Songful Style: “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”

“What’s Love Got to Do with It?”

If May sped by, June has meandered down to the creek (do you say crick), skipped a few stones, stopped to examine the turtles, and got lost on the way back. I am here to tell you this month must have had eleventy thousand and one days! But, welcome to the last Monday in June and another edition of Songful Style! Suzy and Shelbee decided to riff (see what I did there) on Style Imitating Art only with music! Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Suzy of The Grey Brunette, and I make up the bloggers in this group. You can find all of us on our blogs and Instagram.  Our ensembles (pun intended) may be inspired by the lyrics of a song, the artwork of the album cover, maybe the MTV video, or even a memory the song evokes. Suzy chose this fabulous song in honor of the late, great Tina Turner. Last month, Michelle, who has retired from blogging, chose “All About That Bass!” You can see my look here. Oh, and there’s a link party, too!

The artist…

The “Queen of Rock and Roll” was born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee. Her parents, Floyd Richard and Zelma Priscilla Bullock, lived with their children in Nutbush, an unincorporated community. Anna Mae’s father was an overseer of sharecroppers at Poindexter Farm. She recalled picking cotton as a young child. During the second World War, Anna Mae and her two sisters were sent to live with their paternal grandparents while their parents went to Knoxville to work in the defense industry. This would begin a cycle of shuffling the girls off to different relatives as the family’s fortunes ebbed and flowed. When the war ended, the family reunited and moved to Knoxville but returned to Nutbush a few years later.

A little more…

Anna Mae found an outlet for her musical talents in the choirs at Spring Hill Baptist Church in Nutbush. In 1950, Zelma left her abusive husband and moved to St. Louis, leaving her daughters behind. Floyd remarried and moved to Detroit. The three girls were sent to their maternal grandmother in Brownsville. While attending Carver High School, Anna Mae joined the cheerleading squad as well as the girls’ basketball team. When her grandmother died, Anna Mae moved to St. Louis to live with her mother. She graduated from Sumner High School in 1958 and worked as a nurse’s aide at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. During this time, she and her sister, Alline, frequented the nightclubs where she first saw Ike Turner. Anna Mae asked to sing with him; he said he’d call. He didn’t. So, she took matters into her own hands, literally. She borrowed a microphone and belted out “You Know I Love You” by BB King. From that point on, Anna Mae became a part of the Kings of Rhythm act.

A little bit more…

In 1960, Turner wrote the song, “A Fool in Love,” for Art Lassiter. He booked a recording studio with Anna Mae singing backup along with the Artettes. When Lassiter failed to show up, Anna Mae suggested she sing the lead. Turner agreed but had already decided he would just replace her vocals with Lassiter’s sometime in the future. Dave Dixon, a local DJ, convinced Turner that would be a mistake and suggested he send the demo tape to Juggy Murray, a record executive at Sue Records. It would be Murray who convinced Ike to make Anna Mae the star of the show. It was at this time that Ike renamed Anna Mae “Tina” because it rhymed with Sheena, Queen of the Jungle! Adding Turner as last name, Ike then trademarked “Tina Turner” so that he could, if Anna Mae left, just replace her with another “Tina Turner!”

Even more…

The 1960s saw lots of success for Ike and Tina. Early on, he renamed the group the Ike and Tina Turner Revue which also incorporated the Kings of Rhythm as well as the Ikettes, backing vocalists and dancers. During this time, Tina would appear on American Bandstand and Shindig! In 1965, Phil Spector saw the group and wanted to work with Tina. While the song, “River Deep – Mountain High,” did not do well in the US, it brought the duo to the attention of the Rolling Stones. In 1966, they joined the fall tour of the Rolling Stones UK. In 1967, Tina was the first female artist and first black artist to appear on the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine (did you sing that in your head).

Still more…

In 1971, “Proud Mary” hit the airwaves. A cover of a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival, this song would be their biggest hit and earn them the Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group. This is the song that first brought Tina Turner to my attention. I can remember belting the song out right along with her…only when no one was around though! Tina also appeared in Tommy as the Acid Queen. Nigel and I saw that movie, but I don’t remember her in it. I will have to rewatch the movie some time.

A skosh more…

Almost from the beginning of their romantic relationship, Ike was abusive to Tina. By 1976, she was done. After a fight in the Statler Hilton in Dallas, Tina fled from Ike with 36 cents and a gas card. She filed for divorce on July 27, but the divorce was not finalized until March 29, 1978. As part of the divorce settlement, Tina got her name and very little more. But, she also got debts and toured to pay off the debts the Revue had incurred by failure to appear for contracted appearances.

Well, even more…

From 1976 until 1983, Tina Turner was seen as a bit of a has-been. In 1983, she covered Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” which launched her on a trajectory to superstardom! Following the success of this song, Capitol Records approved the studio album, Private Dancer.” She had two weeks to record it! The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 in the United Kingdom. It was certified 5 x Platinum in the United States, sold 10 million copies worldwide, and became her most successful album. At the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, Tina garnered three awards…Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. In 1985, she starred in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. She sang “We Don’t Need Another Hero” and “One of the Living.” In 1991, Ike and Tina Turner were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Neither attended. Ike was in prison; Tina was on tour in Europe. Between 1991 and 2009, Tina continued to tour. She retired from touring in 2009 but continued to make music, write books, and collaborated on “Tina,” the musical based on her life.

Seriously, only a bit more…

Tina Turner had two biological sons, both of whom predeceased her. She adopted Ike’s two sons during their marriage. In 1986, Tina met Erwin Bach, a German music executive. The two began a romantic relationship, marrying in a civil ceremony in 2013. Tina became a citizen of Switzerland on April 22, 2013 and renounced her United States citizenship on October 24, 2013. On May 24, 2023, Tina Turner passed at her home in Küsnacht. She had suffered a stroke in 2013, was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016, and received a kidney from her husband in 2017.

“Turner merged sound and movement at a critical turning point in rock history, navigating and reflecting back the technological innovations of a new pop-music era in the 60s and 70s. She catapulted herself to the forefront of a musical revolution that had long marginalized and overlooked the pioneering contributions of African American women and then remade herself again at an age when most pop musicians were hitting the oldies circuit. Turner’s musical character has always been a charged combination of mystery as well as light, melancholy mixed with a ferocious vitality that often flirted with danger.” – Daphne A Brooks, writing for The Guardian

The song…

You must understand how the touch of your hand
Makes my pulse react
That it's only the thrill of boy meetin' girl
Opposites attract
It's physical
Only logical
You must try to ignore that it means more than that

Oh oh
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
What's love but a second hand emotion?
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?

It may seem to you that I'm acting confused
When you're close to me
If I tend to look dazed I've read it someplace
I've got cause to be
There's a name for it
There's a phrase that fits
But whatever the reason you do it for me

Oh oh
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
What's love but a second hand emotion?
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?

Huh
I've been takin' on a new direction
But I have to say
I've been thinkin' about my own protection
It scares me to feel this way

Ho oh
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
What's love but a second hand emotion?
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?
Got to do, got to do with it

What's love but a sweet old fashioned notion?
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?
Got to do
Huh, got to do with it

(What's love but a second hand emotion?)
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?

What's love?
(Ooh, ooh)
Got to do it
Got to do it
What's love?
(But a second hand emotion?)
Got to do
Huh, got to do with it
(What's love but a second hand emotion?)
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken...

What does it mean…

I love to find out what songs mean. I had absolutely no clue what the story behind this song was. I liked the song because it was Tina doing what she did best…belting out a tune with those amazing vocals of hers. But, if you take a closer listen (or look), you’ll see something else. You can read lots of different interpretations of the song if you google it. In my opinion, it’s about the vulnerable side of love, about someone who’s been burned by love. The opening verse talks about the physical reaction the singer has to the touch of another person. The last line warns against feeling anything more than that. Then, you move into the refrain…”love is a second hand emotion” and “who needs a heart when a heart can be broken.” This song is the anthem for anyone who is hesitant to try again at love. Is it hopeful? I don’t think so. It’s more like a warning…that, in the end, your heart and love are just going to hurt you. “As Tina Turner herself once said, ‘The song is timeless because it speaks to the heart and soul of every individual who has ever been in a relationship (source).'”

The video…

Interesting covers…

There was a time when I liked Cliff Richard…”Devil Woman, “We Don’t Talk Anymore”…but there comes a time when you have to realize you don’t have the right vibe for some songs. This is an example of that. This slightly cringy video is so far from the emotional powerhouse the song is that I just had to share it…sorry!

This video isn’t a video at all…just a staticky photo. But, the lead singer has some amazing vocals and gives it the emotional oomph the song deserves.

Now, this video is just over the top fun to watch! There are so many instruments that I’ve never seen before. I’m sure my youngest would know what they are (and probably has many of them). I like their take on the song even though it doesn’t have that emotional undertone I think the song deserves.

This group just leaves me a little lukewarm…like they’re trying to be emo yet rock and roll…I don’t know. It’s not my favorite. It’s really not until the last 45 seconds or so that you really get any sense of emotion. But, hey, maybe it’s just me!

The singer vocalizes so much feeling in this video, but I’m curious why she remained seated the entire time. I don’t have a single groove bone in my boy, but I don’t think I could sing like that and not get up and move. It’s a wonderful listen!

My interpretation…

I decided to go full on literal interpretation for this Songful Style challenge. I wish I had Tina’s legs, but I don’t. If I did, I might have gone for something a little more va-va-va-voom! Tina is wearing a black top with a leather skirt, but I wore a sleeveless tank dress. I wore my leather obi belt and pulled the dress up so that it looked like a mini dress. I then put on this denim jacket (see my post here for some DIY), popped the collar, and I was good to go. Some day, I am going to get some fishnets because I feel like that’s probably what Tina was wearing. But, I went with my fun striped hosiery. Try as I might, I just could not attain the volume Tina did with her hair. I’m here to tell you…my hair would not have moved in a hurricane! There was that much hairspray on and in it! Did you notice the blue eyeshadow? I tried to get a tangerine lip but just couldn’t achieve quite that color. Overall, I’m happy with my interpretation.

The Lewk!

In keeping with my theme (I guess), everything here is old. These are Clarks Artisan suede heels. They are what I consider strolling to church or restaurant shoes. With my foot renovation, I can only tolerate a certain height. These heels are at that height. The necklace is a very old Stella & Dot. You can tell some of the stones have lost their color. At first glance, it may look as though the stones are gone, but they have just become discolored with time. The earrings are from a set Nigel bought me one year because he said I needed some pearls. If you notice, in the video, Tina is wearing jewelry similar to mine though hers was probably a bit nicer!

Wrap it up, Marsha!

There are times when celebrity deaths hit you hard. Tina Turner’s death did that to me. I wasn’t aware of her abusive marriage for many years. I was just so overwhelmed by her powerful vocals, her unwavering spirit, and those legs! Here is a link to a very well written piece about Tina’s legacy. I decided to focus more on where Tina came from rather than her relationship with Ike. I also skipped over many of her albums and successes. You can read more here, if you’d like. What I remember thinking as the accolades poured in after her passing was, “Why don’t we tell people how wonderful they are while they’re here?” I’ve been trying to do more of that with my people. We need to hear such things while we can appreciate them, right? So, can we talk? What did you think of Tina Turner’s voice? Or, were you more obsessed with her hair and looks? Did you watch her in Tommy or Mad Max Thunderdome and wonder how someone could do that? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk! I promise to respond as soon as possible.

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Thank you!

I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

Where you can find me:

Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, and Style Splash. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend with Michelle every Thursday. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!

And, now, it’s your turn!

Please link up your favorite posts…cooking, baking, DIY, fashion, gardening…it really doesn’t matter as long as it’s family friendly! If you don’t have a blog, please poke around. You just may discover a new blog! Shelbee has chosen “Freak Flag” by Here Come the Mummies for next month.

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