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Just
Call 'Em Mr. Biggs!
Some
musicians are lucky if they last a year, much less 49. What’s
the Isley’s secret to success? And how have they tamed
that wild, loose mistress, the music industry?Ernie Isley
shoots the bo-bo with LSR.
Sit down with the Isley Brothers and you
realize that nearly 50 years of music history is staring
you in the face. As their 40th album, Body Kiss, awaits
release next month, the brothers are on the promo circuit,
handling the music game and the media with ease, a skill
mastered only by veterans, like themselves.
Well it’s definitely their thing and
they’re doing what they want to do. You didn’t
know? You better ask Ernie Isley! He broke it down for me,
making it clear that they’re well aware of their special
place in music history.
Nine
times out of ten if you hear a song today, it was influenced
by these brothers and their long-standing band. Try the
six degrees of separation theory on them and you’re
most likely to find that many artists and songs over the
last forty years are separated by three or less! Forget
Michael Bolton and that old nasty battle, recall he had
nerve to use their songs and not pay for the rights! How
about Vanessa Williams? Back when she was still making music
instead of movies, she remade their song “Work To
Do.” Aaliyah re-did “Let me Know” and
Biggie sampled “Between the Sheets,” for his
hit “Big Poppa.”
But it’s not just soul and R&B,
rock and roll better recognize too. One of rock’s
greatest guitarists, Jimmy James, was in the Isley band
before going on to fame. Oh, we know him better as Jimi
Hindrix. Finally, we know how much the folks love to act
a fool to the cult classic, “Shout” (um-huh,
Isleys). History lesson over!
Ernie Isley, the band’s guitarist
since 1969, is soft-spoken and humble, but not at all shy
about the part his band has played in molding modern music.
He doesn’t hesitate in answering, when asked how the
band has crafted a successful music career. “We love
what we do and we have a great appreciation for music to
begin with,” he says reflectively. “And we’re
willing to change, therefore our music is not confined to
any particular style, genre, or time period.”
Ah,
change! How many times have we seen groups change to keep
up with the musical jonses, only to be left out in the cold
because the style doesn’t suit their talents? A quick
look back at a few VH-1 “Where Are They Now,”
episodes will answer that. But the Isley’s have never
had that problem, on the contrary, they posses an almost
chameleon-like ability to morph their distinct sound into
a variety of contemporary styles.
The only thing missing from Body Kiss, ironically,
are Ernie’s signature guitar riffs, an Isley trademark.
Their absence will likely leave a small void within Isley
purists. Otherwise, the album, which contains the hot, sultry
single, “What Would You Do,” is a prime example
of the brothers’ knack for dipping into the present
pool of talent (guest artists include Snoop Dogg and Lil’
Kim) while staying true to their own tastes. “The
musical landscape is different than it was three or four
years ago and we did a CD that’s very much in the
present tense,” Ernie says. “It’s ‘this
year’s model’ and fits with what the landscape
is right now.”
That landscape is saturated with video images
of scantily clad women, graphic sexual lyrics and music
that usually thumps and bumps more than it soothes. With
its sexy undertones, Body Kiss does speak to the more open
sexuality of today’s music, but without the in-your-face
nastiness. Now, don’t get it twisted, the Isley’s
aren’t afraid of risqué lyrics. They were among
one of the first groups to have overtly sexual lyrics on
their albums, but some of their material is tame compared
to today’s blunt and bold content and imagery.
Ernie
believes the strength of videos have helped to push music
into a visual experience, prompting more artists to play
the sex card and propelling some artists into icon status
well before they deserve it. “I guess that’s
why some kids think of the Isley Brothers as Mr. Biggs because
he’s who they see, they don’t realize we influenced
everyone from the Beatles on down,” he continues.
“The icon treatment is immediately given because of
the visual, they stick to what they see now, but that doesn’t
pay homage to the past.”
There’s no denying that the creation
of Mr. Biggs, Ronald Isley’s alter ego, is a definite
factor in the Isley’s stickiness to younger listeners.
He’s seen crooning with and threatening R. Kelly on
the regular and lately he’s been hanging with an even
younger set, as the dad in the B2K video for “Girlfriend.”
But Ernie points out that the emergence of Mr. Biggs is
not only a natural progression for the Isleys, but an extension
of their style from the 70’s. “I think it’s
appropriate that my brother is Mr. Biggs – because
someone like that had to be somebody of some rep,”
he explains. “That persona is not random or luck,
it’s logical. We did the fur coats and bling bling
a long time ago, so it’s not like you’ve never
seen us like Mr. Biggs before.” He laughs as he continues.
“It used to be six of us like that. It’s now
down to two but the spirit is still there.”
It’s safe
to say that after almost 50 years in the industry, the Isley’s are truly
only competing with them selves. Yet, they’ve never rested on their
laurels, a testament to their roots, an age when music, not videos sold albums.
“We’ve always tried to be excellent and true to our own identity,”
Ernie says sincerely. “This isn’t luck or chance. There’s
the blessing of longevity and the musical gift that we have but we also keep
our ear to the street and we’re willing to change.”
Visit http://www.theisleybrothers.com
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