Episode 087: Ron Isley, Remixed

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This week, we celebrate the new year by bringing you an improved, remixed version of our talk with Ron Isley. Isley is the legendary lead singer of The Isley Brothers, and a soul music icon who has been a vital force in popular music for over half a century.

The Isley Brothers first reached the charts with the 1959 hit “Shout,” and had an amazing run all the way through 1983’s oft-sampled “Between the Sheets.” Ron’s career was revitalized by a series of collaborations with R. Kelly starting in 1996, including 2001’s memorable hit “Contagious.” His most recent solo album, released right around the time of this conversation, was This Song Is For You, which featured the single “Dinner and A Movie.”

We talked to Ron about his whole career, from his early years singing gospel straight through to today, with stops in Motown, his influential songs of the 1960s and 70s, the inside scoop on working with R. Kelly, and lots more.

Tracks featured in this episode:

1. Clara Ward Singers, “How I Got Over”
2. The Isley Brothers, “Shout”
3. The Beatles, “Shout”
4. The Isley Brothers, “Twist and Shout”
5. The Beatles, “Twist and Shout”
6. The Isley Brothers, “Looking for a Love”
7. Jr. Walker & the All-Stars, “Shotgun”
8. The Isley Brothers, “Long Tall Sally”
9. The Isley Brothers, “Do The Twist”
10. The Isley Brothers, “This Old Heart of Mine”
11. The Isley Brothers, “It’s Your Thing”
12. The Cipher Episode 19: Abiodun Oyewole
13. Johnnie Taylor, “Who’s Making Love”
14. Rod Stewart (f/Ron Isley), “This Old Heart of Mine”
15. The Isley Brothers, “Nobody But Me”
16. The Human Beinz, “Nobody But Me”
17. The Isley Brothers, “Love the One You’re With”
18. The Isley Brothers, “Ohio/Machine Gun”
19. The Isley Brothers, “That Lady (Pt. 1 & 2)”
20. The Isley Brothers, “Who’s That Lady”
21. The Isley Brothers, “That Lady (Pt. 1 & 2)”
22. The Isley Brothers, “Fight The Power (Part 1 & 2)”
23. The Isley Brothers, “Fight The Power (Part 1 & 2)”
24. Public Enemy, “Fight the Power”
25. The Isley Brothers, “Footsteps in the Dark”
26. Ice Cube, “It Was a Good Day”
27. The Isley Brothers, “Between the Sheets”
28. The Notorious B.I.G., “Big Poppa”
29. Da Brat, “Funkdafied”
30. Jay Z, “Ignorant Shit”
31. A Tribe Called Quest, “Bonita Applebum (Hootie Mix)”
32. The Isley Brothers, “”Make Me Say It Again Girl (Part 1 & 2)”
33. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, “Tha Crossroads”
34. The Isley Brothers, “Freedom”
35. The Isley Brothers (f/R. Kelly and Chanté Moore), “Contagious”
36. Kelly Price (f/ R. Kelly and Ron Isley), “Friend of Mine”
37. R. Kelly (f/The Isley Brothers), “Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)
38. R. Kelly (f/ Ron Isley), “Down Low (Remix)”
39. JS, “Ice Cream”
40. The Isley Brothers, “Groove With You”
41. Ron Isley, “Dinner And A Movie”