Isley Brothers, The

INCLUDES 4 BONUS TRACKS

Long unavailable on vinyl, this quintessential collector’s edition includes The Isley Brothers’ famous and full-length second LP, Twist & Shout (1962). It was originally released on Scepter Records’ Wand subsidiary and taped by the legendary producer/songwriter Bert Berns. The album’s superlative title track sparked the trio’s success and became an all-time dance favorite, and a major pop/R&B crossover hit that marked a crucial breakthrough for the legendary trio. The influence of “Twist & Shout” extended across the Atlantic and caught the ear of The Beatles, whose cover of the song also became a transatlantic smash. In fact, The Fab Four ended many of their gigs with it (people say it was because by the end of a concert, their voices would be coarse enough to emulate the voices of The Isleys).

In addition to the outstanding title track, this album features a collection of tunes in the same wild vein. The brothers’ wailing vocals drive such infectious numbers as “I Say Love”, “Right Now”, “Hold on Baby” and “The Snake”. “Don’t You Feel” is both soulful and fun, while the gentle ballad, “Time After Time”, is heartbreakingly beautiful, if not a bit out of place on an otherwise dance-crazy record. In an attempt to achieve another hit, the song “You Better Come Home” is an almost note-for-note copy of the title track.

This release also contains 4 bonus tracks from the same period, which give further proof of the group’s early brilliance. These hard-to-find singles include such great numbers as “Twistin’ with Linda”, “I’m Gonna Knock on Your Door”, the infectious “Tell Me Who”, as well as “Surf and Shout” (the Isley Brothers’ summer version of their smash hit “Twist & Shout”). All of these tracks are excellent and contain some of the best dancin’ R&B and rock & roll of the era. A must-have LP for any music fan.

PERSONNEL:

THE ISLEY BROTHERS:
Ronald Isley (lead vocals)
O'Kelly Isley Jr. and Rudolph Isley (background vocals), plus:

King Curtis (tenor saxophone)
Cornell Dupree or Eric Gale or Trade Martin (guitar),
Chuck Rainey (bass)
Paul Griffin (piano and organ)
Gary Chester (drums).

Arranged and conducted by Teacho Wiltshire. Produced by Bert Berns.

Recorded in New York, between 1961 and 1962.

TRACKS:

SIDE 1
1. TWIST AND SHOUT
2. I SAY LOVE
3. RIGHT NOW
4. HOLD ON BABY
5. RUBBER LEG TWIST
6. THE SNAKE
7. I’M GONNA KNOCK ON YOUR DOOR (*)
8. TELL ME WHO (*)

SIDE 2
1. YOU BETTER COME HOME
2. NEVER LEAVE ME BABY
3. SPANISH TWIST
4. TIME AFTER TIME
5. LET’S TWIST AGAIN
6. DON’T YOU FEEL (*)
7. SURF AND SHOUT (*)

(*) BONUS TRACKS