Tina - The Tina Turner Musical (Original London Cast Recording)

Buy the cast recording here (Ghostlight Records)
Buy tickets for the London show here (official site)

There is no denying there is a giddy thrill in hearing some of your favourite songs from the pop charts recreated for a musical theatre show. Mamma Mia, We Will Rock You, The Bodyguard et al have all taught us there is a ferocious appetite for these type of shows. How Tina - The Tina Turner Musical differs is that the exquisitely staged performance (currently playing at the Aldwych Theatre) doesn't use the artist's songs to tell a fictional tale. The songs originally sung by actual living legend Tina Turner are used to bring to life her inspiring story of struggles, surviving and thriving. Tina never put anything less than 100% into her performances and it is a testament to the West End's stellar cast (led by Adrienne Warren and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith) that they are able to infuse tangible emotion and palpable energy into each of the songs, whether on stage or listening to on the newly released cast recording. There is no substitute for seeing this life-affirming show, but I appreciate not everyone can geographically or financially do that. The story told through the cast recording is absolutely the next best thing - and here are just five (of many) reasons why...

• 1 ~ The Hunter: When Ike is introduced to sing, Kobna absolutely embodies the simmering ambition and effervescent talent the man had. That he unravels it all in a song which hints at his true character, full of foreboding and menace, is an absolute masterpiece of vocal presentation.
• 2 ~ A Fool In Love: Dreamy sigh. The angst and self-awareness of those opening words unveil a deeper pain than the surface of this perky, finger clicking groove initially suggests. It is girl group realness with deliciously textured harmonies that swirl round Adrienne's powerhouse singing.
• 3 ~ River Deep Mountain High: Look, I'm not going to be able to find appropriate words which do this song justice, or that gives appropriate plaudit to every person involved. It is a living breathing work of art and it must be both phenomenally difficult and amazingly rewarding for the orchestra and singers to perform night after night.
• 4 ~ Proud Mary: It would be remiss of me not to mention my mum's favourite Tina song. She taught us to appreciate how hard Ike's vocal bass is to sing, why backing singers were integral to the success of the song, why the brassy instrumental was so euphoric and why it was such a delight to sing & dance along to. Thank god this version is just as much an adrenaline rush.
• 5 ~ (Simply) The Best: How can you not get a little thrill when you hear the thumping beat of this song kick in? It is the true definition of a "classic pop song", one that generations know and love. It ends a brilliant second act on a soaring high that will linger with you long after you've left the theatre - and have you hitting repeat to experience it again and again on this cast recording. ACE.