Their popular album Light Up the Night was released in March 1980 and got as high as number 5 on the Billboard 200. It was number 46 on the "Top 100 LP's of 1980" list in Rolling Stone Magazine. The subsequent album, Winners, was self-produced by the brothers and released in July 1981, but was less successful, going only as high as number 48 on the Billboard 200.
Among their most popular songs are "I'll Be Good to You" (Hot 100 #3 in 1976), "Strawberry Letter 23" (Hot 100 # 5 in 1977), "Ain't We Funkin' Now" (1978), and "Stomp!" (Hot 100 #7 and Hot Dance Music/Club Play #1 in 1980). Their styles include funk, disco, and R&B ballads. The duo split up in 1982.
Guitarist/vocalist George Johnson and bassist/vocalist Louis Johnson formed the band Johnson Three Plus One with older brother Tommy and their cousin Alex Weir while attending school in Los Angeles. When they became professionals, the band backed such touring R&B acts as Bobby Womack and the Supremes. George and Louis Johnson later joined Billy Preston's band, and wrote "Music in My Life" and "The Kids and Me" for him before leaving his group in 1973. In 1976, The Brothers covered the Beatles song, "Hey, Jude", for the ephemeral musical documentary All This and World War II.
Quincy Jones hired them to play on his LP Mellow Madness, and recorded four of their songs, including "Is It Love That We're Missing?" and "Just a Taste of Me." Jones took them on a Japanese tour, then produced their début LP, Look Out for Number 1, after they signed with A&M, which was also his label at the time (1976). They scored a number-one R&B and number-three pop hit with "I'll Be Good to You," and enjoyed R&B chart toppers in 1977 and 1980 respectively with "Strawberry Letter 23" and "Stomp!," while sustaining a consistent hit presence via such songs as "Get the Funk Out Ma Face" and "Runnin' for Your Lovin." Jones remade "I'll Be Good to You" in 1989 with Ray Charles and Chaka Khan on his Back on the Block release.
The Brothers earned platinum records for Look Out for Number 1 and Right on Time. Jones produced both of these, along with their third and fourth LPs, Blam and Light Up the Night. The group produced its single "The Real Thing" in 1981. It reached number 11 on the R&B charts, and the Brothers had another hit with "Welcome to the Club" in 1982. They started doing separate ventures; Louis Johnson played bass on Michael Jackson's Thriller LP and recorded a gospel album, while George Johnson worked with Steve Arrington. Leon Sylvers produced their mid-'80s return LP Out of Control; it didn't equal their past success, but got them another R&B hit with "You Keep Coming Back" in 1984. They recorded Kickin' in 1988, and co-wrote "Tomorrow" with Siedah Garrett for Jones' Back on the Block in 1989.
Love Is
Brothers Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, oh, oh
Well, the first time I saw you
Was the first time I lost you
And the first time I kissed you
Was the first time I missed you
Get by with some love too
But the things that we went through
Were so cold, don't let me remind you
It takes one to be alone
And it takes two to carry on
Tell me what you want to say
When you'll take my love
And just walk away
Is it love that we're missing
Peace of mind we're not getting
Are the games that we're playing
Simply our way of entertaining
Since the start you don't seem to
Realize what I've been through
Since the start I have tried to
Make you see that I need you
It takes one to be alone
And it takes two to carry on
Tell me what you want to say
When you'll take my love
And just walk away
And at times when we drift to
Our knees but forgot to
Leave behind all the past fun
Sometimes I find it hard to comfort
Wonder why we're not one
Is it love that we're missing
Peace of mind we're not getting
Is it love that we're missing
Is it love that we're missing
Peace of mind we're not getting
Tell me is it love that we're missing
I tried so hard to make it work
But it seems to me, only got hurt
Is it love that we're missing
Peace of mind we're not getting
Is it love that we're missing
Leave behind all the past fun
[Incomprehensible]
Is it love that we're missing
The Brothers Johnson's song, "Is It Love That We're Missin'," is a love song that tells the story of a relationship that has faced many challenges. The lyrics speak of the couple's first meeting, and how from the very first time they saw each other, they were drawn together by an intense attraction that neither could resist. However, as the relationship progressed, they encountered many difficulties, which ultimately lead to the question of whether or not they were truly in love. The song's central theme is the question of whether or not the love between them was enough to sustain the relationship, or if something was missing.
Throughout the song, the singer suggests that there have been many times when they have tried to make things work, but despite their efforts, they have continued to struggle. Despite this, they both seem to be unable to let go of their love for one another. The lyrics suggest that the relationship has become more of a game, a way to entertain each other, rather than a genuine expression of their love.
The song's chorus asks the central question, "Is it love that we're missing? Peace of mind we're not getting?" They wonder if they've been missing out on true love, or if perhaps they simply don't know how to find it. The song ends with the singer lamenting that they've tried so hard to make things work, but in the end, they've only succeeded in getting hurt.
Overall, "Is It Love That We're Missin'" is a song about the challenges of love and relationships. It's a reflection on how easy it is to get caught up in the excitement and passion of new love, only to find that it takes more than just love to make things work over the long term.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, the first time I saw you
The moment I laid my eyes on you, I lost my heart forever
Was the first time I lost you
It was the moment I got smitten by your beauty, and realized that you will be hard to get
And the first time I kissed you
When our lips touched for the first time, I knew that I would never want to let go
Was the first time I missed you
The moment we parted after that kiss, I felt the aching pain of separation for the first time
There were times when we tried to
Sometimes in our journey we made an effort to
Get by with some love too
Do with less love than what we truly deserved
But the things that we went through
Our past experiences that we had to face everyday
Were so cold, don't let me remind you
Those experiences were harsh and painful, let’s not relieve those moments again
It takes one to be alone
It takes one person to feel and experience loneliness
And it takes two to carry on
But it takes two people to move forward with any kind of relationship
Tell me what you want to say
Please be honest with me and reveal your true feelings
When you'll take my love
When you decide to accept my love
And just walk away
But abruptly leave without explanation
Is it love that we're missing
Is our relationship lacking that true feeling of love?
Peace of mind we're not getting
Feeling secure and happy in our relationship eludes us
Are the games that we're playing
Are we simply playing games or toying with each other's feelings?
Simply our way of entertaining
If so, then we must be merely amusing ourselves
Since the start you don't seem to
From the beginning, it seems that you can't or refuse to
Realize what I've been through
Understand the experiences and feelings I have gone through for you
Since the start I have tried to
From day one, I have always attempted to
Make you see that I need you
Convince you that I desperately need you in my life
And at times when we drift to
On those occasions when we get sidetracked to
Our knees but forgot to
We might not remember to plead or beg
Leave behind all the past fun
Ignoring the hurt of the past and moving on seems impossible
Sometimes I find it hard to comfort
I find it difficult to comfort you in times of distress
Wonder why we're not one
I ponder why we are not able to become one cohesive unit
I tried so hard to make it work
I put in a lot of effort to make our relationship work
But it seems to me, only got hurt
But it seems like all my efforts have only caused me pain and heartbreak
Leave behind all the past fun
We need to let go of the memories of our past happiness
Is it love that we're missing
Is the root of our relationship troubles the lack of true love?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: D. SMITH, G. JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@funkyunclenardi
🙌🏽 Yes. I haven’t queued this up in a minute. Very underrated tune.
@SuperICEMIKE
One of my favorite songs from my child hood!
@JLJ504HD
All of the early BJ albums/songs always take me back to my childhood, preteens to teenage years.
ON LEAD VOCALS & BASS: Louis "Thunder Thumbs" Johnson (RIP)
@kennyblackbird5674
@@JLJ504HD was 13 years old when this album came out , I just had been playing the electric guitar for a few months. That's Louis on the Spanish acoustic as well.
@lisahampton7750
Ooohhhh the precious memories!!!🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
@philiptorrez2578
❤ I was so enveloped by this when I was discovering My Gayness.
@sholfeltzjr
Still listening in July 2022!!
@petejanettpittman7085
Thx