Search - Isley Brothers: Summer Breeze - Greatest Hits Live on DVD

Definitive British hits collection

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 09/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Isley Bothers have a long history, beginning with Shout, which didn't chart for them in the UK but it is the song that later launched Lulu's career in Britain. In the sixties, they recorded some notable songs, notably Twist and shout (later covered by the Beatles and by Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, who had a UK top ten hit with it) The Isley Brothers' version was a minor UK hit but isn't included here - it is one of only two UK hits omitted from this collection.

The brothers achieved their first significant UK hits after they switched to Motown. This old heart of mine, I guess I'll always love you and Behind a painted smile all became huge UK hits for them - two of them making the top five and the other stalling just outside the top ten. A fourth Motown single (Put yourself in my place) made the UK top twenty after they left Motown but isn't included here.

Despite their success, they never really liked recording for Motown so they quit and had hits on their own label with a different style partly inspired by James Brown. The most notable of these hits was It's your thing. By this time, the three brothers of the original group had become five brothers and a cousin (whose surname was Jasper, not Isley) and it was with this line-up that the group had its most successful period in America after they came to a licensing agreement with a major label.

They scored several top twenty hits in Britain but only (just) made the top ten once in the seventies, failing to scale the chart heights of their earlier Motown hits - they have nevertheless become classics. Indeed, Summer breeze (one of the best summer songs ever) and Harvest for the world may be better known in Britain than those Motown hits. Their other seventies hits were That lady, Highway of my life, Take me to the next phase, It's a disco night and Between the sheets.

In the eighties, the group split up - the three original members continued as the Isley Brothers while the three that joined in 1969 formed Isley Jasper Isley. This latter group, represented here by Caravan of love (later covered by the Housemartins who had a British number one hit with it), had more success than the original trio.

From a British perspective, this compilation contains all the essential Isley Brothers tracks. Americans will notice a few omissions but this compilation was prepared primarily for the UK market."