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‘Singing and dancing aren't the only things I was put hereto do.‘ says Tina Turner. showing something otthe spiritand philosophical outlookthat keeps hergoing strong. despite the tact that herluck has changed so many times.
Born Annie Mae Bullock on 26 November1938. she lirst performed in the church choir in her hometown otBrownsville Tennessee. Herlatetul meeting with husband (and ex-husband) to be. Ike Turner. took place quite by accident. she recalls. atthe Club Manhattan in Saint Louis: ‘Il was the middle 01 1956 and Ike would often ask girls lrom the audience to sing with his band. I would sit there every night tryingtoget his attention. but he avoided me. lwas just not his type otwoman.‘
ButTina‘s sister had a boyfriend. whose ettervescentnature wasto change her lite. ‘One night he got the mike ott stage and started trying to get Alline to sing into it. Butshe retused. So I grabbed the mike and started singing. .‘
And the rest-their hurried attair otawedding in 1958. the hits lrom AFooI In Love in 1960 all theway to Nutbush City Limitsin 1973- is history. and nota very nice one atthat. Adulterylollowed beating alter beating. butTina soldiered on and even managed to give an
i: TINATURNER ‘
l incredibly sensual
! pertormance as the Acid Queen in Ken Bussell’stilm version at The Who‘s rock opera Tommy. However. in 1976. she tinally realised that she “had to get out. take my career and my destiny into my own hands.’ Which she did - with only a Mobil credit card and 36 cents, or. as she puts it. ‘a dime. a quarterand a penny. That’s it.‘
From there, it was onto the cabaret circuit until a triptothe UK in 1982 and the marvellous version 01 Let’s Stay Togetherwhich lan Craig-Marsh and Martyn Ware 01 Heaven 1'] put togetherlor her. Overthe last louryears she'sworked in collaboration with countless musicians (Terry Britten. Bryan Adams. David Bowie. Mick Jagger. Eric Clapton and Robert Cray. tor example) -and let's notlorgether appearance alongside Mel Gibson in Mad Max lll(see photo).
However. she seemsto have a salt spot tor Mark Knoptler. who penned Private Dancer tor herand also helped outon Overnight Sensation lrom her current Break Every Rule collection — a session which. she recalls. turned out to bea Iotoltun: ‘Mark likes to imitate people and so do I. So we’d be doing all these impersonations at each otherthroughthe glass. Well. as we were recording. lwas doing Prince Charles-because
we'd both jusldone The
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’ Prince's Trust concert-and
he just broke up. Then I did too. ldidn‘t have anyidea he was getting it all ontape. I thought we were through.“ Knoptler decided to leave the giggles in, butTina likes the track that way: ‘it makes the album sound lighterand happier.‘
Tina Turner is evidently still brimming with lite and ready tor change: ‘For now my career is in tull bloom and I'm still learning —but there will come a time when I'm ready to teach the things I've learned. That's when you'll see me really ripen.‘ (Pierre Perrone).
Tina Turner is at the SEC. Glasgow on 1 and 3June.
LOOSE TUBES}
Boasting some otthe hottest young London jazz players around. Loose Tubes are one at the best things to happen to large scale jazzin Britain and quite stunning live. The twenty-one piece band play Edinburgh as part otthe Spring Fling. appearing at the open air Boss Theatre in Princes Street Gardens. where their humourand inclination towards audience participation should dispel any chillsthat maybe in the air.
See Spring Fling Diary. Fri 5
June. tor details.
SPRING FLING THE GOMLETE DAILY DIARY PAGE 6
{JOHNGODBER
John Godber. has scored huge success with his popular plays Up'n'Under, Bouncers. Shakers and Blood. Sweat and Tears.
This summer he will almos‘g return to his lirst prolession when Null Truck Theatre Company bring his Teachers. up to the Fringe. Meanwhile the company appear at Edinburgh's Kings Theatre with his original success. the rugby comedy U 'n'Under. lrom 8 June.
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5.1
Back in Scotland. attera sell-out concert tour last year. wait-like New York tolk singer Suzanne Vega will be playing Glasgow Pavilion with her new permanent band on Tuesday 2 June. Eagerto prove her the queen otthe CD-buying BMW-driving Yuppie class. critics are spending a lot ottime plotting her family tree back to Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. while herpublic have been listening to the music. Her sell-titled lirst album has now sold 800,000 copies worldwide. and her new LP. Solitude Standing. shot to Number Two in Britain in the second week 01 release. For many years a big tan at Bob Dylan. and alter a lew months as a summer camp counsellor singing Leonard Cohen songsto middle-class American kids. Suzanne saw Lou Reed— ‘by accident' -eight years ago. and decided she didn‘twant to be a traditional tolk singer any more. No one would touch her with a bargepole. unsurprisingly. at the time. until MM took the plunge in 1983. and with lormerPatti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye as producerbegan to make her a star.
NEVILLE ARDEN .
Getting ready lor his appearance in this year's SNO Proms. Good Morning Scotland's Neville Garden lorgets his musket and arms himseltwith an SNO umbrella instead lor his role in Stravinsky's The
Soldier's Tale (See Classical Music. Thurs 18. Glasgow).
This year’s Proms are on at the Usher Hall. Edinburgh Satan—6 June and atthe S.E.C.C. Glasgow 12-17 June.
The List 29 May— 1 1 June 1