{"id":23068,"date":"1988-07-26T11:00:00","date_gmt":"1988-07-26T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/?p=23068"},"modified":"2026-02-23T15:25:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T23:25:42","slug":"matr-tina-turner-bruce-springsteen-little-richard-stevie-wonder-and-more-river-deep-mountain-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/1988\/07\/26\/matr-tina-turner-bruce-springsteen-little-richard-stevie-wonder-and-more-river-deep-mountain-high\/","title":{"rendered":"River Deep &#8211; Mountain High"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;&#8216;River Deep \u2014 Mountain High&#8217; is one of the greatest rock records probably ever made. And [Tina Turner] is simply one of the greatest rock singers, you know.\u201d &#8211; <em>Bruce Springsteen, From My Home to Yours Volume 9<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It sure is, and she sure as <em>heck<\/em> is.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;River Deep &#8212; Mountain High&#8221; is breathtaking in every aspect, an almost overwhelmingly powerful declaration of devotion that shockingly didn&#8217;t actually do all that well when Ike &amp; Tina Turner released it in the spring of 1966, peaking only at #88 on the Billboard Hot 100. (It fared better in the U.K., where it peaked at #3.)<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uj0wPrN_Y_4?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>It performed so poorly against expectations, in fact, that producer Phil Spector sat on the album that bore the same name for more than three years and withdrew from the music industry altogether in the interim.<\/p>\n<p>Only after Eric Burdon &amp; The Animals and Deep Purple both released higher-charting covers of the song in 1968 did Spector release Tina&#8217;s original version&#8211;and even then, Tina couldn&#8217;t crack the Billboard Hot 100 with it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yyoB9zNSYG0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IgxDuav133g?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>It wasn&#8217;t as if audiences had tired of the song. In 1970, The Supremes and The Four Tops covered &#8220;River Deep &#8212; Mountain High&#8221; and took it all the way to #14, the highest the song would ever chart in the United States. It was just Tina&#8217;s version that had a hard time breaking through.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hb88TkuBODw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Critics adored it, though, and over time Tina&#8217;s version of &#8220;River Deep &#8212; Mountain High&#8221; amassed the audience and accolades it deserves. In 1999, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.\u00a0<em>Rolling Stone<\/em> ranked it #33 on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time List, and <em>NME<\/em> ranked it #37.<\/p>\n<p>And yet the ignominies continue: as of this writing, Tina Turner\u00a0<em>still<\/em> is not a member in her own right of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (She was inducted as part of Ike &amp; Tina Turner in 1991, but anyone who knows her story understands why it&#8217;s especially important that she be inducted on her own.)<\/p>\n<p>She&#8217;s nominated this year, though, and if the voters do their job well, maybe we&#8217;ll see her at the next Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, though, we can watch her perform &#8220;River Deep &#8212; Mountain High&#8221; at the 1989 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, where she was backed by an absolutely insane all-star band that included The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Little Richard, Hall and Oates, and many, many more&#8211;plus a blink-and-you&#8217;ll-miss-him Bruce Springsteen.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Wu9RsJnf_c8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>And yes, I know: that&#8217;s a pretty slight Springsteen connection for a blog that&#8217;s supposed to be all about him.<\/p>\n<p>But come on: this is\u00a0<em>Tina Turner<\/em>. Let&#8217;s band together and vote her into the Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n<p><strong>River Deep-Mountain High<br \/>\nFirst performed:<\/strong> January 18, 1989 (New York City, NY)<br \/>\n<strong>Last performed:<\/strong> January 18, 1989 (New York City, NY)<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 February 18, 2021<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watch Bruce back Tina Turner one of her signature songs, then go vote her in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25349,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,3612,5],"tags":[3031,261,1240,3030,2275,727],"class_list":["post-23068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover-me","category-great","category-meeting-across-the-river","tag-ike-tina-turner","tag-little-richard","tag-rick-and-roll-hall-of-fame","tag-river-deep-mountain-high","tag-stevie-wonder","tag-tina-turner"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/river.jpg?fit=1500%2C1500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9w3Lk-604","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":27048,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2021\/05\/14\/matr-stevie-wonder-tina-turner-mick-jagger-bruce-springsteen-and-friends-respect\/","url_meta":{"origin":23068,"position":0},"title":"MatR: Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, and Friends: Respect","author":"Ken","date":"May 14, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"One time only: Bruce joins Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, and more on Aretha Franklin's 1967 anthem.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cover Me&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cover Me","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/cover-me\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/respect.jpg?fit=997%2C986&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/respect.jpg?fit=997%2C986&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/respect.jpg?fit=997%2C986&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/respect.jpg?fit=997%2C986&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61099,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/11\/kingdom-of-days-october-11-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":23068,"position":1},"title":"Kingdom of Days: October 11","author":"Ken","date":"October 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"On this date: Steel Mill opens for Ike and Tina Turner, Suki Lahav joins the E Street Band, and the Vote for Change Tour wraps up with a star-studded broadcast. These and more highlights inside.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Kingdom of Days&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Kingdom of Days","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/kingdom-of-days\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/PearlJam_2004-10-11_Washington_cover_1288381759.jpg?fit=785%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/PearlJam_2004-10-11_Washington_cover_1288381759.jpg?fit=785%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/PearlJam_2004-10-11_Washington_cover_1288381759.jpg?fit=785%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/PearlJam_2004-10-11_Washington_cover_1288381759.jpg?fit=785%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 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only: Bruce joins The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, and a host of other all-stars to back Stevie Wonder on his 1966 classic \"Uptight (Everything's Alright).\"","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cover Me&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cover Me","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/cover-me\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/admin-ajax-42.jpg?fit=1048%2C1044&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/admin-ajax-42.jpg?fit=1048%2C1044&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/admin-ajax-42.jpg?fit=1048%2C1044&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/admin-ajax-42.jpg?fit=1048%2C1044&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 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