The Freedom Queen

August 1975 – 10 years before Private Dancer would bombast Tina Turner back to the spotlight, her last album (and probably her more rock and roll one) under Ike Turner’s supervision came out. The very much forgotten and underrated Acid Queen. To celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, here is 15 things to know about the Acid Queen!

1. The original recording of I Can See For Miles by the Who was recorded at Gold Star Studio in Los Angeles, a year after Tina recorded River Deep Mountain High in the same studio.
2. Kim Carnes is a backup singer on the album first fist songs.
3. Acid Queen is Tina’s second solo album released one years after “Tina Turner Turns The Country On” (United Artists 1974).
4. This is Tina’s last LP released under Ike Turner’s control.
5. David Bowie was first considered for the part of The Acid Queen.
6. Ken Russell on his first meeting with Tina didn’t realise she had so much hair, and he encouraged her to make the Vincent Price scary face
7. Side B was written and produced mainly by Ike and Tina Turner
8. The song Acid Queen was recorded twice, the film version and the lp version.
9. Ray Parker Junior who went on to record Ghostbusters played guitar on the album.
10. The Who asked Tina to reprise her roll as the Acid Queen for their concert but couldn’t manage. So Patti Labelle was brought in.
11. Acid Queen was the third single released from the LP, following “Baby Get It On” and “Whole Lotta Love”.
12. Pete Townshend used Tommy’s blindness to represent our “…blindness to reality.” The Acid Queen symbolized mindless self-indulgence, and then heroically attempted to use drugs to cure Tommy’s ailments: deafness, muteness and blindness.
13. Side A of the original vinyl album consists of rock covers.
14. A 1991 cd re issue of Acid Queen included 3 more songs: “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”, “I Know” & “Crazy Bout’ You Baby”.
15. Side A of the LP are covers from The Rollings Stones, The Who & Led Zeppelin.