Acid Queen is the second solo studio album by Tina Turner. It was released in 1975 on the EMI Records label in the UK and on United Artists in the US. Although it is a Tina Turner solo album, the first single, "Baby, Get It On", was a duet with Ike Turner, her musical partner and husband at the time. Acid Queen was her last solo album before their separation and her departure from Ike & Tina Turner Revue.
Background and songs
The
Acid Queen album was inspired by Tina Turner's role as the Acid Queen in
Ken Russell's film version of
The Who's classic
rock opera Tommy, which also featured
Elton John,
Eric Clapton,
Jack Nicholson,
Ann-Margret, and starred
Roger Daltrey.
Side A of the album consists of rock covers. In addition to a re-recorded version of the title track, it also contained the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" and "Let's Spend the Night Together", The Who's "I Can See for Miles" and Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love". Turner recorded two different versions of "Acid Queen", one for the Tommy soundtrack produced by The Who and the other for her album produced by Denny Diante and Spencer Proffer.
Side B was written and produced mainly by Ike Turner.
Release and reissues
Acid Queen was released in August 1975, peaking at No. 155 on the
Billboard 200 and No. 39 on the R&B albums chart.
It has since been re-issued on both vinyl and CD with a series of different cover pictures by both
EMI Music and its Dutch midprice subsidiary Disky Communications. The first release of the album on CD included three "bonus" tracks taken from the 1969 Ike & Tina Turner albums
The Hunter and
Outta Season.
In November 2023, the album was made available on streaming services and as a digital download, marking its first release in any digital format.
The album was re-issued on LP and CD on November 15, 2024.
Critical reception
Billboard gave the album a positive review, noting the "strong production from Denny Diante, Spencer Proffer (and Ike on side two)....Ms. Turner's gruff vocals are perfect for the raucous British material she has chosen, while side two, though soul oriented, should also reach the pop fans with its strong Sid Sharp string arrangements."
By contrast, Dave Mash of
Rolling Stone criticized the album. He stated, "The primary flaw in the rock-classics side of
Acid Queen rests not with the singer but with her producers, Denny Diante and Spencer Proffer. The arrangements here are the opposite of what seems sensible," adding that the "material also seems ill-chosen."
Reviewing Acid Queen in (1981), Robert Christgau said: "Her rock myth reconfirmed cinematically, Tina quickly turns out two from the Who (only fair), two from the Stones (who else?), and one from Led Zep ('Whole Lotta Love,' brilliant, I trust Robert Plant has his big twelve-inch in a sling at this very moment). With bass lines lifted whole from the originals the singing almost doesn't matter. And what rocks most mythically? Ike Turner's cleverly entitled 'Baby—Get It On.'"
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Rob Theakston wrote: " Acid Queen is thus an immensely enjoyable affair from start to finish. Her version of Led Zep's 'Whole Lotta Love' takes the dynamics of the original and turns them upside down to deliver an affair that is on par with some of Isaac Hayes' finest moments.
Track listing
Personnel
-
Tina Turner – lead vocals
-
Ike Turner – vocals on "Baby Get It On", producer (Side B), arranger
-
Ed Greene – drums
-
Henry Davis – bass guitar
-
Ray Parker Jr. – guitar
-
Spencer Proffer – guitar, producer (tracks: A1–A5, B1–B4), arranger
-
Jerry Peters, Clarence McDonald – keyboards
-
Jeffrey Marmelzat – keyboards, arranger
-
Joe Clayton – congas
-
Alan Lindgren – ARP, synthesizer, string ensemble
-
Jimmie Haskell – ARP, synthesizer, orchestration, producer (tracks: B2–B4), string and horn arrangements
-
The Sid Sharp Strings – strings
-
Tom Scott – saxophone, flute
-
Plas Johnson, Bill Perkins – saxophone
-
Lew McCreary – trombone
-
Tony Terran, Chuck Findley – trumpet
-
Julia Tillman Waters, Kim Carnes, Maxine Willard Waters – backing vocals
-
Denny Diante – producer (tracks A1–A5, B1–B4), arranger, percussion
-
Ron Malo – recording, mixing
Chart performance
