The Isley Brothers - Twist and Shout (1959-1962)

First formed in the early '50s, the Isley Brothers enjoyed one of the longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music -- over the course of nearly a half century of performing, the group's distinguished history spanned not only two generations of Isley siblings but also massive cultural shifts which heralded their music's transformation from gritty R&B to Motown soul to blistering funk. The first generation of Isley siblings was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, where they were encouraged to begin a singing career by their father, himself a professional vocalist, and their mother, a church pianist who provided musical accompaniment at their early performances. Initially a gospel quartet, the group was comprised of Ronald, Rudolph, O'Kelly, and Vernon Isley; after Vernon's 1955 death in a bicycling accident, tenor Ronald was tapped as the remaining trio's lead vocalist. In 1957, the brothers went to New York City to record a string of failed doo wop singles; while performing a spirited reading of the song "Lonely Teardrops" in Washington, D.C., two years later, they interjected the line "You know you make me want to shout," which inspired frenzied audience feedback. An RCA executive in the audience saw the concert, and when he signed the Isleys soon after, he instructed that their first single be constructed around their crowd-pleasing catch phrase; while the call-and-response classic "Shout" failed to reach the pop Top 40 on its initial release, it eventually became a frequently covered classic. Read on +/-

Still, success eluded the Isleys, and only after they left RCA in 1962 did they again have another hit, this time with their seminal cover of the Top Notes' "Twist and Shout." Like so many of the brothers' early R&B records, "Twist and Shout" earned greater commercial success when later rendered by a white group -- in this case, the Beatles; other acts who notched hits by closely following the Isleys' blueprint were the Yardbirds ("Respectable," also covered by the Outsiders), the Human Beinz ("Nobody but Me"), and Lulu ("Shout").

The most essential lp's of The Isley Brothers in the sixties are in my opinion "Soul on the Rocks", witch they produced for Motown, and of course the psychedelic funky "It's Our Thing" on T-Neck Records. But also the more early rock 'n roll flavored long players "Shout" and "Twist and Shout" do find their way to collectors these days.

1959 LP Shout (US RCA Victor LPM-2156)

1. Isley Brothers - When The Saints Go Marching In
2. Isley Brothers - St. Isley Brothers - Louis Blues
3. Isley Brothers - Yes Indeed
4. Isley Brothers - How Deep Is The Ocean
5. Isley Brothers - Ring-A-Ling-A-Ling
6. Isley Brothers - Rock Around The Clock
7. Isley Brothers - He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
8. Isley Brothers - That Lucky Old Sun
9. Isley Brothers - Respectable
10. Isley Brothers - Without A Song
11. Isley Brothers - Shout, Part 1
12. Isley Brothers - Shout, Part 2

If you want to listen to the music... Look up in the right column.
Als je naar de muziek wilt luisteren... Kijk boven in de rechter kolom.

1962 LP Twist & Shout (US Wand LP-653)

1. Isley Brothers - Twist And Shout
2. Isley Brothers - I Say Love
3. Isley Brothers - Right Now
4. Isley Brothers - Hold On Baby
5. Isley Brothers - Rubber Leg Twist
6. Isley Brothers - The Snake
7. Isley Brothers - You Better Come Home
8. Isley Brothers - Never Leave Me Baby
9. Isley Brothers - Spanish Twist
10. Isley Brothers - Time After Time
11. Isley Brothers - Let's Twist Again
12. Isley Brothers - Don't You Feel

If you want to listen to the music... Look up in the right column.
Als je naar de muziek wilt luisteren... Kijk boven in de rechter kolom.