Isley Brotheres

The Isley Brothers are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, originally a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley. The group has been cited as having enjoyed one of the "longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music". 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 Isley Brothers are back. The legendary R&B group has released their new album, Make Me Say It Again, Girl via RI Top Ten. The album includes the lead single “Friends and Family” featuring Snoop Dogg and its follow-up, “Make Me Say It Again, Girl” featuring Beyoncé. The latter tune, which is a reimagined version of their 1975 classic, recently peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart.

Isley/Jasper/Isley was a splinter group of the Isley Brothers formed in 1984 by brother-in-law Chris Jasper (keyboards), Ernie Isley (lead guitar) and Marvin Isley (bass), due to creative differences that arose among the group.Jasper, a classically-trained musician and composer and the key songwriter, producer and arranger of the Isley Brothers music, became the lead vocalist on most of the trio's recordings, and was also responsible for the majority of the writing and production for the new group. The older Isley Brothers returned to their original vocal trio formation and continued to record, employing a number of musicians, producers and writers to fill the void left by Chris, Ernie, and Marvin.

Five of the Isley Brothers' albums released during the late '60s and early '70s are featured in this compact box set, consisting of standard jewel cases inside a simple cardboard sleeve: The Brothers: Isley (1969), Get Into Something (1970), Givin' It Back (1971), Brother, Brother, Brother (1972), and 3 + 3 (1973). The albums, which range from decent to excellent, contain several of the group's Top Ten R&B singles, such as "I Turned You On," "Love the One You're With," "Pop That Thang," and "What It Comes Down To." In 2008, when it was released, it sold for roughly the same amount as two full-price discs.

1975's The Heat Is On was the third album that the Isley Brothers recorded with their 3 + 3 lineup, and by that time, the lineup had really perfected its attractive soul/rock sound. The Isleys were providing great R&B long before keyboardist Chris Jasper, bassist Marvin Isley, and the distinctive guitarist Ernie Isley came on board in 1973; nonetheless, the newcomers added a lot to the group and helped it provide some of its best recordings. Marvin's basslines are as funky as it gets, and the Jimi Hendrix-influenced Ernie is a killer guitarist; he would have been perfect for Deep Purple, Blue Öyster Cult, or Judas Priest if the Isley Brothers hadn't kept him busy in the 1970s.

The Isley Brothers came with love, funk and the too seldom mentioned socially consicous songs; this album is titled after one of those social gems. However, "Who Loves You Better," with its disco flair, was the album's first release. Ronald Isley's aggressive delivery blends nicely with Ernie Isley's tantalizing guitar solos. It was a top three single on the Billboard R&B charts. The title track is a tour de force. Preceded by a mellow intro in which Ronald Isley's earnest plea rings with urgency, the timeless lyric and festive rhythm make "Harvest for the World" a welcomed anthem for all the people of the world. It cracked the Billboard R&B top ten at number nine.

An astonishingly diverse solo debut by the Isleys' axeman, High Wire is full of screaming guitars, tight riffs, ear-tugging melodies, and evocative vocals.