Delaney and Bonnie

One of the most overlooked but glorious bands in rock.

As many sources will tell you, Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett were musician's musicians. That is to say that they didn't have much commercial success but they were very much admired and respected by some of the most celebrated artists out there.

Delaney found his early success playing with The Shindogs (house band of the tv show Shindig) and Bonnie sung from a young age, backing Albert King, Little Milton and Ike and Tina Turner (the first white Ikette). She moved to LA, met Delaney and they were married soon after.

They originally signed to Stax, but with their first album gaining little success, they moved to Elektra where they released their second, 'Accept No Substitute'. Once again it didn't fare too well commercially but found the band a small cult following of fans, many of whom were successful musicians themselves. After a tour supporting Blind Faith, Eric Clapton went on to join them full time, taking a reserved role in the group. They adjusted their name to Delaney, Bonnie and Friends, releasing their most successful album, 'On Tour With Eric Clapton'.

The band were the envy of other many musicians, to the detriment of Delaney and Bonnie. In 1970 Delaney's old friend Leon Russell invited bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Keltner to join the awesome Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour with Joe Cocker, and Eric Clapton invited Radle, Keyboardist Bobby Whitlock and drummer Jim Gordon to make up his Derek and the Dominoes group, no doubt putting various spanners in the works for the couple. By this point anyway, their relationship was strained, and when Delaney and Bonnie broke up the band finished altogether.

To me they are a perfect example of all that is great about that period of music. The combination of soul, blues, funk and rock sung with loads of passion and presented with a great group energy.

'Poor Elijah' with Eric Clapton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir2eAEhtXvE&feature=related

'Comin' Home' Great live performance! It really builds. Awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EOxy3TF3OY

'I Don't Know Why'. Gorgeous song with Clapton on lead vocals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEYC1ZFwCtw&feature=related

'Good Thing' with Kenny Gradney and Sam Clayton from Little Feat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ofFxe03BVc&feature=related

'Only You Know and I Know'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9CdVeKr5bk&feature=related


QI: In 1979 when Bonnie was touring with Stephen Stills, a drunk Elvis Costello was (according to him) trying to rile her by repeatedly making racist and offensive comments about Ray Charles. So she punched him in the face. Bravo.

Ike and Tina Turner

Sometimes its hard to separate the art from the artists.

As most people are now aware, much of Tina's life with Ike was a misery, putting up with his cruelty, manipulation and both verbal and physical abuse.When you know the stories behind the recordings and performances, some of their work makes for uncomfortable listening (her forced suggestive performance of 'I've Been Loving You' for one), but that doesn't take away from the fact that they were an amazing live and recording act, and that Tina is a legend. 

Ike was a great guitarist too, but I don't really like complimenting him.

By the mid 1950's Ike Turner was a huge local star and renown playboy in St Louis, Missouri, with his band The Rhythm Kings. A 16 year old Annie May Bullock used to go along to his gigs, and one night managed to take the mike and sing a little with the band, a regular feature of the show. 'Little Ann' impressed Ike so much that he took her on as a backing singer, once he had convinced her mother of her safety. In the studio one day, she filled in for an absent lead vocalist on 'Fool In Love', Ike was blown away and changed her name, and the name of his band to the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, installing 'The Ikettes' as new backing vocalists.

What made such an impression on Ike, and no doubt everyone who hears her, is that Tina was one of the first women to sing with that much grit and feeling. Influenced by gospel and blues, she had a wild yet husky rasp that set her apart.

The revue had a set of hits in the early sixties with 'Fool In Love' and 'Work Out Fine', but then survived through their impressive live show reputation until their second spell of success occured in the late sixties. In between, Tina (and specifically not Ike, though he is credited- Spector paid him £20,000 to not be involved, on the basis that Tina could be) recorded the epic 'River Deep Mountain High', a huge hit in the UK but a relative flop in the US. Spector considers it his best work. 

At the end of the decade they came back with their  hit covers 'Proud Mary', 'Come Together', and the Tina penned 'Nutbush City Limits'. They supported The Rolling Stones and were very highly regarded among the new rock royalty, especially the British bands who had grown up on American R&B records. In 1976, one night before a show after one particularly vicious beating, Tina escaped Ike. In the divorce he got all their monetary assets, all she had asked for was the rights to the stage name he had pushed upon her.

After all her hardships she went on to forge a happy, successful career in the 1980's and 1990's, but ironically the recordings that I think are really mind blowing are the ones from her days with Ike.

She is a wild, wailing powerhouse of a vocalist, with unbelievable presence. Her song introductions are soft and familiar yet in seconds she transforms into something completely primal.

Everyone has heard the hits, so I want to recommend some songs or performances that might be a little less familiar..............

Ok, apart from this one. Classic, 'Proud Mary':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54XRNQ2C2x0&feature=related

'A Fool In Love' and 'Work Out Fine', an unusual performance for a woman at that time, so strong and tough, awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI1EN6GCGc0

'If I Knew Then' from the Feel Good album in 1972

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1uSav0dd-A

This is wonderful older footage from Tina Turner and an exceptionally smooth Marvin Gaye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcn18GVOG-g&feature=related

Skip to 1.00 if you want to avoid random talking, but a glorious funky performance here, Tina channelling James Brown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUcS_FTY9C4

QI: Members of The Ikettes will look very familiar from time to time. Among their ranks were Claudia Lennear (of Joe Cocker fame), a young and partially disguised Bonnie Bramlett (of 'and Delaney' fame) and Venetta Fields (of The Blackberries fame).