The Isley Brothers
Encyclopedia
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper
. The founding members were O'Kelly Isley, Jr.
, Rudolph Isley
, Ronald Isley
and Vernon Isley.
Starting their careers in the gospel
performing circuit in the early 1950s, they eventually crossed over to secular music
first finding modest success in doo-wop
until the release of their first million-selling hit, "Shout", in 1959. After several flops resulted in them being dropped from their record label, they found success again with sixties hits such as "Twist and Shout
", later covered successfully by The Beatles
and the Motown
hit, "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
" in 1962 and 1966 respectively. The group didn't find success again until the end of the decade when their 1969 single, "It's Your Thing
", (with Ernie Isley on bass guitar) was released. The song brought them success in the then-fledgling funk genre.
After forming their own label, T-Neck Records
, the group found modest success with their own recordings between 1969 and 1972 until revamping the vocal group into a sextet in 1973 with the release of their landmark album, 3 + 3
, this time featuring younger brothers Ernie Isley
and Marvin Isley
and brother-in-law Chris Jasper
who brought the musical and songwriting component to the group, making them a self-contained band. The addition of Ernie, Marvin, and Chris led to their most successful period as they successfully mixed their brand of R&B with rock, soul and funk elements. Other hits they would have during that period included "Fight the Power" (written by Ernie), "For the Love of You" and "Between the Sheets
" (written by Chris and Ernie).
The group disbanded after the departure of Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley and Chris Jasper (who formed Isley-Jasper-Isley
and reached #1 on the charts with Caravan of Love
) in 1984. O'Kelly Isley died two years later. Rudolph and Ronald released the post O'Kelly albums, Smooth Sailin'
and Spend the Night in 1987 and 1989 respectively, collaborating with Angela Winbush. Rudolph retired in 1989 leaving Ronald to begin a solo career.
In 1991, Ronald, Ernie and Marvin began working together again. In 1997, Marvin retired from the group and show business after developing diabetes forcing Ronald and Ernie to continue the group as a duo. The duo scored their final top 40 hit with "Contagious
" in 2001. With that hit, The Isley Brothers became the only act to have at least Hot 100 hit in each of six consecutive decades: the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. The Isleys managed to reach the top 40 in the last five of those decades.
The Isleys and Jasper were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Little Richard
in 1992. They are the recipient of a single Grammy Award.
, Cincinnati, Ohio
and were raised by Christian
-reared parents O'Kelly Isley, Sr. and Sallye Bernice Bell. Sallye would later tell interviews how her husband, a gospel singer, wanted to have sons to become "the next Mills Brothers
". As soon as all four boys were able to walk and talk, they were immediately trained by their parents to sing songs together as a group. From the beginning, Ronald Isley, considered to have the best voice, was positioned as the group's lead singer and front man (Vernon shared co-lead duties with him while O'Kelly and Rudy had some sporadic leads). As a child he entered talent contests winning most of them and even opened for several musicians including Mahalia Jackson
and Dinah Washington
.
In 1954, the Isley Brothers were officially formed and the quartet toured the gospel circuit. Their success was short-lived, however, when in 1955, 13-year-old Vernon Isley was suddenly struck by a car while riding on his bicycle and was killed instantly. Devastated, the boys withdrew from singing. Eventually encouraged by their parents, the three eldest Isleys returned to music but were now being buoyed by the potential secular market of doo-wop. With their parents' blessings, in 1956, the brothers left for New York
where they auditioned for, and eventually, landed their first recording deal. In 1957, the group released their first single, "The Cow Jumped Over the Moon", which had a strong sound similar to that of The Teenagers
. The record flopped. Two years later, the group faced tragedy again when their father died after a struggle with cancer. By the summer of 1959, the Isley family had moved from Cincinnati to a home in Englewood, New Jersey
.
Moving on, the group built a local fan base due to their energetic live performances. James Brown
once described the Isleys entering the stage flying through ramps "like Tarzan
" and this was before they began performing.
While opening for Jackie Wilson
, the group did a cover of Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops
", which got a notice from a scout who was working for RCA Records
. He brought the group to RCA's main headquarters and the group was immediately offered a contract. While their first single with the label failed to make an impact, their second single, "Shout", a song the three brothers had composed almost spontaneously, found chart traction eventually peaking just above the top fifty on the Billboard Hot 100.
several years later. By 1961, "Shout" had been covered successfully by the likes of singers such as Joey Dee and the Starlighters and Lulu
, it was also covered as a live version by an earlier incarnation of The Beatles
during their developing careers. Because of this success, the song became a million-seller and prompted RCA to re-release the Isley Brothers' original in 1962. The group even made live appearances on local rock and roll-based television shows to promote the song. However, the song failed to reignite for the group and they soon left RCA.
In 1962, they signed with the Scepter
subsidiary, Wand Records, and that year, scored their first top 40 hit with "Twist & Shout" (written and produced by Bert Berns
) which peaked at #17 on the Hot 100, while also reaching #42 in England. The original version had been recorded the previous year by The Top Notes, but Bert Berns was so unhappy with producer Phil Spector
's treatment of the song that he took it to the Isley Brothers.
Much like "Shout" and "Respectable" before, the Isleys' R&B version of "Twist & Shout" would be covered successfully, this time by the Beatles. Their version reached number two on the Hot 100 in 1964. Much like their earlier success, the group struggled with a follow-up and left Wand Records for United Artists Records
in 1964. That would also turn out to be short-lived and feeling they had nothing to lose, the group, who was now living in Teaneck, New Jersey
, living off their early successes, formed their own label, T-Neck Records
, becoming the first recording group to do so and just one of only a few black recording acts (Sam Cooke
, Ray Charles
, and later Curtis Mayfield
) to do so.
In 1964, the group hired a young guitarist who had been in several rhythm and blues groups as a backing guitarist. His name was Jimi Hendrix
but was then going by his nickname at the time, Jimmy James. Hendrix, who was homeless when O'Kelly Isley saw him while at a store, was brought in to the Isleys' family home and soon Hendrix was included in recordings the group was doing for T-Neck. Two of which, "Testify" and "Move Over and Let Me Dance", was released locally. By 1966, Hendrix had left the group to tour with Little Richard
and the group signed with Motown Records
after accepting a deal from Berry Gordy
, who had promised to bring the group crossover success. That year, they had their first hit in four years with the pop-friendly "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
", which peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100.
While they had modest success with other songs following its release, the group again struggled with a follow-up and in late 1968, were allowed to leave Motown. While at the crossroads of their career, the group toured the United Kingdom, where they had had a following thanks to Northern soul
enthusiasts. Returning to the United States, they revamped T-Neck, signed with Buddah Records
and began to write their own material again. This led to a major success in the summer of 1969 when their single, "It's Your Thing
", their first recording under the then burgeoning funk genre, became a top five hit reaching number-two on the Hot 100 and number-one on the R&B singles chart. Younger brother Ernie Isley (b. 1952) played bass on the record, his first professional recording. The song sold over a million copies and later won the group their first and only Grammy Award. While follow-ups after "It's Your Thing" didn't chart as successfully, the group released several top 40 R&B hits between 1969 and 1972. It would be after the release of Brother, Brother, Brother
, that the group would include new members Ernie Isley (full time), Marvin Isley (August 18, 1953 - June 6, 2010) and brother-in-law Chris Jasper
(b. 1951) (Chris's sister is married to elder brother Rudolph Isley).
, the Isley Brothers, released what has been called a groundbreaking album with 3 + 3
, which mixed soul with elements of folk rock
and funk rock
. The album showcased the group's transition from strictly an R&B act to a group that had more of a rock sound. The first single from the album, Who's that Lady (co-written by Ernie and Chris), became a success reaching number six on the Hot 100 and number fourteen in the UK. Their follow-up single, "What It Comes Down To", was a top five R&B hit. Their power rock cover of the folk hit, "Summer Breeze
", by Seals & Crofts, featuring Ernie Isley's signature guitar sound, became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom. Sales of 3 + 3 eventually reached a million copies. In 1974, their follow-up album, Live It Up, found R&B success while also peaking at the top 20 of the pop albums chart, also selling a million. The album was noted for the funk rock hit, "Midnight Sky", and their quiet storm
cover of Todd Rundgren
's "Hello It's Me
". By 1975, the direction of the Isley Brothers' music was solidly in the hands of the younger half of the so-called 3 + 3 lineup as younger brothers Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley and brother-in-law Chris Jasper looked after the music and the lyrics of most of the group's recordings. Ronald and Rudolph occasionally gave the group compositions while eldest brother O'Kelly Isley controlled the group's finances during this time. Producers Malcolm Cecil
and Robert Margouleff
once said O'Kelly controlled the group with an iron fist.
In 1975, the group released their landmark album, The Heat Is On
, which included some lead vocals from O'Kelly and Rudolph though Ronald continued to contribute most of the lead vocals especially with ballads such as "For the Love of You" and "Make Me Say It Again, Girl". The album peaked at number-one on the Billboard 200
and eventually sold more than two million singles. "Fight the Power, Pt. 1" (written by Ernie and sung in unison by Ronald and Rudolph) and "For the Love of You" (written by Ernie and Chris) became top 40 smash hits on the pop chart. This success continued into the mid-1970s with follow-ups such as Harvest for the World
(1976, another Ernie composition), Go for Your Guns
(1977), Showdown
(1978), the double album Winner Takes All
(1979) and Go All the Way (1980). By the late 1970s, the group had included disco
elements into their music and had also began to produce more ballads. By the early 1980s, the group struggled to find pop success and three albums released between 1981 and 1982 including Grand Slam
, Inside You
and The Real Deal, failed to chart successfully even in the group's trusted R&B fan base.
In 1983, they revamped their sound, adding more synthesizers and drum programming. The result, Between the Sheets, returned the group to R&B success especially with its title track, written by Chris and Ernie, which peaked at number-three on the R&B chart.
, who topped the charts with "Caravan of Love
", a song that went on to become a worldwide hit, covered by many groups, including a #1 a cappella version by British group The Housemartins
.
The elder brothers carried on as a trio until after the release of 1985's Masterpiece
. Shortly after its release, O'Kelly Isley, Jr. fell ill and succumbed to a heart attack brought on by a bout with cancer on March 31, 1986. He was just 48 years old. The death of Kelly Isley stunned the family. By the late 1980s, the group had hired Angela Winbush
to be an honorary Isley Brothers member and she produced the group's Smooth Sailin'
and Spend the Night. Before the latter album's release, in 1989, Rudolph Isley announced his retirement from show business to become an evangelical minister leaving Ronald to carry on as a solo artist, finding success in a pop duet with Rod Stewart
covering the Isleys' hit, "This Old Heart of Mine".
The group Wham! covered the song, "If You Were There", on their 1984 smash album, "Make It Big." The track went on to become the title track for the 1997 greatest hits collected entitled "If You Were There: The Best of Wham!"
accusing the singer of copyright infringement for singing their 1964 song, "Love is a Wonderful Thing", which they wrote, without their permission. While Bolton insisted he didn't steal from the group, a judge awarded damages to Rudolph and Ronald after noting that while their songs, with the same titles, were different, elements of the songs were similar to each other. Bolton tried overturning the ruling on appeal in 2001 but was again defeated in court and was forced to share writing credits of his hit with the brothers. This success revamped interest in the Isley Brothers and while Rudolph insisted on staying retired, Ronald, Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley reformed the group. The group's billing was also slightly changed to The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley to reflect Ronald's desire to be seen as the group's dominant leader. Later that year, they released the album, Tracks of Life
.
A year later, with one of their biggest admirers, Little Richard
, the group, along with Chris Jasper, was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. After the release of a live album in 1993, their Warner Bros. Records contract was allowed to expire and in 1995, they signed a new contract with Island Def Jam's Def Soul imprint. A year later, the group released Mission to Please
, which resulted in their biggest chart success in thirteen years. Boosted by Ronald Isley's collaboration with R&B star R. Kelly
on the hit, "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)
" (credited on the single as R. Kelly featuring Ronald Isley and Ernie Isley) and its accompanying video, which saw Isley play a villainous character named "Mr. Biggs", the album went platinum and boosted a top 50 hit with "Float On Your Love", which was a duet between Ronald Isley and then-wife Angela Winbush. The song found success mainly from its hip-hop remix produced by Puff Daddy
and including rapper Lil' Kim
. Shortly after promotion of the record ended in 1997, Marvin Isley left the group after contracting diabetes. The illness eventually led to Isley's legs being amputated. Brothers Ronald and Ernie carried on as a duo. Ronald also worked with R. Kelly on solo ventures and collaborated with Kelly Price
on R. Kelly's remixed production of Price's first hit, 1998's "Friend of Mine".
In 2001, the Isley Brothers scored their biggest hit in years when they released the R. Kelly-produced ballad, "Contagious
", which peaked at number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the R&B chart. Because of this, they had become the only group to chart in six decades. The song went platinum, selling over a million copies, while its parent album, Eternal
, with its title track lyrics written by Ernie, sold over three million copies alone in the states. Two years later, their follow-up album, Body Kiss
, became their first album to debut at number-one on the Billboard 200 becoming their first number-one pop album since 1975's The Heat Is On, later going gold. The same year, Ronald Isley released his first solo album, Here I Am, which was a collaboration between Isley and producer Burt Bacharach
, the collection won critical praise. Throughout the early millennium, Ronald Isley gained notice as a popular hook singer for hip-hop recordings.
On July 30, 2003, the group performed in front of its largest audience ever when they played in the afternoon during Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto, a benefit to help raise the city's failing economy during the SARS crisis.
in 2005. A year later, the Isley Brothers returned with Baby Makin' Music
, which included the adult R&B top 40 hit, "Just Came Here to Chill" and came out with their first holiday album a year after that. In 2007, Isley was convicted of tax evasion charges and was given a 37-month sentence, which he served, first in a federal prison and then in a halfway house. He was released from the halfway house in April 2010 bringing an ending to his sentence. While his brother was serving jail time, brother Ernie began working on solo material and also participated in the Experience Hendrix festival for two months in the spring of 2010. On June 6, 2010, Marvin Isley died from complications of diabetes at the Seasons Hospice within the Weiss Memorial Hospital
in Chicago, Illinois. He was 56. Ronald Isley released his first solo album, Mr. I, in November. Chris Jasper, who has had little contact with his brothers-in-law since splitting from Isley-Jasper-Isley in 1988 (except for Marvin Isley, with whom he kept in close contact until Marvin's untimely death), continues to record and release solo material and produce artists for his independent Gold City Records label. Rudolph Isley has retired from his ministry work and is living quietly in California. Ernie toured with the fall edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour in Canada and the United States later in 2010. The group - consisting of just Ronald and Ernie - continue to perform together on the road.
Chris Jasper
Chris Jasper is a former member of both the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley. He is also a successful solo artist and record producer, recording a number of his own solo albums, and producing artists, for his New York based record label, Gold City Records...
. The founding members were O'Kelly Isley, Jr.
O'Kelly Isley, Jr.
O'Kelly Isley, Jr. , better known as Kelly Isley, was an American singer and one of the founding members of the legendary family group, The Isley Brothers.-Biography:...
, Rudolph Isley
Rudolph Isley
Rudolph Bernard Isley , better known as Rudy Isley, is an American singer-songwriter and is one of the founding members of the legendary family group, The Isley Brothers.-Biography:...
, Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.-Career:...
and Vernon Isley.
Starting their careers in the gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
performing circuit in the early 1950s, they eventually crossed over to secular music
Secular music
Secular music is non-religious music. "Secular" means being separate from religion.In the West, secular music developed in the Medieval period and was used in the Renaissance. Swaying authority from the Church that focused more on Common Law influenced all aspects of Medieval life, including music...
first finding modest success in doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
until the release of their first million-selling hit, "Shout", in 1959. After several flops resulted in them being dropped from their record label, they found success again with sixties hits such as "Twist and Shout
Twist and Shout
"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was covered by The Beatles with John Lennon on the lead vocals and originally released on their first album...
", later covered successfully by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and the Motown
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
hit, "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
"This Old Heart of Mine " is an Isley Brothers song from 1966 that was a hit for them during their brief tenure on Motown's Tamla label...
" in 1962 and 1966 respectively. The group didn't find success again until the end of the decade when their 1969 single, "It's Your Thing
It's Your Thing
"It's Your Thing" is an influential funk single by the Isley Brothers. Released in 1969, the funk anthem was an artistic response to Motown chief Berry Gordy's demanding hold on his artists after the Isleys left the label in late-1968....
", (with Ernie Isley on bass guitar) was released. The song brought them success in the then-fledgling funk genre.
After forming their own label, T-Neck Records
T-Neck Records
T-Neck Records was a record label founded by The Isley Brothers in 1964.It's notable for having the Isleys becoming the first R&B band to form a record label, a rarity in black music. During the label's early years, the Isleys issued the records "Testify" and "Move Over And Let Me Dance", which...
, the group found modest success with their own recordings between 1969 and 1972 until revamping the vocal group into a sextet in 1973 with the release of their landmark album, 3 + 3
3 + 3
3 + 3 is a 1973 album released by The Isley Brothers for the Epic label under their T-Neck imprint. Their first album for the label after several years in Buddah Records, it was also the first time the family group, which had consisted of founding members O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley and...
, this time featuring younger brothers Ernie Isley
Ernie Isley
Ernest "Ernie" Isley is a member of the iconic American musical ensemble, The Isley Brothers.-Life and career:Ernie was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his older brothers formed The Isley Brothers, first as a gospel group, then as a secular-singing group. In 1960 his family moved to Englewood and...
and Marvin Isley
Marvin Isley
Marvin Isley was the youngest member of the family music group the Isley Brothers and its bass guitarist....
and brother-in-law Chris Jasper
Chris Jasper
Chris Jasper is a former member of both the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley. He is also a successful solo artist and record producer, recording a number of his own solo albums, and producing artists, for his New York based record label, Gold City Records...
who brought the musical and songwriting component to the group, making them a self-contained band. The addition of Ernie, Marvin, and Chris led to their most successful period as they successfully mixed their brand of R&B with rock, soul and funk elements. Other hits they would have during that period included "Fight the Power" (written by Ernie), "For the Love of You" and "Between the Sheets
Between the Sheets (song)
"Between the Sheets" is a quiet storm funk song released by American R&B/soul/funk band The Isley Brothers in 1983 off their album of the same name on the T-Neck imprint.-History:...
" (written by Chris and Ernie).
The group disbanded after the departure of Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley and Chris Jasper (who formed Isley-Jasper-Isley
Isley-Jasper-Isley
Isley/Jasper/Isley was a splinter group of the Isley Brothers formed in 1984 by brother-in-law Chris Jasper , Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley , due to creative differences that arose among the group....
and reached #1 on the charts with Caravan of Love
Caravan of Love
"Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of The Isley Brothers' 3 + 3 lineup of the 1970s.-Isley-Jasper-Isley version:...
) in 1984. O'Kelly Isley died two years later. Rudolph and Ronald released the post O'Kelly albums, Smooth Sailin'
Smooth Sailin'
Smooth Sailin is a 1987 album released by The Isley Brothers on Warner Bros. Records. This album was the first album that the brothers released as a duo of Rudolph and Ronald after the untimely death of eldest brother O'Kelly, who had died in March of the previous year of a heart attack...
and Spend the Night in 1987 and 1989 respectively, collaborating with Angela Winbush. Rudolph retired in 1989 leaving Ronald to begin a solo career.
In 1991, Ronald, Ernie and Marvin began working together again. In 1997, Marvin retired from the group and show business after developing diabetes forcing Ronald and Ernie to continue the group as a duo. The duo scored their final top 40 hit with "Contagious
Contagious (song)
"Contagious" is a song by The Isley Brothers featuring group member Ronald Isley. It was released as a single off of their 2001 album "Eternal". The song was written and produced by R...
" in 2001. With that hit, The Isley Brothers became the only act to have at least Hot 100 hit in each of six consecutive decades: the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. The Isleys managed to reach the top 40 in the last five of those decades.
The Isleys and Jasper were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
in 1992. They are the recipient of a single Grammy Award.
Early formation and career: 1954-1959
Brothers O'Kelly "Kelly" Isley (December 25, 1937 - March 31, 1986), Rudolph "Rudy" Isley (b. 1939), Ronald "Ronnie" Isley (b. 1941) and Vernon Isley (1942–1955) grew up in the predominantly black section of Lincoln HeightsLincoln Heights, Ohio
Lincoln Heights is a village in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,113 at the 2000 census. Lincoln Heights, located in southwestern Ohio, is a suburb of Cincinnati.-Geography:Lincoln Heights is located at ....
, Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and were raised by Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
-reared parents O'Kelly Isley, Sr. and Sallye Bernice Bell. Sallye would later tell interviews how her husband, a gospel singer, wanted to have sons to become "the next Mills Brothers
Mills Brothers
The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed as The Four Mills Brothers, were an American jazz and pop vocal quartet of the 20th century who made more than 2,000 recordings that combined sold more than 50 million copies, and garnered at least three dozen gold records...
". As soon as all four boys were able to walk and talk, they were immediately trained by their parents to sing songs together as a group. From the beginning, Ronald Isley, considered to have the best voice, was positioned as the group's lead singer and front man (Vernon shared co-lead duties with him while O'Kelly and Rudy had some sporadic leads). As a child he entered talent contests winning most of them and even opened for several musicians including Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson – January 27, 1972) was an African-American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel"...
and Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...
.
In 1954, the Isley Brothers were officially formed and the quartet toured the gospel circuit. Their success was short-lived, however, when in 1955, 13-year-old Vernon Isley was suddenly struck by a car while riding on his bicycle and was killed instantly. Devastated, the boys withdrew from singing. Eventually encouraged by their parents, the three eldest Isleys returned to music but were now being buoyed by the potential secular market of doo-wop. With their parents' blessings, in 1956, the brothers left for New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where they auditioned for, and eventually, landed their first recording deal. In 1957, the group released their first single, "The Cow Jumped Over the Moon", which had a strong sound similar to that of The Teenagers
The Teenagers
The Teenagers are an American integrated doo wop group, most noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes, presented to international audiences by DJ Alan Freed...
. The record flopped. Two years later, the group faced tragedy again when their father died after a struggle with cancer. By the summer of 1959, the Isley family had moved from Cincinnati to a home in Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
.
Moving on, the group built a local fan base due to their energetic live performances. James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
once described the Isleys entering the stage flying through ramps "like Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
" and this was before they began performing.
While opening for Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
, the group did a cover of Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops
Lonely Teardrops
"Lonely Teardrops" is a song recorded and released as a single in 1958 by R&B singer Jackie Wilson on the Brunswick label. It is a 1999 Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee...
", which got a notice from a scout who was working for RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. He brought the group to RCA's main headquarters and the group was immediately offered a contract. While their first single with the label failed to make an impact, their second single, "Shout", a song the three brothers had composed almost spontaneously, found chart traction eventually peaking just above the top fifty on the Billboard Hot 100.
Early success: 1960-1972
Though the brothers continued to struggle with recordings, their early success was mainly built on their live performances. In 1960, the group released the original version of the song, "Respectable", a doo-wop ballad they had also had a hand in writing. While their version failed to chart, another group, the Outsiders, had success with it, as did The YardbirdsThe Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
several years later. By 1961, "Shout" had been covered successfully by the likes of singers such as Joey Dee and the Starlighters and Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
, it was also covered as a live version by an earlier incarnation of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
during their developing careers. Because of this success, the song became a million-seller and prompted RCA to re-release the Isley Brothers' original in 1962. The group even made live appearances on local rock and roll-based television shows to promote the song. However, the song failed to reignite for the group and they soon left RCA.
In 1962, they signed with the Scepter
Scepter Records
Scepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
subsidiary, Wand Records, and that year, scored their first top 40 hit with "Twist & Shout" (written and produced by Bert Berns
Bert Berns
Bertrand Russell Berns , most commonly known as Bert Berns as well as Bert Russell and Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s...
) which peaked at #17 on the Hot 100, while also reaching #42 in England. The original version had been recorded the previous year by The Top Notes, but Bert Berns was so unhappy with producer Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
's treatment of the song that he took it to the Isley Brothers.
Much like "Shout" and "Respectable" before, the Isleys' R&B version of "Twist & Shout" would be covered successfully, this time by the Beatles. Their version reached number two on the Hot 100 in 1964. Much like their earlier success, the group struggled with a follow-up and left Wand Records for United Artists Records
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
in 1964. That would also turn out to be short-lived and feeling they had nothing to lose, the group, who was now living in Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
, living off their early successes, formed their own label, T-Neck Records
T-Neck Records
T-Neck Records was a record label founded by The Isley Brothers in 1964.It's notable for having the Isleys becoming the first R&B band to form a record label, a rarity in black music. During the label's early years, the Isleys issued the records "Testify" and "Move Over And Let Me Dance", which...
, becoming the first recording group to do so and just one of only a few black recording acts (Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, and later Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
) to do so.
In 1964, the group hired a young guitarist who had been in several rhythm and blues groups as a backing guitarist. His name was Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
but was then going by his nickname at the time, Jimmy James. Hendrix, who was homeless when O'Kelly Isley saw him while at a store, was brought in to the Isleys' family home and soon Hendrix was included in recordings the group was doing for T-Neck. Two of which, "Testify" and "Move Over and Let Me Dance", was released locally. By 1966, Hendrix had left the group to tour with Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
and the group signed with Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
after accepting a deal from Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
, who had promised to bring the group crossover success. That year, they had their first hit in four years with the pop-friendly "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
"This Old Heart of Mine " is an Isley Brothers song from 1966 that was a hit for them during their brief tenure on Motown's Tamla label...
", which peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100.
While they had modest success with other songs following its release, the group again struggled with a follow-up and in late 1968, were allowed to leave Motown. While at the crossroads of their career, the group toured the United Kingdom, where they had had a following thanks to Northern soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
enthusiasts. Returning to the United States, they revamped T-Neck, signed with Buddah Records
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
and began to write their own material again. This led to a major success in the summer of 1969 when their single, "It's Your Thing
It's Your Thing
"It's Your Thing" is an influential funk single by the Isley Brothers. Released in 1969, the funk anthem was an artistic response to Motown chief Berry Gordy's demanding hold on his artists after the Isleys left the label in late-1968....
", their first recording under the then burgeoning funk genre, became a top five hit reaching number-two on the Hot 100 and number-one on the R&B singles chart. Younger brother Ernie Isley (b. 1952) played bass on the record, his first professional recording. The song sold over a million copies and later won the group their first and only Grammy Award. While follow-ups after "It's Your Thing" didn't chart as successfully, the group released several top 40 R&B hits between 1969 and 1972. It would be after the release of Brother, Brother, Brother
Brother, Brother, Brother
Brother, Brother, Brother is a 1972 rock album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint. It was to be the Isleys' last studio record with Buddah Records moving on to Epic in the middle of 1973...
, that the group would include new members Ernie Isley (full time), Marvin Isley (August 18, 1953 - June 6, 2010) and brother-in-law Chris Jasper
Chris Jasper
Chris Jasper is a former member of both the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley. He is also a successful solo artist and record producer, recording a number of his own solo albums, and producing artists, for his New York based record label, Gold City Records...
(b. 1951) (Chris's sister is married to elder brother Rudolph Isley).
The 3 + 3 period: 1973-1984
In 1973, with a new lineup and a new deal with Epic RecordsEpic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, the Isley Brothers, released what has been called a groundbreaking album with 3 + 3
3 + 3
3 + 3 is a 1973 album released by The Isley Brothers for the Epic label under their T-Neck imprint. Their first album for the label after several years in Buddah Records, it was also the first time the family group, which had consisted of founding members O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley and...
, which mixed soul with elements of folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
and funk rock
Funk rock
Funk rock is a music genre that fuses funk and rock elements. Its earliest incarnation was heard in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s by acts such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience , Eric Burdon and War, Trapeze, Parliament-Funkadelic, Betty Davis and Mother's Finest. The 1990s were known for acts...
. The album showcased the group's transition from strictly an R&B act to a group that had more of a rock sound. The first single from the album, Who's that Lady (co-written by Ernie and Chris), became a success reaching number six on the Hot 100 and number fourteen in the UK. Their follow-up single, "What It Comes Down To", was a top five R&B hit. Their power rock cover of the folk hit, "Summer Breeze
Summer Breeze (song)
"Summer Breeze" is the title of a song written and recorded by Seals and Crofts that has been covered by The Isley Brothers, Type O Negative, the Three Tenors, and several other artists.-Seals & Crofts version:...
", by Seals & Crofts, featuring Ernie Isley's signature guitar sound, became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom. Sales of 3 + 3 eventually reached a million copies. In 1974, their follow-up album, Live It Up, found R&B success while also peaking at the top 20 of the pop albums chart, also selling a million. The album was noted for the funk rock hit, "Midnight Sky", and their quiet storm
Quiet storm
Quiet storm is a late-night radio format, featuring soulful slow jams, pioneered in the mid-1970s by then-station-intern Melvin Lindsey at WHUR-FM, in Washington, D.C. Smokey Robinson's like-titled hit single, released in 1975 as the title track to his third solo album, lent its name to the format...
cover of Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
's "Hello It's Me
Hello It's Me
"Hello It's Me" is a Billboard #5 hit song composed by Todd Rundgren that has been recorded numerous times, and would become Rundgren's best-known song.- Background :...
". By 1975, the direction of the Isley Brothers' music was solidly in the hands of the younger half of the so-called 3 + 3 lineup as younger brothers Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley and brother-in-law Chris Jasper looked after the music and the lyrics of most of the group's recordings. Ronald and Rudolph occasionally gave the group compositions while eldest brother O'Kelly Isley controlled the group's finances during this time. Producers Malcolm Cecil
Malcolm Cecil
Malcolm Cecil is a British jazz bassist and Grammy Award-winning record producer.A founding member of the UK's leading jazz quintet of the late 1950s, The Jazz Couriers, he went on to join a number of British jazz combos led by Dick Morrissey, Tony Crombie and Ronnie Scott in the late 50s and...
and Robert Margouleff
Robert Margouleff
Robert Margouleff is a Grammy Award winning American record producer, recording engineer, electronic music pioneer, audio expert, and film producer....
once said O'Kelly controlled the group with an iron fist.
In 1975, the group released their landmark album, The Heat Is On
The Heat Is On (Isley Brothers album)
The Heat Is On is the twelfth studio album by American soul and funk group The Isley Brothers, released June 1975 on T-Neck Records and Epic Records. Written and produced entirely by the group, the album was recorded in 1975 at Kendum Recorders in Burbank, California...
, which included some lead vocals from O'Kelly and Rudolph though Ronald continued to contribute most of the lead vocals especially with ballads such as "For the Love of You" and "Make Me Say It Again, Girl". The album peaked at number-one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and eventually sold more than two million singles. "Fight the Power, Pt. 1" (written by Ernie and sung in unison by Ronald and Rudolph) and "For the Love of You" (written by Ernie and Chris) became top 40 smash hits on the pop chart. This success continued into the mid-1970s with follow-ups such as Harvest for the World
Harvest for the World
Harvest for the World is a 1976 album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:The album included the successful socially-conscious title track and the top three R&B record, "Who Loves You Better?" The album sold over 500,000 copies in the first three weeks of release,...
(1976, another Ernie composition), Go for Your Guns
Go For Your Guns
Go for Your Guns is a 1977 album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:The album yielded three charted R&B singles including their #1 political funk anthem, "The Pride", the Top 40 pop record, "Livin' in the Life" and their Top 50 ballad, "Voyage to Atlantis", which...
(1977), Showdown
Showdown (Isley Brothers album)
Showdown is a 1978 funk album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:Spawning the #1 funk/disco hit, "Take Me to the Next Phase" and the top 20 R&B slower, "Groove With You", the album became another platinum album for the Isleys. Many say that this was the last seemingly...
(1978), the double album Winner Takes All
Winner Takes All (album)
Winner Takes All is a 1979 album by The Isley Brothers, which was released on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:Originally issued as a double album, according to an Allmusic review of the album, the double-disc LP reflected the group's popularity at the time. The first single, the infectious "I Wanna...
(1979) and Go All the Way (1980). By the late 1970s, the group had included disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
elements into their music and had also began to produce more ballads. By the early 1980s, the group struggled to find pop success and three albums released between 1981 and 1982 including Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Isley Brothers album)
Grand Slam is a 1981 album by The Isley Brothers released on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:At this point in the group's career, though they were still making gold albums, most of the material the brothers recorded seem stale and outdated...
, Inside You
Inside You
Inside You is a 1981 album by The Isley Brothers recorded for T-Neck Records.-Reception:The title track was one of their notable hits in the beginning of the 1980s though it didn't return the Isleys to their past glory. The older and younger Isleys, in the meantime, were arguing over the group's...
and The Real Deal, failed to chart successfully even in the group's trusted R&B fan base.
In 1983, they revamped their sound, adding more synthesizers and drum programming. The result, Between the Sheets, returned the group to R&B success especially with its title track, written by Chris and Ernie, which peaked at number-three on the R&B chart.
The Split: 1984
After failing to come to terms with musical direction, feeling fatigued from monetary problems, and straining from the changing times in the music industry, the group splintered when younger brothers Ernie and Marvin and brother-in-law Chris Jasper left to form their own group, the modestly successful Isley-Jasper-IsleyIsley-Jasper-Isley
Isley/Jasper/Isley was a splinter group of the Isley Brothers formed in 1984 by brother-in-law Chris Jasper , Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley , due to creative differences that arose among the group....
, who topped the charts with "Caravan of Love
Caravan of Love
"Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of The Isley Brothers' 3 + 3 lineup of the 1970s.-Isley-Jasper-Isley version:...
", a song that went on to become a worldwide hit, covered by many groups, including a #1 a cappella version by British group The Housemartins
The Housemartins
The Housemartins were an English indie pop band that was active in the 1980s. Many of the Housemartins' lyrics were a mixture of Marxist politics and Christianity, reflecting singer Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time .-Formation:The band was formed in late 1983 by Paul Heaton and...
.
The elder brothers carried on as a trio until after the release of 1985's Masterpiece
Masterpiece (Isley Brothers album)
Masterpiece is a 1985 record released by The Isley Brothers on Warner Bros. Records. For the first time since 1973, the Isley Brothers were once again a trio composed of the original members O'Kelly, Rudolph and Ronald Isley. It was to be the last album with O'Kelly Isley; he died a year after the...
. Shortly after its release, O'Kelly Isley, Jr. fell ill and succumbed to a heart attack brought on by a bout with cancer on March 31, 1986. He was just 48 years old. The death of Kelly Isley stunned the family. By the late 1980s, the group had hired Angela Winbush
Angela Winbush
Angela Winbush is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter who rose to fame first in the 1980s R&B duo René & Angela, also scoring hits as a solo artist.-Early life and career:...
to be an honorary Isley Brothers member and she produced the group's Smooth Sailin'
Smooth Sailin'
Smooth Sailin is a 1987 album released by The Isley Brothers on Warner Bros. Records. This album was the first album that the brothers released as a duo of Rudolph and Ronald after the untimely death of eldest brother O'Kelly, who had died in March of the previous year of a heart attack...
and Spend the Night. Before the latter album's release, in 1989, Rudolph Isley announced his retirement from show business to become an evangelical minister leaving Ronald to carry on as a solo artist, finding success in a pop duet with Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
covering the Isleys' hit, "This Old Heart of Mine".
The group Wham! covered the song, "If You Were There", on their 1984 smash album, "Make It Big." The track went on to become the title track for the 1997 greatest hits collected entitled "If You Were There: The Best of Wham!"
Reformation of the Isley Brothers and renewing success: 1991-2003
In 1991, Pullman Bonds made a deal with the Isley Brothers founders Rudolph and Ronald Isley and the estate of O'Kelly Isley, Jr. to give the group unearned royalties from their extensive catalog. That same year, the surviving two brothers sued Michael BoltonMichael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
accusing the singer of copyright infringement for singing their 1964 song, "Love is a Wonderful Thing", which they wrote, without their permission. While Bolton insisted he didn't steal from the group, a judge awarded damages to Rudolph and Ronald after noting that while their songs, with the same titles, were different, elements of the songs were similar to each other. Bolton tried overturning the ruling on appeal in 2001 but was again defeated in court and was forced to share writing credits of his hit with the brothers. This success revamped interest in the Isley Brothers and while Rudolph insisted on staying retired, Ronald, Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley reformed the group. The group's billing was also slightly changed to The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley to reflect Ronald's desire to be seen as the group's dominant leader. Later that year, they released the album, Tracks of Life
Tracks of Life
Tracks of Life is a 1991 album released by The Isley Brothers on Warner Bros. Records. The first album in nearly a decade to include younger brothers Ernie and Marvin backing up brother Ronald, the album scored two more R&B hits with "Whatever Turns You On" and "Sensitive Lover"...
.
A year later, with one of their biggest admirers, Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, the group, along with Chris Jasper, was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. After the release of a live album in 1993, their Warner Bros. Records contract was allowed to expire and in 1995, they signed a new contract with Island Def Jam's Def Soul imprint. A year later, the group released Mission to Please
Mission to Please
Mission to Please is a 1996 album by The Isley Brothers on Island Records. This album was a return to commercial glory for the band in the years following their last platinum-certified album, 1983's Between the Sheets as it also was certified platinum based on the strength of the charted singles...
, which resulted in their biggest chart success in thirteen years. Boosted by Ronald Isley's collaboration with R&B star R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
on the hit, "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)
Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)
"Down Low " is an R&B song about infidelity, released as a single by R. Kelly and featuring The Isley Brothers, on his self-titled album, in 1996...
" (credited on the single as R. Kelly featuring Ronald Isley and Ernie Isley) and its accompanying video, which saw Isley play a villainous character named "Mr. Biggs", the album went platinum and boosted a top 50 hit with "Float On Your Love", which was a duet between Ronald Isley and then-wife Angela Winbush. The song found success mainly from its hip-hop remix produced by Puff Daddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
and including rapper Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
. Shortly after promotion of the record ended in 1997, Marvin Isley left the group after contracting diabetes. The illness eventually led to Isley's legs being amputated. Brothers Ronald and Ernie carried on as a duo. Ronald also worked with R. Kelly on solo ventures and collaborated with Kelly Price
Kelly Price
Kelly Price is an American R&B and soul singer, formerly on the Def Soul label.-Life and music career:Kelly Cherelle Price was born in Queens, New York. She was first discovered by Mariah Carey in February 1992 and subsequently introduced to Sony Columbia's then CEO Tommy Mottola...
on R. Kelly's remixed production of Price's first hit, 1998's "Friend of Mine".
In 2001, the Isley Brothers scored their biggest hit in years when they released the R. Kelly-produced ballad, "Contagious
Contagious (song)
"Contagious" is a song by The Isley Brothers featuring group member Ronald Isley. It was released as a single off of their 2001 album "Eternal". The song was written and produced by R...
", which peaked at number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the R&B chart. Because of this, they had become the only group to chart in six decades. The song went platinum, selling over a million copies, while its parent album, Eternal
Eternal (Isley Brothers album)
Eternal is a 2001 album released by The Isley Brothers on DreamWorks Records. Now popular again with audiences, almost single-handledly for Ronald Isley's "Mr. Biggs" persona, Eternal included production from not only R...
, with its title track lyrics written by Ernie, sold over three million copies alone in the states. Two years later, their follow-up album, Body Kiss
Body Kiss
Body Kiss is the twenty-ninth studio album by The Isley Brothers on the DreamWorks label. Almost solely written, arranged, composed and produced by longtime collaborator R...
, became their first album to debut at number-one on the Billboard 200 becoming their first number-one pop album since 1975's The Heat Is On, later going gold. The same year, Ronald Isley released his first solo album, Here I Am, which was a collaboration between Isley and producer Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
, the collection won critical praise. Throughout the early millennium, Ronald Isley gained notice as a popular hook singer for hip-hop recordings.
On July 30, 2003, the group performed in front of its largest audience ever when they played in the afternoon during Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto, a benefit to help raise the city's failing economy during the SARS crisis.
Ronald Isley's legal problems and the death of Marvin Isley: 2004-2010
In 2004, while touring in England, Ronald Isley suffered a stroke which led to a hospitalization near his home in St. Louis, where he had moved from Cincinnati after marrying (and later divorcing) Angela Winbush. A year later, Isley found himself in trouble with paying back taxes with the IRS. Isley was later charged for tax evasionTax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
in 2005. A year later, the Isley Brothers returned with Baby Makin' Music
Baby Makin' Music
Baby Makin' Music is a 2006 album released by The Isley Brothers on the Def Soul Classics imprint. Their first for the Def Jam affiliated label, the album peaked at No. 5 on the album charts based on the R&B chart success of the first single, "Just Came Here to Chill" and the R...
, which included the adult R&B top 40 hit, "Just Came Here to Chill" and came out with their first holiday album a year after that. In 2007, Isley was convicted of tax evasion charges and was given a 37-month sentence, which he served, first in a federal prison and then in a halfway house. He was released from the halfway house in April 2010 bringing an ending to his sentence. While his brother was serving jail time, brother Ernie began working on solo material and also participated in the Experience Hendrix festival for two months in the spring of 2010. On June 6, 2010, Marvin Isley died from complications of diabetes at the Seasons Hospice within the Weiss Memorial Hospital
Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital
Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital, affiliated with University of Chicago Medical Center, is an urban hospital located in Uptown, Chicago, Illinois. This is a 369-bed hospital, located on the site where there used to be Clarendon Beach, a famous beach of the city...
in Chicago, Illinois. He was 56. Ronald Isley released his first solo album, Mr. I, in November. Chris Jasper, who has had little contact with his brothers-in-law since splitting from Isley-Jasper-Isley in 1988 (except for Marvin Isley, with whom he kept in close contact until Marvin's untimely death), continues to record and release solo material and produce artists for his independent Gold City Records label. Rudolph Isley has retired from his ministry work and is living quietly in California. Ernie toured with the fall edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour in Canada and the United States later in 2010. The group - consisting of just Ronald and Ernie - continue to perform together on the road.
Top 40 singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
||
| 1962 | "Twist and Shout Twist and Shout "Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was covered by The Beatles with John Lennon on the lead vocals and originally released on their first album... " |
17 | 42 | 2 |
| 1966 | "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) "This Old Heart of Mine " is an Isley Brothers song from 1966 that was a hit for them during their brief tenure on Motown's Tamla label... " |
12 | 3 | 6 |
| 1968 | "Behind a Painted Smile Behind a Painted Smile "Behind a Painted Smile" is an Ivy Jo Hunter composition, originally recorded in 1967 by The Isley Brothers as a single that reached number five in the UK charts in May 1969.... " |
— | 5 | — |
| 1969 | "It's Your Thing It's Your Thing "It's Your Thing" is an influential funk single by the Isley Brothers. Released in 1969, the funk anthem was an artistic response to Motown chief Berry Gordy's demanding hold on his artists after the Isleys left the label in late-1968.... " |
2 | 30 | 1 |
| 1969 | "I Turned You On I Turned You On "I Turned You On" is a 1969 funk song by The Isley Brothers, released on their T-Neck imprint. The single was almost as big a hit as their predecessor, "It's Your Thing", reaching number six on the R&B chart and number twenty-three on the pop chart... " |
23 | — | 6 |
| 1969 | "Put Yourself In My Place Put Yourself in My Place (Motown song) "Put Yourself in My Place" is a song written by the famous Motown team of Holland–Dozier–Holland and recorded by at least four Motown recording acts during the sixties: The Elgins in 1965, The Supremes, Chris Clark and The Isley Brothers in 1966... " |
— | 13 | — |
| 1970 | "Love the One You're With Love the One You're With "Love the One You're With" is a 1970 single by folk rocker Stephen Stills. The first release off his first solo album Stephen Stills, it rose to the top twenty of the pop singles chart, peaking at No. 14.... " |
18 | — | 3 |
| 1970 | "Pop That Thang Pop That Thang "Pop That Thang" is a 1972 funk song released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint. Co-written by the three Isley brothers: O'Kelly, Rudolph and Ronald, Howard Kelly and Clive Otis, the song is an uptempo dance number that was featured on the group's 1972 album, Brother, Brother, Brother... " |
24 | — | 3 |
| 1972 | "That Lady (Part 1)" | 6 | 14 | 2 |
| 1972 | "Summer Breeze Summer Breeze (song) "Summer Breeze" is the title of a song written and recorded by Seals and Crofts that has been covered by The Isley Brothers, Type O Negative, the Three Tenors, and several other artists.-Seals & Crofts version:... " |
60 | 16 | 10 |
| 1975 | "Fight the Power (Part 1)" | 4 | — | 1 |
| 1975 | "For the Love of You" | 22 | — | 10 |
| 1976 | "Harvest for the World Harvest for the World (song) "Harvest for the World" is a 1976 single released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint. It was from their 1976 album Harvest for the World... " |
63 | 10 | 9 |
| 1977 | "The Pride (Part 1)" | 63 | — | 1 |
| 1977 | "Livin' in the Life Livin' in the Life "Livin' in the Life" is a funk song released as a single by The Isley Brothers on the T-Neck/Epic imprint in 1977. It was the third single released from the group's album, Go For Your Guns.-Song information:... " |
40 | — | 1 |
| 1978 | "Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 1) Take Me to the Next Phase "Take Me to the Next Phase " was a hit song for R&B/funk band The Isley Brothers. The song has the sound of a live stadium recording, but it was created entirely in a recording studio. Ernie and Marvin Isley plus Chris Jasper laid the foot stomps and some of the crowd noises across 24 recording... " |
— | 50 | 1 |
| 1979 | "I Wanna Be with You (Part 1) I Wanna Be with You (Isley Brothers song) "I Wanna Be With You " was a hit song for R&B/funk group The Isley Brothers. Released from the 1979 double LP, Winner Takes All, it reached number one on the R&B singles chart during the spring of that year. However, the single did not, manage to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.-References:... " |
— | — | 1 |
| 1979 | "It's a Disco Night (Rock Don't Stop) It's a Disco Night (Rock Don't Stop) "It's a Disco Night " is a 1979 club hit for The Isley Brothers, released on their T-Neck label as the second single off their gold-certified album, Winner Takes All. The song is notable for being one of the few disco-based songs the Isley Brothers released. Beforehand, the group were known for... " |
90 | 14 | 27 |
| 1980 | "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love) (Parts 1 & 2) Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love) "Don't Say Goodnight " is a 1980 quiet storm soul record by The Isley Brothers, released on their T-Neck imprint. The song, which was released as an answer of sorts to Teddy Pendergrass' hit, "Turn Off the Lights", was an ode to love sung by Ronald Isley who begs his lady in his trademark falsetto... " |
39 | — | 1 |
| 1983 | "Between the Sheets Between the Sheets (song) "Between the Sheets" is a quiet storm funk song released by American R&B/soul/funk band The Isley Brothers in 1983 off their album of the same name on the T-Neck imprint.-History:... " |
101 | 52 | 3 |
| 1996 | "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know) Down Low (Nobody Has to Know) "Down Low " is an R&B song about infidelity, released as a single by R. Kelly and featuring The Isley Brothers, on his self-titled album, in 1996... " (R. Kelly R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play... featuring The Isley Brothers) |
4 | 23 | 1 |
| 2001 | "Contagious Contagious (song) "Contagious" is a song by The Isley Brothers featuring group member Ronald Isley. It was released as a single off of their 2001 album "Eternal". The song was written and produced by R... " |
19 | — | 3 |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | ||||
Top 20 albums
- 1969: It's Our ThingIt's Our ThingIt's Our Thing is a 1969 album released by The Isley Brothers on their own T-Neck imprint. Fully emancipated from three and a half years in Motown Records and encouraged by their international success in England, the Isleys composed this album in the style of Sly & the Family Stone/James Brown funk...
(US R&B #2) - 1972: Brother, Brother, BrotherBrother, Brother, BrotherBrother, Brother, Brother is a 1972 rock album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint. It was to be the Isleys' last studio record with Buddah Records moving on to Epic in the middle of 1973...
(US R&B #5) - 1973: 3 + 33 + 33 + 3 is a 1973 album released by The Isley Brothers for the Epic label under their T-Neck imprint. Their first album for the label after several years in Buddah Records, it was also the first time the family group, which had consisted of founding members O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley and...
(US #8; US R&B #2) - 1974: Live It Up (US #14; US R&B #1)
- 1975: The Heat Is OnThe Heat Is On (Isley Brothers album)The Heat Is On is the twelfth studio album by American soul and funk group The Isley Brothers, released June 1975 on T-Neck Records and Epic Records. Written and produced entirely by the group, the album was recorded in 1975 at Kendum Recorders in Burbank, California...
(US #1; US R&B #1) - 1976: Harvest for the WorldHarvest for the WorldHarvest for the World is a 1976 album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:The album included the successful socially-conscious title track and the top three R&B record, "Who Loves You Better?" The album sold over 500,000 copies in the first three weeks of release,...
(US #9; US R&B #1) - 1977: Go for Your GunsGo For Your GunsGo for Your Guns is a 1977 album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:The album yielded three charted R&B singles including their #1 political funk anthem, "The Pride", the Top 40 pop record, "Livin' in the Life" and their Top 50 ballad, "Voyage to Atlantis", which...
(US #6; US R&B #1) - 1978: ShowdownShowdown (Isley Brothers album)Showdown is a 1978 funk album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:Spawning the #1 funk/disco hit, "Take Me to the Next Phase" and the top 20 R&B slower, "Groove With You", the album became another platinum album for the Isleys. Many say that this was the last seemingly...
(US #4; US R&B #1) - 1979: Winner Takes AllWinner Takes All (album)Winner Takes All is a 1979 album by The Isley Brothers, which was released on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:Originally issued as a double album, according to an Allmusic review of the album, the double-disc LP reflected the group's popularity at the time. The first single, the infectious "I Wanna...
(US R&B #3) - 1980: Go All the Way (US #8; US R&B #1)
- 1980: Grand SlamGrand Slam (Isley Brothers album)Grand Slam is a 1981 album by The Isley Brothers released on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:At this point in the group's career, though they were still making gold albums, most of the material the brothers recorded seem stale and outdated...
(US R&B #3) - 1981: Inside YouInside YouInside You is a 1981 album by The Isley Brothers recorded for T-Neck Records.-Reception:The title track was one of their notable hits in the beginning of the 1980s though it didn't return the Isleys to their past glory. The older and younger Isleys, in the meantime, were arguing over the group's...
(US R&B #8) - 1982: The Real Deal (US R&B #9)
- 1983: Between the Sheets (US R&B #1)
- 1987: Smooth Sailin'Smooth Sailin'Smooth Sailin is a 1987 album released by The Isley Brothers on Warner Bros. Records. This album was the first album that the brothers released as a duo of Rudolph and Ronald after the untimely death of eldest brother O'Kelly, who had died in March of the previous year of a heart attack...
(US R&B #5) - 1989: Spend the NightSpend the Night (Isley Brothers album)Spend the Night is a 1989 album released by The Isley Brothers on Warner Bros. Records. The last official record featuring original members Rudolph and Ronald recording together, Rudolph officially left the group after recording this album which explains why Ronald is the only Isley Brothers member...
(US R&B #4) - 1996: Mission to PleaseMission to PleaseMission to Please is a 1996 album by The Isley Brothers on Island Records. This album was a return to commercial glory for the band in the years following their last platinum-certified album, 1983's Between the Sheets as it also was certified platinum based on the strength of the charted singles...
(US R&B #2) - 2001: EternalEternal (Isley Brothers album)Eternal is a 2001 album released by The Isley Brothers on DreamWorks Records. Now popular again with audiences, almost single-handledly for Ronald Isley's "Mr. Biggs" persona, Eternal included production from not only R...
(US #3; US R&B #1) - 2003: Body KissBody KissBody Kiss is the twenty-ninth studio album by The Isley Brothers on the DreamWorks label. Almost solely written, arranged, composed and produced by longtime collaborator R...
(US #1; US R&B #1) - 2006: Baby Makin' MusicBaby Makin' MusicBaby Makin' Music is a 2006 album released by The Isley Brothers on the Def Soul Classics imprint. Their first for the Def Jam affiliated label, the album peaked at No. 5 on the album charts based on the R&B chart success of the first single, "Just Came Here to Chill" and the R...
(US #5; US R&B #1)
External links
- The Isley Brothers - Official Website / VEVOVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
- The Isley Brothers at the Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
- The Isley Brothers at the Vocal Group Hall of FameVocal Group Hall of FameThe Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....