Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter (song)
{{Infobox song
| name = Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter
| cover = Funkier-Than-A-Mosquita's-Tweeter.jpg
| type = single
| artist = Ike & Tina Turner
| album = Workin' Together
| A-side = Proud Mary
| released = January 1971
| recorded = 1970
| genre = Funk{{cite magazine|last=Rolling Stone Staff|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/tina-turner-best-songs-1234741225/a-fool-in-love-1960-1234741295/|title=Tina Turner: 15 Essential Songs|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=24 May 2023|access-date=24 May 2023|quote= Turner demolishes the rumbling funk rhythm with her voice, and when she sings “You’re nothin’ but a dirty, dirty old man”...}}
| length = 2:40
| label = Liberty Records
| writer = Aillene Bullock
| producer = Ike Turner
| prev_title = Workin' Together
| prev_year = 1970
| next_title = Ooh Poo Pah Doo
| next_year = 1971
}}
"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.{{YouTube|id=Dpnl45MrPMc|title=Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter}} 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" 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."{{Cite web|url=https://popcultureexperiment.com/2017/02/20/cover-songs-uncovered-funkier-than-a-mosquitas-tweeter/|title="Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter": Cover Songs Uncovered|date=February 20, 2017|website=The Pop Culture Experiment|language=en}}
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.{{Cite news |last=Elwood |first=Philip |date=1971-04-26 |title=Nina Lifts Up Her Audience |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-nina-simone-a/138052979/ |access-date=2024-01-04 |work=The San Francisco Examiner |pages=27}} She recorded her performance at New York's Philharmonic Hall in July 1973.{{Cite book|last1=Hampton|first1=Sylvia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YTMUAQAAIAAJ&q=nina+simone+philharmonic+1973+it+is+finished|title=Nina Simone: Break Down & Let it All Out|last2=Nathan|first2=David|date=2004|publisher=Sanctuary|isbn=978-1-86074-552-2|pages=81|language=en}} It was released on her 1974 live album, It Is Finished, on RCA Records.{{Cite web|url=http://www.djdmac.com/blog/song-day-nina-simone-funkier-mosquitos-tweeter/|title=Song of the Day: Nina Simone "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter"|date=May 13, 2019|website=DJ D-Mac & Associates|language=en-US}} Her version differs greatly from the original, using "special rhythmic effects on a variety of African and Eastern instruments."{{Cite journal|date=December 1974|title=Sounds|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6cwDAAAAMBAJ&q=Funkier+than+a+Mosquito%27s+Tweeter&pg=PA30|journal=Ebony|pages=30}} Simone's rendition has since become a classic and the best known version of the song.{{Cite web|url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/discover-originals-of-7-well-known-breaks|title=Discover the originals of 7 well-known break tracks spun by DJs worldwide|last=Adelekun|first=Emmanuel|date=April 21, 2018|website=Red Bull}} It is regarded as one of her best vocal performances.{{Cite web|url=https://thelisteningpostblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/26/song-of-the-day-nina-simone-funkier-than-a-mosquitos-tweeter-live/|title=SONG OF THE DAY Nina Simone – Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter (LIVE)|date=February 26, 2017|website=The Listening Post Blog|language=en}} "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.{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/10073-nina-simone-her-art-and-life-in-33-songs/?page=3|title=Nina Simone: Her Art and Life in 33 Songs - Page 3|website=Pitchfork|date=15 May 2017 |language=en}} 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." A remixed version was released on the 2006 compilation album Remixed & Reimagined.
References
{{Ike & Tina Turner}}{{Nina Simone}}{{Nikka Costa}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter (song)}}
Category:Ike & Tina Turner songs
Category:Liberty Records singles