Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter (song)
1971 single by Ike & Tina Turner
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"Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter" is a song written by Alline Bullock, sister of Tina Turner. It was first released by Ike & Tina Turner on their 1970 album Workin' Together with Tina Turner and the Ikettes on vocals.[2] Mosquita's was the original spelling of Mosquito's, but after jazz singer Nina Simone released her version in 1974, most subsequent releases of the song have used the latter spelling including Ike & Tina Turner reissues.
| "Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Ike & Tina Turner | ||||
| from the album Workin' Together | ||||
| A-side | "Proud Mary" | |||
| Released | January 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1970 | |||
| Genre | Funk[1] | |||
| Length | 2:40 | |||
| Label | Liberty Records | |||
| Songwriter | Alline Bullock | |||
| Producer | Ike Turner | |||
| Ike & Tina Turner singles chronology | ||||
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"Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter" was produced by Ike Turner and released as a B-side single to "Proud Mary" on Liberty Records in January 1971. This song is a scathing assessment of an unidentified man, opening with "you're nothin' but a dirty, dirty old man."[3]
The song was used as the title for Ike & Tina Turner's 2002 compilation album Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter.
Nina Simone version
Nina Simone began performing a rendition of "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter" in 1971.[4] She recorded her performance at New York's Philharmonic Hall in July 1973.[5] It was released on her 1974 live album, It Is Finished, on RCA Records.[6] Her version differs greatly from the original, using "special rhythmic effects on a variety of African and Eastern instruments."[7] Simone's rendition has since become a classic and the best known version of the song.[8] It is regarded as one of her best vocal performances.[9] "Her voice cracks with exasperation, alluding that the predator she sings about might well be the good ol' US of A," observed Julianne Escobedo Shepherd for Pitchfork.[10] Alex Deley at DJ D-Mac & Associates wrote, "Simone manages to transform the song into something even greater than the original, really digging deep and pulling out the righteous, accusatory essence of the song."[6] A remixed version was released on the 2006 compilation album Remixed & Reimagined.[3]