''Blues Roots'' is a

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by musician

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 ...

, released on

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 1958 ...

in June 1972.

Recording and release

''Blues Roots'' was a side project recorded in 1971 and 1972 at Turner's 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 Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...

. Two singles were released, "Right On" and a cover of

Lloyd Price Lloyd Price (March 9, 1933May 3, 2021) was an American R&B and rock 'n' roll singer, known as "Mr. Personality", after his 1959 million-selling hit, "Personality (Lloyd Price song), Personality". His first recording, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", was a ...

's "

Lawdy Miss Clawdy "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" is a song by New Orleans singer-songwriter Lloyd Price that "grandly introduced '' The New Orleans Sound''". It was first recorded by Price in 1952 with Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew during his first session for Art Ru ...

Critical reception

The album received positive reviews.

Gene Sculatti Eugene Paul Sculatti (born January 30, 1947) is an American music journalist who compiled and edited the book ''The Catalog of Cool'' (1982). In 1966, he became the first journalist to write about the nascent San Francisco music scene in a nati ...

wrote for ''

The Sacramento Bee ''The Sacramento Bee'' is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its foundation in 1857, ''The Bee'' has become the largest newspaper in Sacramento, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 2 ...

'' that "Ike's approach to singing provides refreshing counterbalance. He added, "where Tina's fiery attack suggests a long-caged lioness suddenly freed, Ike's style rests on understatement." ''Billboard'' (June 10, 1972):

The strength of Ike's style does lie in his "Blues Roots." Producing himself on this package of blues images, including some material of blues great Willie Dixon and other masters, Ike proves his ability as a writer and artist of the blues as well as his development as a singIe performer. No horns, no Ikettes, no frills – just clean, pure blues from the roots.

Reissues

''Blues Roots'' was reissued by

BGO Records BGO Records (Beat Goes On) is a British record label specializing in classic rock, blues, jazz, and folk music. In 1965, Andy Gray opened Andys Records and set up a market stall in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Year by year he opened up more shops. ...

in 2012 on the compilation CD ''Blues Roots/Bad Dreams''.

Track listing

Personnel

*Ike Turner - vocals, guitar, arrangements ;Technical *Barry Keene, John Mills, Jim Saunders, Steve Waldman - engineer *Mike Salisbury - design *

Norman Seeff Norman Seeff (born 5 March 1939) is a South African photographer and filmmaker. Since moving to the United States in 1969, his work has been focused on the exploration of human creativity and the inner dynamics of the creative process. Early l ...

- art direction, photography

References

{{Authority control 1972 albums Albums produced by Ike Turner Ike Turner albums United Artists Records albums Albums produced by Gerhard Augustin Albums recorded at Bolic Sound