''Tina Turns the Country On!'' is the debut solo studio album by

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...

, released in September 1974 on the

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1959, ...

. Released while Turner was still a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, it was an attempt by her husband,

Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...

, to expose her to a wider audience. Although the album did not chart, it earned Turner a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

nomination in the "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female" category.

Recording and release

''Tina Turns the Country On!'' was recorded at Turner's recording studio,

Bolic Sound Bolic Sound Studios was a recording studio complex in Inglewood, California. It was built by musician Ike Turner in 1970, and remained in operation until it burned down in 1981. History As a young bandleader, Ike Turner had grown skeptical of the ...

in Inglewood, California. It was produced by Nashville producer Tom Thacker. The album is made up of mostly covers by various country and folk artists, including

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are " Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", " Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

and

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

. The track "Bayou Song" is an original song written for Turner by P.J. Morse. There were no singles released from the album. ''Tina Turns the Country On!'' remains unreleased on CD. The album should not be confused with budget CD compilations such as ''Tina Turner Sings Country'', ''Soul Deep'', ''Country My Way'', ''Good Hearted Woman'', ''Country In My Soul'', ''Stand By Your Man'', ''Country Classics'', ''You Ain't Woman Enough To Take My Man'', ''The Country Side of Tina Turner'' etc. which feature material from the archives of Bolic Sound.

Critical reception

'' Billboard'' (September 14, 1974):

Fine mix of country, folky and soft rock tunes done in Tina's inimitable style. On this effort she flexes her voice from its softest to its usual rough tone and molds it perfectly around each cut. Drawing from a wide range of composers from Dylan to Dolly Parton to Kris Kristofferson to Hank Snow. Ms. Turner should gain easy soul and pop play and possibly some country play. Surprisingly effective are the slow cuts, and Tina proves just as adept an interpreter of other's material as she is a singer of original songs.

Awards and nominations

The album garnered Turner a Grammy nomination for

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Award ...

at the 17th Annual Grammy Awards.

Track listing

Personnel

*Tina Turner - vocals, backing vocals *Mark Creamer – electric and acoustic guitar *

James Burton James Edward Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Dubberly, Louisiana) is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also been recognized ...

– electric guitar *J. D. Maness – steel guitar *

Glen Hardin Glen Dee Hardin (born April 18, 1939) is an American piano player and arranger. He has performed and recorded with such artists as Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris, John Denver, and Ricky Nelson. Career Hardin was born in Wellington, ...

– piano *John Hammond – piano *Joe Lamano – bass guitar *

Mike Botts Michael Gene Botts (December 8, 1944 – December 9, 2005) was an American drummer, best known for his work with 1970s soft rock band Bread, and as a session musician. During his career, he recorded with Linda Ronstadt, Karla Bonoff, Andrew G ...

– drums * Tom Scott – saxophone, recorder *Terrance Lane – percussion, sound effects Production *Tom Thacker – producer *John Horton – engineer *Fred Borkgren – engineer *Steve Waldman – engineer *D. B. Johnson – engineer *David Alexander – photography *Bob Cato – art direction

References

{{Authority control Tina Turner albums 1974 debut albums United Artists Records albums Country albums by American artists Albums recorded at Bolic Sound