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 Still Feel The Need
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Playin' mind games on each other, givin' heartaches when you can
Keep your feelin's under cover, feelin' lonely when you smile
One couldn't live without the other, tryin' to prove to the world
That you'll change your style
Everything you did together made you feel happy
Same things done alone don't feel the same
Every time you do, you feel a pain-You still feel the need
Tell me where are the people who appeared your best of friends
Seems they add to your confusion 'cause they leave you in the end
Write a letter to your lover and she's writin' one to you
Neither one of you are gonna send it, cause your pride gets the best of you
Everything you did together made you feel happy
Same things done alone don't feel the same
In a hurry to forget but you still remember
Every time you do, you feel a pain-You still feel the need
Tell me when will you deliver your satisfaction's long overdue
Try to hide your true feelin's and it's takin' its toll on you
Find that somethin' that you're missin', take a long look at yourself
If you find somethin' missin', reach on out for something else
Everything you did together made you feel happy
Same things done alone don't feel the same
In a hurry to forget but you still remember
Every time you do, you feel a pain-You still feel the need
The Isley Brothers' You Still Feel The Need is a poignant song about the ups and downs of relationships. The lyrics suggest a couple that is struggling to hold it together, with both partners playing mind games and giving heartaches. The chorus "Everything you did together made you feel happy. Same things done alone don't feel the same. In a hurry to forget but you still remember. Every time you do, you feel a pain-You still feel the need" is particularly bittersweet, as it encapsulates the idea of trying to move on from a past relationship, but not being able to let go completely.
The song also touches on the role that friends can play in adding to the confusion and pain surrounding a break-up. The line "Tell me where are the people who appeared your best of friends. Seems they add to your confusion 'cause they leave you in the end" suggests that even close friendships can be fragile and unreliable when it comes to matters of the heart.
Ultimately, the song offers the hopeful advice that if something is missing from your life, you should take a long look at yourself and reach out for something else. It's a message that encourages self-reflection and growth, even in the midst of heartache and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me where is your lady, lady where is your man
Where are your significant other? You both play mind games, causing pain to each other.
Playin' mind games on each other, givin' heartaches when you can
Playing games with each other, causing heartbreak whenever possible.
Keep your feelin's under cover, feelin' lonely when you smile
Hiding your true feelings, feeling alone even when smiling.
One couldn't live without the other, tryin' to prove to the world that you'll change your style
You are trying to change to prove to the world, even though you can't live without each other.
Everything you did together made you feel happy
Your happiness was tied to being together.
Same things done alone don't feel the same
Without your partner, things lose their meaning and feeling.
In a hurry to forget but you still remember
You try to forget, but the memories remain.
Every time you do, you feel a pain-You still feel the need
Every time you remember, you feel pain and still crave the presence of your partner.
Tell me where are the people who appeared your best of friends
Where are your friends who seemed like your closest confidants?
Seems they add to your confusion 'cause they leave you in the end
Your friends leave you and add to your confusion.
Write a letter to your lover and she's writin' one to you
You both write letters to each other, but neither sends it because of pride.
Neither one of you are gonna send it, 'cause your pride gets the best of you
You both refrain from sending the letters out of pride.
Tell me when will you deliver your satisfaction's long overdue
When will you finally find satisfaction after a long wait?
Try to hide your true feelin's and it's takin' its toll on you
Hiding your true feelings is causing harm to you.
Find that somethin' that you're missin', take a long look at yourself
Look within yourself to find what is missing.
If you find somethin' missin', reach on out for something else
If something is missing, seek it elsewhere.
Contributed by Gavin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.