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)
You
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you've been thinking of me
Oh, I'll give all that I have
If you'll give all that I need
And oh, oh, oh, lets be fair
And I think its time we cleared the air
You've been watching you, I've been watching you
You know I've been wantin to groove with you
Groove with you
You been thinking all of this time
Groove with you
Aw baby what I wouldn't do
Groove with you
Just spending my days with you
Oh, love is all in your eyes
Love fire is burning for me
You stay all in my mind
Oh woman, its easy to see
Oh, let's be fair
You know its time we cleared the air
You've been watching me, I've been watching you
You know, you know
Groove with you
Oh I want a groove, I want a groove
Groove with you
I've been thinking, you've been thinking, thinking of me
Groove with you
Oh what I wouldn't do to groove with you
Groove with you
You've been watching, I been watching watching you
Groove with you
And every chance I get, from the first time we meet
I want a groove with you
The Isley Brothers' song Groove With You is a love ballad that talks about two people who have feelings for each other and want to take their relationship to the next level. The lyrics suggest that they have been thinking about each other and now is the time to express their feelings. The opening lines, "Oh, I've been thinking of you, and you've been thinking of me," convey the idea that both of them have been contemplating their relationship.
As the song progresses, the lyrics imply that the lovers want to be open and honest about their feelings for each other. They want to clear the air and speak their minds. They have been watching each other, and now they want to groove with each other. The chorus "Groove with you" is a powerful and catchy phrase that emphasizes the desire to dance and move together. The line "Oh, love is all in your eyes, love fire is burning for me" conveys that they are deeply in love with each other.
Overall, the lyrics of Groove With You are a reminder of how beautiful and exciting it is to fall in love with someone. It is a song about two people who have found each other and want to share their lives together. The music and lyrics of the song provide a perfect backdrop for dancing and celebrating love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I've been thinking of you
I have been constantly thinking about you and cannot get you out of my head
And you've been thinking of me
You have been thinking about me just as much as I have been thinking about you
Oh, I'll give all that I have
I am willing to give everything I have to make this work between us
If you'll give all that I need
All I need from you is for you to reciprocate the same level of commitment and devotion as I am willing to provide
And oh, oh, oh, lets be fair
It is time for us to have an honest and fair conversation about our feelings and intentions towards each other
And I think its time we cleared the air
We need to discuss any misunderstandings or uncertainties about our relationship and come to a mutual understanding
You've been watching you, I've been watching you
We have both been observing each other's actions and behavior towards one another
You know I've been wantin to groove with you
I have been longing to dance and move with you in a romantic and intimate way
Girl, speak your mind
Please do not hesitate to express your thoughts and feelings to me openly and honestly
Groove with you
I want to dance and move with you in a romantic and intimate way
You been thinking all of this time
You have also been contemplating and considering our relationship and the possibility of taking it to the next level
Aw baby what I wouldn't do
I would do anything to make you happy and be with you
Just spending my days with you
I would love to spend all my time with you and cherish every moment we have together
Oh, love is all in your eyes
I can see the love and passion you have for me in your eyes
Love fire is burning for me
Your love for me is intense and passionate, like a burning flame
You stay all in my mind
You constantly occupy my thoughts and I cannot stop thinking about you
Oh woman, its easy to see
It is very obvious and clear to me that we have a strong connection and chemistry
You know, you know
I want to remind you that I am fully committed and dedicated to you and our relationship
Oh I want a groove, I want a groove
I cannot stress enough how much I want to dance and move with you in a romantic and intimate way
And every chance I get, from the first time we meet
Since the moment we first met, I have been dreaming of every opportunity to dance and move with you in a romantic and intimate way
Oh what I wouldn't do to groove with you
I am willing to do anything and everything to make our dreams of dancing and moving together in a romantic and intimate way come true
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER JASPER, CHRISTOPHER H JASPER, ERNIE ISLEY, MARVIN ISLEY, O'KELLY ISLEY, RONALD ISLEY, RUDOLPH ISLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind