader of the Kings of Rhythm, Ike Turner. They recorded a song together, A Fool in Love, and Ike thought it was appropriate for he and her to have the same name. Anna Mae was barely out of high school. But he was very nice to her in the beginning, he bought her lots of clothes, told her that she can sing good, gave her a place to stay, took her to the dentist and doctor when she needed it. That's a lot  for a girl that grows up poor in rural Tennessee! So they got married in Tijuana. And the Ike and Tina Turner Revue was a huge success, and the song was a hit. They have a child together, and they were also raising two of Ike's children from a previous girlfriend. 

      And while using advance money from the record company to build a recording studio at home, Tina confesses to Ike that Ike's music all sounds the same. And he beats her shamelessly in front of their now 4 small sons. In 1966, Tina's impressively strong vocals get noticed by Phil Spector and he asks to record a song with her. River Deep-Mountain High was the song and following that, Ike and Tina re recorded Creedence Clearwater Revival's Proud Mary at Tina's suggestion. Ike didn't really want it. However, because Tina is now becoming the star of the show, he accepts her suggestion.  And because of their rendition of the song and opening for The Rolling Stones in London, Ike and Tina become an international sensation. The attraction the world now has for Tina Turner and not Ike is now perfectly clear and this causes tension at home as Ike has now moved on to an expensive drug habit of cocaine. 

 

 

    They record Nutbush City Limits in 1973 which Tina has written and Ike violently rapes and beats Tina. The increase of the number of beatings and the severity causes Tina to overdose on sleeping pills. While in the hospital, a former back up singer of Ike's inspires her to become Buddhist. And Tina regains newfound strength. But this strength is noticed by Ike and the beatings continue. However, Tina for the first time is starting to show resistance and annoyance openly toward Ike. And on the way to a show in Dallas, they get into an all out back and forth fist fight with Tina actually throwing punches back at Ike! When they arrive at the hotel, Ike goes to sleep on the couch and Tina runs for her life out the door of the expensive hotel to across the street to a lesser expensive Ramada Inn and announces to the manager of the hotel "Hello I'm Tina Turner. Ive just been in a fight with my husband. I have 35 cents and a Mobile gas card. But if you would give me a room, i swear I'll pay you back. " And furiously starts taking off her rings to give them to the manager for payment. He gives them back to her and says, "Mrs Turner, Id be honored to give you a room."  

    In 1976, this event started her life without Ike Turner. She is still as good as she ever was on stage. And she gets a record deal with Roger Davies. And in 1984, she turns out Private Dancer, which has the hit song What's Love Got to do With It on it. 

  

      Private Dancer, Tina's first solo album, sold over 12 million copies and won four Grammy Awards in 1985. It is considered her best selling and most popular album.