THE EVERLASTING FIRST: The Isley Brothers

Continuing a look back at my first exposure to a number of rock 'n' roll acts and superheroes (or other denizens of print or periodical publication), some of which were passing fancies, and some of which I went on to kinda like. They say you never forget your first time; that may be true, but it's the subsequent visits--the second time, the fourth time, the twentieth time, the hundredth time--that define our relationships with the things we cherish. Ultimately, the first meeting is less important than what comes after that. But every love story still needs to begin with that first kiss.



This was originally posted as part of a longer piece covering both pop music and comic book characters. It's separated here for convenience.

I don't remember the precise year, nor am I sure which TV show I was watching, and I can't even guarantee I have the right group. But I can tell you it was a Friday night, some time in the early-to-mid '70s. I think I was watching ABC's In Concert, a weekly live rock music showcase; I don't think it was Don Kirshner's Rock Concert or Midnight Special, the other two Friday night rock 'n' roll TV programs airing in that approximate time frame. But I vividly remember watching a black group perform a simply searing version of the Seals & Crofts pop hit "Summer Breeze." I mean, this version just cooked, and I was immediately impressed with it. I liked the Seals & Crofts hit just fine, mind you, but this? This was outta sight.



I didn't catch the name of the group performing this song on In Concert. Many years later, I would figure out that it was probably The Isley Brothers. Some Google cross-checking reveals that the Isleys were indeed on an episode of In Concert in 1975, performing that very song. I'd love to see that clip again, and compare it with my memory of watching it when I was 15. Although I didn't hear the Isleys' studio version of "Summer Breeze" until a long, long time afterward, it's now one of my all-time top pop songs. Still, even that terrific record doesn't quite match the sheer intensity that I think I remember from the live version I witnessed playing on my TV some long-ago Friday night.

But the In Concert appearance was not my first exposure to The Isley Brothers. "That Lady (Part 1)" had been a huge AM radio hit in 1973, and I was certainly aware of that song. I thought it was okay, even though it wasn't specifically one of my favorites. In the summer of '73, I was more interested in AM hits by former members of The Beatles than in any kind of soul music. Little did I realize how much that soul music had influenced my beloved Fab Four.



The Isley Brothers had their first hit in 1959 with the classic "Shout," followed in 1962 by "Twist And Shout." Both songs were favorites of The Beatles, and The Beatles' version of the latter song is itself a classic (though it's a coin toss to decide which version is better, Isleys or Beatles). The Isley Brothers spent the mid '60s on Motown's Tamla label, earning a # 12 hit with "This Old Heart Of Mine" in 1966 (and somehow only scratching up to # 93 with the incredible "Got To Have You Back," which deserved at least a Top Ten berth). The group formed its own label, T-Neck Records, and finally did have a Top Ten hit with "It's Your Thing" in 1969.



I was oblivious to all of this.

But I learned better in time. "Fight The Power" was another hit for the Isleys in 1975, and I for damned sure knew that one, even if WOLF-AM bleeped out the "bullshit" line. Can't say I was an Isley Brothers fan yet, but I was intrigued by 'em, at least. The release of the film Animal House in 1978 brought the song "Shout" back into the national consciousness, albeit via a cover version by the (originally) fictional Otis Day and the Knights. But the Isleys' nonpareil original was also rediscovered by many at this time, paving the way to its current welcome ubiquity as a staple at weddings and bar mitzvahs. It's a great record that stands up to repeated play, the way great records are supposed to be played over and over again.

In the '80s and '90s, I also discovered the wealth of superb sides The Isley Brothers released in the '60s; not just the best-known hits, but less-recognized gems like "Nobody But Me" (a # 8 hit as covered by The Human Beinz), "Respectable," "Why When Love Is Gone," and the above-mentioned "Got To Have You Back." "Got To Have You Back," though an original Motown song, almost seems to return the favor of The Beatles' respect and admiration for the Isleys by bringing a little frenzied Mersey moves to the Motor City. I still can't understand why this wasn't a monster hit.

And, decades after my initial exposure to The Isley Brothers' smokin' live version of "Summer Breeze" on a Friday night TV show, my This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio co-host Dana Bonn played the single version on our radio show, and I knew it was The Greatest Record Ever Made. I came to love the Isleys' '70s material just as much as I already loved their '60s material. See the curtains hanging in the window, in the evening on a Friday night. It had been a few decades since that Friday night, but I knew everything was all right. "Summer Breeze" still makes me feel fine.

TIP THE BLOGGER: CC's Tip Jar!

You can support this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon: Fund me, baby! 

Our new compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is now available from Kool Kat Musik! 29 tracks of irresistible rockin' pop, starring Pop Co-Op, Ray Paul, Circe Link & Christian Nesmith, Vegas With Randolph Featuring Lannie Flowers, The Slapbacks, P. Hux, Irene Peña, Michael Oliver & the Sacred Band Featuring Dave Merritt, The Rubinoos, Stepford Knives, The Grip Weeds, Popdudes, Ronnie Dark, The Flashcubes,Chris von Sneidern, The Bottle Kids, 1.4.5., The Smithereens, Paul Collins' Beat, The Hit Squad, The Rulers, The Legal Matters, Maura & the Bright Lights, Lisa Mychols, and Mr. Encrypto & the Cyphers. You gotta have it, so order it here.