1966 Soul Classic, Hailed as the 'Perfect Record' by an Ex-Beatle, Turns 60
Phil Spector's most expensive single took 21 session musicians, weeks at Gold Star Studios, and $22,000. America ignored it.
The single was "River Deep, Mountain High" by Ike and Tina Turner, released on Philles Records exactly 60 years ago. Spector co-wrote it with Brill Building songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, then cut it at Gold Star in March 1966 with key Wrecking Crew musicians: Glen Campbell on guitar, Leon Russell on keyboards, and Carol Kaye on bass. To get total control, Spector paid Ike Turner $20,000 upfront to stay away from the sessions.
Inside Tina's Marathon Take
The vocal session ran into the early hours of the morning. By Tina's own account, Spector demanded take after take until she finally stripped off her shirt and sang in her bra in the darkened booth.
"I must have sung that 500,000 times. I was drenched in sweat," she later said.
A Flop That Became a Classic
The single stalled at No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100. Spector considered the song his magnum opus, and the U.S. failure hit him so hard he announced his retirement and stopped working until 1970. Overseas, the song fared far better, reaching No. 3 in the UK and a top-five spot across Europe. George Harrison, who later worked with Spector on Let It Be, called it "a perfect record from start to finish."
The track was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Rolling Stone ranked it No. 33 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Tina was ranked No. 5 for her performance in a list of the greatest vocal performances in rock history. Beyoncécovered it on the London leg of her 2023 Renaissance Tour as a tribute to Tina, who had died five days earlier. "We love you, Tina," she told the crowd. Eighteen years after the original's American flop, Tina would reclaim the top of the charts with What's Love Got to Do With It. The Wall of Sound landmark was already hers.
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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 3:00 AM.