It's Our Thing
Encyclopedia
It's Our Thing is a 1969 album released by The Isley Brothers
on their own T-Neck
imprint. Fully emancipated from three and a half years in Motown Records
and encouraged by their international success in England
, the Isleys composed this album in the style of Sly & the Family Stone
/James Brown
funk
that was dominating the music industry at the time but with their own flair as explained in their smash title track
. Other hits off the album though it didn't chart included "I Know Who You Been Socking It To" and "Give the Women What They Want". This album was also the Isleys' first Top 40 record reaching #22 on the pop albums chart. Curiously, despite its importance in the career of the seminal group, this album was not released in CD format until 2008.
.
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
on their own T-Neck
T-Neck Records
T-Neck Records was a record label founded by The Isley Brothers in 1964.It's notable for having the Isleys becoming the first R&B band to form a record label, a rarity in black music. During the label's early years, the Isleys issued the records "Testify" and "Move Over And Let Me Dance", which...
imprint. Fully emancipated from three and a half years in Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
and encouraged by their international success in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the Isleys composed this album in the style of Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
/James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
that was dominating the music industry at the time but with their own flair as explained in their smash title track
It's Your Thing
"It's Your Thing" is an influential funk single by the Isley Brothers. Released in 1969, the funk anthem was an artistic response to Motown chief Berry Gordy's demanding hold on his artists after the Isleys left the label in late-1968....
. Other hits off the album though it didn't chart included "I Know Who You Been Socking It To" and "Give the Women What They Want". This album was also the Isleys' first Top 40 record reaching #22 on the pop albums chart. Curiously, despite its importance in the career of the seminal group, this album was not released in CD format until 2008.
Track listing
All songs were written, arranged, composed and produced by The Isley BrothersThe Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
.
- "I Know Who You Been Socking It To" - 2:39
- "Somebody Been Messin'" - 2:35
- "Save Me" - 3:22
- "I Must Be Losing My Touch" - 1:59
- "Feel Like the World" - 3:15
- "It's Your ThingIt's Your Thing"It's Your Thing" is an influential funk single by the Isley Brothers. Released in 1969, the funk anthem was an artistic response to Motown chief Berry Gordy's demanding hold on his artists after the Isleys left the label in late-1968....
" - 2:48 - "Give the Women What They Want" - 2:15
- "Love Is What You Make It" - 2:32
- "Don't Give It Away" - 2:42
- "He's Got Your Love" - 1:56
Personnel
- Ronald IsleyRonald IsleyRonald Isley is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.-Career:...
: lead vocals - O'Kelly Isley, Jr.O'Kelly Isley, Jr.O'Kelly Isley, Jr. , better known as Kelly Isley, was an American singer and one of the founding members of the legendary family group, The Isley Brothers.-Biography:...
and Rudolph IsleyRudolph IsleyRudolph Bernard Isley , better known as Rudy Isley, is an American singer-songwriter and is one of the founding members of the legendary family group, The Isley Brothers.-Biography:...
: background vocals - Ernie IsleyErnie IsleyErnest "Ernie" Isley is a member of the iconic American musical ensemble, The Isley Brothers.-Life and career:Ernie was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his older brothers formed The Isley Brothers, first as a gospel group, then as a secular-singing group. In 1960 his family moved to Englewood and...
: bass, guitar - Marvin IsleyMarvin IsleyMarvin Isley was the youngest member of the family music group the Isley Brothers and its bass guitarist....
: bass - Chris JasperChris JasperChris Jasper is a former member of both the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley. He is also a successful solo artist and record producer, recording a number of his own solo albums, and producing artists, for his New York based record label, Gold City Records...
, Everett Collins: piano, keyboards - Instrumentation by assorted New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
musicians