Voyage to Atlantis
Encyclopedia
“Voyage to Atlantis” is a 1977 slow jam
released by The Isley Brothers
on the T-Neck
label. The single, which was off their multi-platinum album, Go for Your Guns
, is about two lovers going their separate ways, depicting their eventual reunion as a journey to "a paradise out beyond the sea"(i.e. Atlantis
). However, the narrator in the song is in effect telling his lover that this reunion will never happen; it is, in fact, as mythical as the "paradise" for which the song is named.("Atlantis...is back to you.") For Isley fans, the memorable moment is in the beginning of the song when guitarist
Ernie Isley
revs up his guitar and partakes on the beginning of the song until lead singer Ronald Isley
performs in his trademark buttery tenor followed by his brothers backing him up. The song charted at number fifty on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles
chart but the song is regarded as one of the brothers’ best songs to date. In 1992, the R&B group Riff recorded a remake version.
Slow jam
A slow jam an umbrella term for music with R&B and Soul influences. Slow jams are commonly R&B ballads or down tempo songs. The term is most commonly reserved for soft-sounding songs with heavily emotional or romantic lyrical content. This definition has led to intense debate over whether...
released by The Isley Brothers
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 the 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...
label. The single, which was off their multi-platinum album, Go for Your Guns
Go For Your Guns
Go for Your Guns is a 1977 album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint.-Reception:The album yielded three charted R&B singles including their #1 political funk anthem, "The Pride", the Top 40 pop record, "Livin' in the Life" and their Top 50 ballad, "Voyage to Atlantis", which...
, is about two lovers going their separate ways, depicting their eventual reunion as a journey to "a paradise out beyond the sea"(i.e. Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
). However, the narrator in the song is in effect telling his lover that this reunion will never happen; it is, in fact, as mythical as the "paradise" for which the song is named.("Atlantis...is back to you.") For Isley fans, the memorable moment is in the beginning of the song when guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Ernie Isley
Ernie Isley
Ernest "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...
revs up his guitar and partakes on the beginning of the song until lead singer Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.-Career:...
performs in his trademark buttery tenor followed by his brothers backing him up. The song charted at number fifty on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart but the song is regarded as one of the brothers’ best songs to date. In 1992, the R&B group Riff recorded a remake version.
Credits
- Written, arranged, composed and produced by The Isley BrothersThe Isley BrothersThe 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...
and 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... - 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 and background vocals - 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:...
and 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:...
: 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...
: guitars; drums - Marvin IsleyMarvin IsleyMarvin Isley was the youngest member of the family music group the Isley Brothers and its bass guitarist....
: bass guitar - 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...
: keyboards, synthesizers