Together with a fourth brother, Vernon, the group performed gospel music until Vernon's death a few years after its formation. After moving to the New York City area in the late 1950s, the group had their first successes during these early years, first coming to prominence in 1959 with their fourth single, "Shout", written by the three brothers. Initially a modest charted single, the song eventually sold over a million copies. In the 1960s, the group recorded songs for a variety of labels, including the top 20 single "Twist and Shout" and the Motown single "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)", before recording and issuing the Grammy Award-winning hit "It's Your Thing" on their own label, T-Neck Records.
Influenced by gospel and doo-wop music, the group began experimenting with different musical styles incorporating elements of rock and funk as well as pop balladry. 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 complete band and reached the height of their success. For the next full decade, they recorded a string of top-selling albums from 3 + 3 to Between the Sheets, including the number one album The Heat Is On.
The six-member band splintered in 1983, with Ernie, Marvin, and Chris Jasper forming the short-lived spinoff group Isley-Jasper-Isley. The oldest member, O'Kelly, died in 1986 and Rudolph and Ronald released a pair of albums as a duo before Rudolph retired to a life in the Christian ministry in 1989. Ronald reconvened the group two years later in 1991 with Ernie and Marvin; five years later, in 1996, Marvin Isley left the group due to complications of diabetes. The remaining duo of Ronald and Ernie achieved mainstream success with the albums Mission to Please (1996), Eternal (2001) and Body Kiss (2003). Eternal spawned the top twenty hit "Contagious". As of 2019, the Isley Brothers continue to perform under the lineup of Ronald and Ernie.
The Isley Brothers have sold over 18 million units in the United States alone. They have had several hit songs including four Top 10 singles on the United States Billboard chart. With their first major hit charting in 1959 ("Shout"), and their last one in 2001 ("Contagious"), they are among the few groups ever to have hit the Billboard Hot 100 with new music in five different decades. Sixteen of their albums charted in the Top 40 and thirteen of those albums have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum by the RIAA. The brothers have been honored by several musical institutions, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted them in 1992. Five years later, they were added to Hollywood's Rockwalk, and in 2003 they were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. They received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Isley_Brothers
Studio albums
Shout! (1959)
Twist & Shout (1962)
Twisting and Shouting (1963)
This Old Heart of Mine (1966)
Soul on the Rocks (1967)
It's Our Thing (1969)
The Brothers: Isley (1969)
Get into Something (1970)
Givin' It Back (1971)
Brother, Brother, Brother (1972)
3 + 3 (1973)
Live It Up (1974)
The Heat Is On (1975)
Harvest for the World (1976)
Go for Your Guns (1977)
Showdown (1978)
Winner Takes All (1979)
Go All the Way (1980)
Grand Slam (1981)
Inside You (1981)
The Real Deal (1982)
Between the Sheets (1983)
Masterpiece (1985)
Smooth Sailin' (1987)
Spend the Night (1989)
Tracks of Life (1992)
Mission to Please (1996)
Eternal (2001)
Body Kiss (2003)
Baby Makin' Music (2006)
Power of Peace (2017)
Midnight Sky Pts. 1 & 2
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Layin' low and south of the border
I know that when I awaken
I've taken more than moon beams home in a jar
Oh baby, mornin' and there you are right next to me
Can you feel it
Break of day and I'm feelin' hazy
Milky Way is all in my mind
I have no sense of direction when
Loving you
I lose conception of time
Under the midnight sky baby get next to me
Can you feel it
The greatest pleasure too great no measure
After the day is done
An invitation to find temptation
Under the midnight sun
Under a midnight sky, baby, get next to me
Under the midnight, sky
"Midnight Sky Pts. 1 & 2" by The Isley Brothers is a song about the joys of being in love and experiencing it under the beauty and mystery of the midnight sky. The song begins by describing the quarter moon that is "layin' low and south of the border" while hinting at a sensual scene of the singer taking some moon beams home in a jar. The first verse is followed by a chorus where the singer rejoices the company of his lover right next to him, asking if she can feel the same magical atmosphere as he does.
The second verse continues the description of the midnight sky, with the Milky Way being "all in my mind" as the singer loses his sense of direction and time when he is with his beloved. The chorus repeats, with the singer inviting his lover to come next to him under the midnight sky. The song closes with a third verse that talks about the incredible pleasure that their love brings, and how it makes time fly by so quickly. The last chorus repeats the invitation to come together under the midnight sky once more.
Overall, "Midnight Sky Pts. 1 & 2" is a soulful R&B track that celebrates the beauty and magic of being in love, especially when you are with the right person under the enchanting midnight sky.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight Sky the moon is a quarter
The sky is dark and the moon is only partially visible
Layin' low and south of the border
The moon is close to the horizon and located in the southern part of the sky
I know that when I awaken
The singer is aware of the passage of time and that they will eventually fall asleep
I've taken more than moon beams home in a jar
The artist has collected more than just moonlight and has had memorable experiences
Oh baby, mornin' and there you are right next to me
The artist wakes up to find their loved one by their side
Can you feel it
The singer is asking their loved one to share in the emotions of the moment
Break of day and I'm feelin' hazy
The sun is starting to rise and the singer feels groggy or unclear
And she's feelin' good
The artist's loved one is enjoying themselves and their time together
Milky Way is all in my mind
The artist is lost in thought and imagination; the Milky Way is a metaphor for their mind's wanderings
I have no sense of direction when
The artist is so caught up in their love for their partner that they lose track of their surroundings
Loving you
The singer's feelings for their partner are all-consuming
I lose conception of time
The artist is so wrapped up in their love for their partner that time passes without them noticing
Under the midnight sky baby get next to me
The dark night sky creates a romantic atmosphere and the singer wants their partner to join them
Can you feel it
The singer is asking their partner to share in the emotions of the moment
The greatest pleasure too great no measure
The happiness and satisfaction the singer feels with their partner are beyond measure
After the day is done
The artist's love for their partner is constant, even after the end of a long day
An invitation to find temptation
The artist is inviting their partner to find excitement and pleasure in their relationship
Under the midnight sun
The bright, constant sun represents the never-ending nature of love and the singer's desire for their partner to be with them always
Under a midnight sky, baby, get next to me
The dark night sky creates a romantic atmosphere and the singer wants their partner to join them
Under the midnight, sky
The dark night sky creates a romantic atmosphere
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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