Ike & Tina Turner - Shake A Tail Feather / Cussin' Cryin' & Carryin' On

Year Released: 1969
Genre: Soul / Funk / Rock ’n’ Roll

Description:

Released on Minit Records in 1969, “Shake a Tail Feather” finds Ike & Tina Turner putting their fiery stamp on the R&B classic first popularized by The Five Du-Tones and later by Ray Charles. Tina’s performance is pure dynamite — raw, unfiltered soul energy riding over a driving horn section and tight rhythm guitar. The production bursts with live-band energy, evoking the Turners’ famously electrifying stage shows.

The B-side, “Cussin’, Cryin’ & Carryin’ On,” dives deeper into Southern soul territory, pairing a heavy, swampy groove with Tina’s emotional storytelling. It’s a gritty counterpoint to the dancefloor-ready A-side, showcasing her unparalleled ability to shift between power and vulnerability.

Together, the single encapsulates Ike & Tina’s late-’60s sound: explosive, rootsy, and unapologetically raw — a bridge between the R&B revue era and the harder-edged funk-rock that would define their early-’70s output.