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Figurative

Tina Turner

A friend posted a photograph of Tina Turner and the Ikettes dancing in the late 60s.  I was very much struck by the overwhelming energy and joy that emanated from the dancers, and I started making drawings and studies from stop starting videos of their performances on You Tube.  Many of the resulting sculptures and studies come from different renditions of Proud Mary – a song about a paddle steamer with much ‘rollin’ and ‘turnin’.  Just up my street.  Tina Turner, ever the professional in the face of an abusive husband, who later did the most amazing comeback in her fifties – my age.

Considered to be slightly niche, the Tina Turner studies were included as Bacchantes in the exhibition at the Wine Museum in Barolo in 2022.  They are now possibly going to be part of  a West End musical production which is off course completely top secret.

Proud Mary

A song by Tina Turner & Ike

You know
Every now and then I think you might like to hear something from us
(Left a good job down in the city)
Nice and easy
But there’s just one thing, you see (workin’ for the man every night and day)
We never ever do nothin’
(But I never lost one minute of sleepin’) nice and easy
We always do it nice and rough
(Worryin’ ’bout the way that things might’ve been)
And we’re gonna take the beginning of this song and do it easy
(Big wheel keep on turnin’)
But then we’re gonna do the finish rough
(Proud Mary keep on burnin’) this is the way we do “Proud Mary”

And we rollin’, rollin’
Rollin’ on the river
Listen to the story now

Left a good job down in the city
Workin’ for the man every night and day
And I never lost one minute of sleepin’
I was worryin’ ’bout the way that things might’ve been

Big wheel keep on turnin’
Ooh, the Proud Mary keep on burnin’
And we’re rollin’ (rollin’), rollin’, yeah (rollin’)
Rollin’ on the river (rollin’ on the river)

Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis
And I pumped a lot of ‘tane down in New Orleans
But I never saw the good side of the city
Until I hitched a ride on the riverboat queen

You know the big wheel keep on turnin’
Proud Mary keep on burnin’
And we’re rollin’ (rollin’), rollin’, yeah (rollin’)
Rollin’ on the river (rollin’ on the river)
Say we’re rollin’ (rollin’), rollin’ (rollin’)
Rollin’ on the river (rollin’ on the river)

Oh, I left a good job in the city
Workin’ for the man every night and day
And I never lost one minute of sleepin’
Worryin’ ’bout the way things might have been

Big wheel keep on turnin’ (turnin’)
Proud Mary keep on burnin’ (burnin’)
Rollin’ (yeah), rollin’ (alright)
Rollin’ on the river (go ‘head now)
Rollin’ (oh), say we’re rollin’ (yeah)
Rollin’ on the river

We’re up, do do do do do do do do do do do
Alright

Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis, y’all
Pumped a lot of ‘tane down in New Orleans
But I never saw the good side of the city
‘Til I hitched a ride on the riverboat queen

Big wheel keep on turnin’ (turnin’)
Proud Mary keep on burnin’ (burnin’)
Rollin’ (oh), rollin’ (yeah)
Rollin’ on the river (go ‘head now)
Say we’re rollin’, rollin’
Rollin’ on the river

We’re up, do do do do do do do do do do do
Alright
Yeah
Ooh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Alright, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ooh yeah, yeah

If you come down to the river
Now, I bet you gonna find some people who live
You don’t have to worry if you got no money
The people on the river are happy to give

Big wheel keep on turnin’ (turnin’)
Proud Mary keep on burnin’ (burnin’)
Rollin’ (yeah), say we rollin’ (yeah)
Rollin’ on the river (alright now)
Rollin’, rollin’
Rollin’ on the river

We’re up, do do do do do do do do do do do
Woo
Alright
Woo, alright, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Rollin’, alright
Alright now, yeah

Rollin’ (yeah), rollin’ (uh-huh)
Rollin’ on the river (give me one more time)
Rollin’ (yeah), rollin’ (woo-wee)
Rollin’ on the river
Rollin’ (ow), rollin’ (yeah)
Rollin’ on the river
Rollin’ (yeah), rollin’