Released 1962 Length 2:33 Writer(s) Ike Turner | Recorded 1961 Label Atco | |
Genre blues, R&B, Rock 'n' roll | ||
"I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)" is a song written by Ike Turner, produced by Ike & Tina Turner and recorded and released as a single by Ike & Tina's backing trio, The Ikettes. Recorded in 1961, it became a hit for the Ikettes in 1962.
Contents
Overview
Like most of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue's music during this time, it was recorded while the group was on the road. By 1961, the formerly known Artettes had been singing with Ike and Tina Turner for over a year, having been involved since the first Ike & Tina hit, "A Fool in Love". To bide time in the studio, Ike Turner wrote a song custom-made for the girl group.
Tina Turner herself was involved in the recording, helping to arrange the vocals and could be heard singing along in the background. Ike Turner credited the song's production to him and Tina. Since Ike & Tina recorded for Sue Records, Ike Turner decided to distribute the record to another company, agreeing to sign an advance to Atlantic Records' Atco subsidiary in late 1961 for the song.
Released in early 1962, the song became a national hit reaching number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the R&B chart becoming the third hit single associated with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue and the only major hit of the original Ikettes' tenure. The song would later be covered by The Spencer Davis Group, The Newbeats on their debut album Bread & Butter, Sylvie Vartan (called "Gong Gong" and recorded in French), and The Shangri-Las and would famously be sampled by Salt-n-Pepa on their 1993 hit, "Shoop". Upon hearing of the news of his song being sampled, Ike Turner re-recorded the song with Joe Louis Walker that same year.
"I'm Blue" is featured on the soundtrack of the 1988 film Hairspray and appears in Kill Bill Volume 1, where it is performed by The 5.6.7.8's.