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)
Showdown
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
what's his name?
where's he from?
Is that my range he's drivin'
Tell me what's he got that i ain't got a lot of
Besides who is he to lay in the covers of my home
Oooooh, my home
Now lets not forget her misses
God rest her soul oooooooh
Took her of these streets gave her everything
I was the one that believed in all of her dreams and she did me wrong
So prepare yourself
[chorus]
Its about to be a showdown
Its goin' down
Somebody's been foolin' around in my home,wearin' my clothes, drivin' my car
God help me
Its a showdown
Its goin' down
Somebody's been foolin' around in my home,wearin my clothes, drivin' my car
Its on
Now first things first
where's this cat from
The Isley Brothers' song "Showdown" begins with the singer questioning who is to blame for the infidelity in his home. He wonders who the other man is and what he has that the singer is lacking. The singer's frustration is further highlighted by the fact that the other man is driving his car and wearing his clothes. He feels betrayed by both the man and his wife, who is nothing like his mother who he holds in high regard. He had been the one to support his wife's dreams only to be wronged by her infidelity.
The singer then declares that it is time for a showdown, as somebody has been fooling around in his home and it is time to confront the issue. The chorus repeats this sentiment, emphasizing that the situation has escalated and is about to come to a head. The song ends with the singer questioning who this other man is and where he is from.
Overall, the song Showdown speaks to the feelings of betrayal and frustration that can arise in a relationship when one partner begins cheating. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who has been wronged and is ready to confront the situation head-on.
Line by Line Meaning
who's to blame
Who is responsible for the situation at hand?
what's his name?
What is the name of the person responsible?
where's he from?
What is the origin of the person responsible?
Is that my range he's drivin'
Is the person responsible using my car?
Tell me what's he got that i ain't got a lot of
What does the person responsible have that I lack?
Besides who is he to lay in the covers of my home
Who is this person to sleep in my bed?
Oooooh, my home
The home that belongs to me
Now lets not forget her misses
We can't overlook the woman involved
she's nothing like my mother
The woman involved is not like my mother
God rest her soul oooooooh
May my deceased mother rest in peace
Took her of these streets gave her everything
I took her off the streets and provided her with everything she needed
I was the one that believed in all of her dreams and she did me wrong
I was the one who supported her goals, but she betrayed me
So prepare yourself
Get ready for what's to come
[chorus]
The chorus of the song
Its about to be a showdown
There is going to be a confrontation
Its goin' down
The confrontation is happening
Somebody's been foolin' around in my home,wearin' my clothes, drivin' my car
Someone has been messing around inside my house, wearing my clothes, and driving my car
God help me
May God assist me in this situation
Now first things first
First and foremost
where's this cat from
What is the origin of this person?
Its on
The confrontation is beginning
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT S. KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marvinjones5000
2023 still sounds so soulful…
don’t you agree? don’t you agree?
@JiaPia3
I agree
@user-km2ve2yo4q
@@JiaPia3-,
@jdizzy5076
This was way better that the R. Kelly Chocolate Factory version. 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 This song was slept on heavy.
@bdonell38
they both are 🔥
@bribrilarshae2182
IDGAF bout him being out the country , I said GET HIM HERE ! 🙅🏾
@sugeandpopsdailyadventures7244
Now GET...RIGHT NOW
@Onekay1k
Who still listening today .... I’m 28 and I love this soul
@treyforbes8572
17
@mrtonywilliams6312
The intro alone you knew this was going to be some 🔥🔥🔥🔥