She Made Stew for the Whole Studio — But That Wasn’t the Wildest Thing Tina Turner Did That Day
Short article about Tina and the Ikettes being involved in the recording of Overnite Sensation:
She Made Stew for the Whole Studio — But That Wasn’t the Wildest Thing Tina Turner Did That Day
By 1973, Frank Zappa was already one of rock’s most unpredictable and uncompromising visionaries. With his band, the Mothers of Invention, he was
pushing the boundaries of avant-garde rock, bending genres into strange new shapes. But when it came time to record Over-Nite Sensation, Zappa made a
surprising creative choice: he brought in The Ikettes — including a then underappreciated Tina Turner — to provide backing vocals.
At the time, Turner was still performing under the controlling grip of Ike Turner. It was during this chapter of her life — one of the most
difficult in her career — that she found herself collaborating with one of rock’s most eccentric geniuses. Zappa had been looking for female
backing singers when his road manager made an unexpected suggestion: “Why don’t you just use the Ikettes?”
“I said, ‘I can get the Ikettes?’ and he said, ‘Sure,’” Zappa later recalled. The move proved to be an artistic coup. The Ikettes’
harmonies added a polished yet unpredictable edge to songs like “Montana,” “I’m the Slime,” “Dirty Love,” “Zomby Woof,” and
“Dinah-Moe Humm.”
But working with Ike Turner came with strings attached. According to Zappa, Ike insisted the singers be paid no more than $25 per song — the same
rate he paid them himself — regardless of how long the sessions took. That detail has since been contested, with others claiming the pay was
actually $25 an hour. Either way, the conditions underscored the exploitative dynamic Ike imposed on his performers.
The sessions themselves were grueling. Zappa, a known perfectionist, zeroed in on a tricky harmony section in “Montana” that took the three
Ikettes days to perfect. “You know the part that goes, ‘I’m pluckin’ the ol’ dennil floss’? Right in the middle there,” Zappa said. One
of the singers nailed it first, and the others built their parts around her track. When it was finally done, Tina Turner was so proud of the result
that she dragged Ike into the studio to hear it. His response? “What is this shit?” he said before walking out — a crushing dismissal that spoke
volumes about his controlling and belittling behavior.
“I don’t know how she managed to stick with that guy for so long,” Zappa later reflected. “He treated her terribly, and she’s a really nice
lady.”
And that’s where the most unexpected moment comes in. On a Sunday when she wasn’t even scheduled to record, Turner showed up at the studio with a
rag on her head and a massive pot of homemade stew for everyone working. “Like out of nowhere, here’s Tina Turner… bringing a pot of stew,”
Zappa said. “It was really nice.”
That small, human gesture stands in stark contrast to the harsh environment she was enduring at the time — a reminder of Turner’s resilience,
warmth, and generosity. On Over-Nite Sensation, her voice may have been just one part of Zappa’s intricate musical puzzle, but the story behind it
captures something far greater: the grit and grace of a woman who, even in her most difficult years, could still show up with a song — and a pot of
stew — for everyone in the room.
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