Dance with Ike & Tina Turner & Their Kings of Rhythm Band

AMG Review of Dance with Ike & Tina Turner & Their Kings of Rhythm Band

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

Although the 14 tracks on this album are very typical early-'60s ock/R&B instrumentals in their tunes and arrangements, Ike Turner's guitar work is sparkling, lifting the LP out of the generic realm. All but one of the songs were written by Turner, and are mostly up-tempo, dance-oriented workouts, probably intended to cash in on the twist craze, as titles like "Twist-a-Rod," "Trackdown Twist," "Potato Mash," and "Prancing" indicate. Ike Turner really squeezes the last drop of invention out of these run-of-the-mill backdrops, though, relentlessly bending notes, wangling the whammy bar, and letting loose with some unpredictable runs and aggressive chording. Tina Turner does not sing on the album (nor does anyone), despite what the title might lead you to believe, but it does include an instrumental version of the duo's big hit "It's Gonna Work Out Fine." All of the songs are included on the Ace CD reissue compilation Ike's Instrumentals, which collects an assortment of Ike Turner instrumentals spanning the mid-'50s to mid-'60s.