(T-Neck / Buddah Records)
Marvin Isley, influential bassist for the legendary Isley Brothers, died on June 6 in Chicago. While Isley was too young to participate in the band's early hits, such as "Shout", "Twist and Shout", and "This Old Heart Of Mine", or the Isley's 1964 recordings with Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Isley was essential in laying down the funky bass lines for the 1969 smash, "It's Your Thing", and officially joined the band a few years later. The band splintered in the 1980s, with Marvin's project Isley-Jasper-Isley scoring big with the #1 R&B single, "Caravan of Love". Marvin united with the Isley Brothers in 1991, but retired in 1997 because of complications from diabetes. According to the Associated Press, he'd "already suffered a stroke, had a kidney transplant, lost both his legs, and the use of his left hand."
In 1971, after years of white artists covering the Isley Brothers, the band decided to release Givin' It Back, an album of contemporary material by mostly white artists, including Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Eric Burdon, and Bob Dylan. The Isleys charted with their versions "Love The One You're With", "Spill The Wine", and "Lay Lady Lay". You can hear the Dylan cover below:
Bob Dylan played the Isley Brothers' 1964 version of "Who's That Lady?" on his Theme Time Radio Hour satellite radio program, for the "Questions" episode. Here's part of Dylan's introduction:
The Isley Brothers had about six different careers. You can't go to a wedding without hearing their version of the song "Shout". Jimi Hendrix played with them, they were on Motown for a while, had a record there with "This Old Heart Of Mine", they had another hit with "It's Your Thing", they made some funk records. In 1973, they had a hit with a remake of the record we're gonna hear now. They just keep going . . . This is the Isley Brothers with the original version of "Who's That Lady?".
The Isley Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1992.
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