The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers sono un gruppo musicale statunitense nato negli anni cinquanta, di grande successo e influenza grazie ai suoi lavori di genere R&B e Soul. Il gruppo, nella sua formazione più estesa, era costituito dai sei fratelli Isley più loro cognato Chris Jasper, ma i fondatori furono O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley e Vernon Isley.
Carriera
La storia degli Isley Brothers comincia nel 1954 nel quartiere di Lincoln Heights della città di Cincinnati in Ohio, allorché il padre O'Kelly Isley Sr. convince i figli O'Kelly Jr., Rudolph (detto Rudy), Ronald (detto Ronnie), e Vernon ad unirsi in un quartetto di musica Gospel. La loro carriera si interrompe pochi mesi dopo quando in un incidente Vernon muore investito mentre andava in bicicletta. Tuttavia i genitori convinsero i tre superstiti a riformare il gruppo.Dopo alcuni anni di musica Gospel, i fratelli decidono di cambiare genere, dandosi al R&B. I genitori supportano la scelta dei figli inviandoli a New York alla ricerca di una casa discografica che accogliesse i loro brani. La Teenage Record accetta e pubblica il loro primo singolo, Angels Cried, che non registra molto successo.
Successivamente, nel 1959, l'intera famiglia Isley trasloca nella città di Englewood nel New Jersey. È proprio in quell'anno che gli Isley Brothers, per finanziarsi, decidono di intraprendere una serie di concerti. Una sera, chiamati ad aprire un concerto di Jackie Wilson, suonano una cover della canzone "Lonely Teardrops" dello stesso Wilson. Sono così notati da un talent scout della casa discografica RCA che immediatamente convoca i fratelli per registrare alcuni singoli. In quel 1959 gli Isley Brothers pubblicano quello che fu il loro singolo di maggior successo: Shout!, singolo che raggiunge la posizione numero 47 della Billboard Hot 100.
Il più celebre singolo successivo fu Twist and Shout, del 1962, cover di un brano scritto da Phil Medley e Bert Russell (ancora più successo avrà la nota versione dei Beatles).
A successivi insuccessi di taluni singoli, i fratelli scelgono di cambiare nuovamente casa discografica affidandosi alla United Artists e infine (è il 1964) decidendo di aprire una propria casa discografica: la T-Neck Records. Con questa etichetta gli Isley Brothers pubblicano i due singoli Testify e Move over and let me dance che vedono nel ruolo di chitarrista niente meno che un giovane Jimi Hendrix, il quale però se ne va presto perché invitato a suonare per Little Richard.
Dopo questi avvenimenti si susseguono anni caratterizzati dalla ricerca continua di una casa discografica in grado di portare al successo il gruppo. E l'apice del successo arriverà soltanto nel 1973 con la hit That Lady, seguita da I Wanna Be With You e It's a Disco Night (Rock Don't Stop), inclusi nell'album Winner Takes All, e poi nel 1983 con l'album Between the sheets. Negli anni 1965-1975 però gli Isley Brothers erano stati tutt'altro che inattivi, pubblicando singoli come I turned you on e Love the one you're with . Quest'ultimo singolo rappresenta l'approdo degli Isley Brothers nel genere del Rock.
Da menzionare l'album Harvest for the world del 1976 che raggiunse la prima posizione della Billboard R&B Albums chart e vendette più di 500 000 copie.
Nel 1985 gli Isley Brothers producono per la I.R.S. Records l'album Masterpieces, l'ultimo album che vede la partecipazione di Kelly Isley, poiché egli muore nel 1986 stroncato da un attacco di cuore mentre lottava contro un tumore.
Nel 1992 gli Isley Brothers vengono inseriti nella Rock & Roll Hall of Fame da Little Richard.
Gli ultimi lavori della band sono gli album Eternal del 2001, firmato dai soli Ron ed Ernie (Marvin si era ritirato nel 1997 a causa del diabete che l'ha portato alla morte nel 2011), il quale vendette più di 2 milioni di copie; Body Kiss del 2003; Baby makin' music del 2006 e il loro primo album natalizio: I'll be home for Christmas nel 2007. Nel 2010 Ron Isley ha pubblicato il suo primo album solista, dal titolo Mr. I..
Nel 2011 Ron ed Ernie, gli unici ancora in vita, hanno riunito la band con il progetto di rimodernarla.
Discografia
The Isley Brothers
- 1959 – Shout!
- 1962 – Twisting & Shouting with the Isley Brothers
- 1964 – Take Some Time Out with the Isley Brothers
- 1966 – This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
- 1967 – Soul on the Rocks
- 1969 – It's Our Thing
- 1969 – Live at Yankee Stadium
- 1969 – The Brothers: Isley
- 1970 – Get Into Something
- 1971 – Givin' It Back
- 1972 – Brother, Brother, Brother
- 1972 – The Isleys Live
- 1973 – 3+3
- 1974 – Live It Up
- 1975 – The Heat Is On
- 1976 – Harvest for the World
- 1977 – Go For Your Guns
- 1978 – Showdown
- 1979 – Winner Takes All
- 1980 – Go All The Way
- 1981 – Inside You
- 1981 – Grand Slam
- 1982 – The Real Deal
- 1983 – Between the Sheets
- 1985 – Masterpiece
- 1987 – Smooth Sailin'
- 1989 – Spend the Night
Alongside a fourth brother, Vernon, the group performed gospel music until Vernon's death a few years after its formation. After moving to the New York City area in the late 1950s, the group had modest chart successes during their early years, first coming to prominence in 1959 with their fourth single, "Shout", written by the three brothers. Initially a modest charted single, the song eventually sold over a million copies. Afterwards the group recorded for a variety of labels, including the top 20 single, "Twist and Shout" and the Motown single, "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" before recording and issuing the Grammy Award-winning hit, "It's Your Thing" on their own label, T-Neck Records.
Influenced by gospel and doo-wop music, the group began experimenting with different musical styles incorporating elements of rock and funk music as well as pop balladry. The inclusion of younger brothers Ernie Isley (lead guitar, drums) and Marvin Isley (bass guitar), and Rudolph's brother-in-law Chris Jasper (keyboards, synthesizers) in 1973 turned the original vocal trio into a self-contained musical band. For the next full decade, they recorded top-selling albums including The Heat Is On and Between the Sheets.
The six-member lineup of the band splintered in 1983, with Ernie, Marvin, and Chris Jasper forming the short-lived spinoff group Isley-Jasper-Isley. Eldest member O'Kelly died in 1986 and Rudolph and Ronald released a pair of albums as a duo before Rudolph retired for life in the Christian ministry in 1989. Ronald re-formed the group two years later in 1991 with Ernie and Marvin; five years later in 1996, Marvin Isley left the group due to complications of diabetes. The remaining duo of Ronald and Ernie accomplished mainstream success with the albums Eternal (2001) and Body Kiss (2003), with the former album spawning the top twenty hit, "Contagious". As of 2016, the Isley Brothers continue to perform under the lineup of Ronald and Ernie.
The Isley Brothers have had four Top 10 singles on the United States Billboard chart. Sixteen of their albums charted in the Top 40. Thirteen of those albums have been either certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum by the RIAA. The brothers have been honored by several musical institutions including being inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Five years later, they were inducted to Hollywood's Rockwalk and in 2003, were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
History
Origins and initial recordings
The Isley Brothers originally came from Cincinnati, Ohio, and were raised at the city's Lincoln Heights suburb, eventually settling at the satellite town of Blue Ash when they were teenagers. Their father, O'Kelly Isley, Sr., a former United States Navy sailor and vaudeville performer from Durham, North Carolina, and Georgia-reared mother Sallye, guided the elder four Isley boys in their singing while at church. Patterning themselves after groups such as Billy Ward and his Dominoes and the Dixie Hummingbirds, the brothers began performing together in 1954. Eventually they landed a spot on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour where they won the competition, winning a watch. With Vernon on lead vocals, the quartet soon began touring all over the eastern US regions performing in a variety of churches. When Vernon was thirteen, he was killed after a car struck him as he was riding his bike in his neighborhood. Devastated, the remaining trio disbanded.Eventually convinced to regroup, the brothers decided to record popular music and left Cincinnati for New York in 1957 with their parents' blessings. With Ronnie assuming the lead vocal position in the group, the group got into contact with Richard Barrett, who soon had the group in contact with a variety of New York record producers. They eventually had their first records produced by George Goldner, who recorded the group's first songs, including "Angels Cried" and "The Cow Jumped Over the Moon" for the Teenage, Cindy and Mark X imprints. The songs were only regional hits, however. By 1959, the group landed a recording deal with RCA Records. Later that year, mixing their brand of gospel vocalizing and doo-wop harmonies, the group recorded their first composition together, "Shout", a song devised from a Washington, D.C. club performance in which the brothers had covered Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops". The original version of the song peaked at 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 and never reached the R&B chart. Nevertheless, it sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. Follow-up recordings on RCA failed to chart and the brothers eventually left the label in 1961, later signing with Scepter Records. In 1962, the brothers scored their first top 40 hit with the Bert Berns song "Twist and Shout", which reached number 17 on the Hot 100 and number 2 R&B, staying on the charts for 19 weeks. The song had been produced by Berns for the brothers to teach then-struggling producer Phil Spector how to produce a hit.
Moving their entire operations to New Jersey, the brothers continued to struggle with recordings eventually forming T-Neck Records in 1964. During that same time period, Jimi Hendrix began playing lead guitar for the brothers' band. Bringing Hendrix with them in the studio, they recorded the song "Testify". Later on, Hendrix contributed guitar to another Isleys single, "Move On Over and Let Me Dance", which was recorded for T-Neck through distribution with Atlantic Records. After neither song charted and Hendrix left them for good in 1965, the brothers signed with Motown Records. Earlier the following year, the group had their second top 40 hit single with "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)". While the brothers' recordings with Motown were more successful than the brothers' early works, they struggled to have a follow-up top 40 hit with the label. They left Motown in 1968.
Major success
Resurrecting their T-Neck label that year, the brothers signed a distribution deal with Buddah Records and issued "It's Your Thing" in February 1969. The song, which featured the first appearance of Ernie Isley on bass, became their biggest success to date reaching number 2 on the Hot 100 and number one on the R&B chart. The song's parent album, It's Our Thing, reached number 22 on the Pop LPs chart and "It's Your Thing" became their second million-seller and won them a Grammy Award. The release of "It's Your Thing" brought record label issues between the Isleys and Motown as Motown argued that the group recorded the song while still under their Motown contract. A 1975 court decision eventually ended in the Isleys' favor.By 1971, the Isleys' younger brothers Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley and brother-in-law Chris Jasper started to add musical input to the band's music, first performing on the Isleys' Givin' It Back, which had the brothers reinterpreting rock songs mixing it with funk and gospel-oriented elements. They played an even bigger role in the music on the 1972 album, Brother, Brother, Brother. Both albums yielded top 40 hits including "Love the One You're With" and "Pop That Thang". By the end of their Buddah tenure in 1973, the brothers signed a distribution deal with Epic Records and made Ernie, Marvin, and Chris official members. In 1973, the Isleys released 3 + 3, which included the top 10 hit single, "That Lady" and a UK Top 10 cover of "Summer Breeze". Incorporating hard rock and folk rock as well as funk and soulful balladry, the album became their breakthrough hit, eventually selling over two million copies.
The following year's Live It Up reached gold. In 1975, the brothers recorded one of their most successful recordings with The Heat Is On, which featured the hits "Fight the Power" and "For the Love of You", and became their first to reach number one on the Pop LPs chart, also selling over two million copies, going double-platinum. The brothers would have more hit albums including Harvest for the World, Go for Your Guns, and Showdown, which either went gold or platinum and released several top 40 pop and R&B recordings and several popular album and radio cuts. By the release of 1979's Winner Takes All, the brothers had incorporated disco and quiet storm music into their work. The brothers' final album under their six-member lineup, 1983's Between the Sheets, sold over two million copies. By then, financial struggles, creative difficulties and other issues affected the group. Shortly after the success of Between the Sheets, Ernie, Marvin, and Chris left the Isley Brothers and formed Isley-Jasper-Isley, later recording the hit, "Caravan of Love".
Later career
In 1985, the original Isleys trio of O'Kelly, Rudy, and Ronnie signed with Warner Bros. Records and recorded and released the album Masterpiece. Shortly a year after its release, Kelly Isley died of a heart attack while battling cancer, in March 1986. The remaining duo of Ron and Rudy released the Angela Winbush-produced albums, Smooth Sailin' in 1987 and Spend the Night in 1989. Shortly after the latter release, Rudy retired from the music industry and followed life in the ministry. Ron put the group on a brief hiatus in 1990 while he recorded solo material. In 1991, Ron revived the group; Ernie Isley and brother Marvin returned to the fold. that year they released the album, Tracks of Life. Five years later, Ron Isley gained popularity as video villain Frank Biggs (or Mr. Biggs) in the music video for R. Kelly's hit "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)", which included the Isley Brothers as featured artists. The success of the song and its video helped the brothers' 1996 album Mission to Please reach platinum status.That same year, Marvin Isley's career ended after a bout with diabetes forced him to have both of his legs amputated. Ron and Ernie have carried on as a duo from then on. In 2001, the duo released their best-selling album in years with the Eternal album, which sold over two million copies and featured the top 20 hit single "Contagious", making the Isley Brothers the only act to reach the Hot 100 (in fact, that chart's top 50) during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Two years later, the brothers' Body Kiss album peaked at number-one on the Billboard 200 album chart, becoming their second to reach the position and the first to do so since The Heat Is On. Their next two released albums included 2006's Baby Makin' Music and the 2007 holiday album I'll Be Home for Christmas. In 2007, the Isleys' career was interrupted by Ron Isley's three-year prison sentence for tax evasion. He was released in 2010. In June of that year, youngest brother Marvin Isley died in Chicago after his longtime bout with diabetes. During the group's hiatus, Ernie toured as part of the Experience Hendrix concert festival, while Ron Isley released his first solo album, Mr. I, in 2010. A year later, Ron and Ernie reunited and have since performed on the road.
In 1993, The Isley Brothers song "Footsteps in the Dark" was sampled by hip-hop artist Ice Cube for the hit single "It Was a Good Day".
In 1994, The Isley Brothers song "Between the Sheets" was sampled by The Notorious B.I.G. for his hit single "Big Poppa".
Jasper continued as a solo artist and producer, forming his own independent record label, Gold City Records. He has released 10 solo albums since the breakup of Isley-Jasper-Isley, including Inspired: By Love, By Life, By the Spirit in January 2013. In May 2014, Jasper released "The One", the title track from his next CD scheduled for a late summer 2014 release. Jasper has continued to write, record, and perform all the music on his solo albums and produce artists for his Gold City label.
In 2017, Ernie and Ronnie collaborated with guitarist Carlos Santana and released Power of Peace, out on July 28 by Sony Music’s Legacy Recordings.
Members
- Current members
- Ronald Isley – lead vocals (1955–present), backing vocals (1954–1955)
- Ernie Isley – electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drums, percussion (1973–1984, 1991–present)
- Former members
- Rudolph Isley – backing vocals (1954–1989, 2004)
- O'Kelly Isley, Jr. – backing vocals (1954–1986; his death)
- Marvin Isley – bass guitar (1973–1984, 1991–1997; died 2010)
- Chris Jasper – keyboards, backing vocals, guitar, bass, percussion, wrote and directed string arrangements, songwriter, arranger, producer (1973–1984)
- Vernon Isley – lead vocals (1954–1955; his death)
The Isley Brothers - That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2 (Audio) - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Mvy3E8P2U
Testo
Who's that lady? Who's that lady?
Beautiful lady, who's that lady?
Lovely lady, who's that lady?
Real fine lady, who's that lady?
Beautiful lady, who's that lady?
Lovely lady, who's that lady?
Real fine lady, who's that lady?
Hear me callin' out to you
'Cause that's all that I can do
Your eyes tell me to pursue
But you say, look yeah
But don't touch, baby,
No, no, no, don't touch
'Cause that's all that I can do
Your eyes tell me to pursue
But you say, look yeah
But don't touch, baby,
No, no, no, don't touch
Who's that lady? Who's that lady?
Sexy lady, who's that lady?
Beautiful lady, who's that lady?
Real fine lady, who's that lady?
Sexy lady, who's that lady?
Beautiful lady, who's that lady?
Real fine lady, who's that lady?
I would dance upon a string
Any gifts she'd wanna bring
I would give her anything
If she would just do what I say
Come around my way, baby, shine my way
Any gifts she'd wanna bring
I would give her anything
If she would just do what I say
Come around my way, baby, shine my way
Who's that lady? Who's that lady?
Beautiful lady, who's that lady?
Lovely lady, who's that lady?
Real, real fine lady, who's that lady?
Beautiful lady, who's that lady?
Lovely lady, who's that lady?
Real, real fine lady, who's that lady?
I would love to take her home
But her heart is made of stone
I gotta keep on keepin' on
If I don't, she'll do me wrong
Do me wrong, baby
But her heart is made of stone
I gotta keep on keepin' on
If I don't, she'll do me wrong
Do me wrong, baby
Compositori: O'kelly Isley / Ronald Isley / Rudolph Isley
Testo di That Lady © EMI Music Publishing
BETWEEN THE SHEETS - Isley Brothers - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiL09IsNoNw
14 feb 2009 - Caricato da Kandyman1028
From their T-Neck album "Between The Sheets", this song reached #3 on the R&B chart in 1983.
Testo
This old heart of mine been broke a thousand times
Each time you break away, I fear you've gone to stay
Lonely nights that come, memories that flow, bringing you back again
Hurting me more and more
Each time you break away, I fear you've gone to stay
Lonely nights that come, memories that flow, bringing you back again
Hurting me more and more
Maybe it's my mistake to show this love I feel inside
'Cause each day that passes by you got me
Never knowing if I'm coming or going, but I, I love you
This old heart darling, is weak for you
I love you, yes, I do
These old arms of mine miss having you around
Makes these tears inside start a-falling down
'Cause each day that passes by you got me
Never knowing if I'm coming or going, but I, I love you
This old heart darling, is weak for you
I love you, yes, I do
These old arms of mine miss having you around
Makes these tears inside start a-falling down
Always with half a kiss
You remind me of what I miss
Though I try to control myself
Like a fool I start grinnin' 'cause my head starts spinnin' 'cause I
You remind me of what I miss
Though I try to control myself
Like a fool I start grinnin' 'cause my head starts spinnin' 'cause I
I love you
This is old heart, darling is weak for you
I love you, yes I do, yes I do
This is old heart, darling is weak for you
I love you, yes I do, yes I do
Ooh, I try hard to hide, my hurt inside
This old heart of mine always keeps me cryin'
The way you're treating me, leaves me incomplete
You're here for the day, gone for the week now
This old heart of mine always keeps me cryin'
The way you're treating me, leaves me incomplete
You're here for the day, gone for the week now
But if you leave me a hundred times
A hundred times I'll take you back
I'm yours whenever you want me
I'm not too proud to shout it, tell the world about it 'cause I
A hundred times I'll take you back
I'm yours whenever you want me
I'm not too proud to shout it, tell the world about it 'cause I
I love you
This is old heart, darling is weak for you
I love you
This is old heart, darling is weak for you
This is old heart, darling is weak for you
I love you
This is old heart, darling is weak for you
I love you
This is old heart, darling is weak for you
I love you, yes I do, yes I do
I love you, yes I do, darling is weak for you
This is old heart, darling is weak for you
I love you, yes I do, yes I do
I love you, yes I do, darling is weak for you
Compositori: Edward Jr. Holland / Lamont Dozier / Sylvia Moy / Brian Holland
Testo di This Old Heart of Mine © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
The Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD-9eOWsp8o
Testo
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
If you want me to love you, maybe I will
Believe me woman, it ain't no big deal
You need love now, just as bad as I do
Make's me no difference now, who you give your thing to
Believe me woman, it ain't no big deal
You need love now, just as bad as I do
Make's me no difference now, who you give your thing to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
I'm not trying to run your life, I know you wanna do what's right
Give your love now, to whoever you choose
How can you lose, with the stuff you use now
Give your love now, to whoever you choose
How can you lose, with the stuff you use now
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
Don't let me tell you, who to sock it to
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
Don't let me tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, I do what I wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
Compositori: O'kelly Isley / Ronald Isley / Rudolph Isley
Testo di It's Your Thing © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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