Work to Do
Encyclopedia
"Work to Do" is a 1972 funk
song by The Isley Brothers
, released on their T-Neck
imprint. The song, written and produced by the group, was issued on their 1972 album, Brother, Brother, Brother
, and charted at #51 pop and #11 R&B upon its initial charting. Lyrically, the song explicates a troubled situation between a man and his girlfriend/wife, concerning the lack of quality time spent with each other. The man pleads that as much as he cannot wait to get home and spend time with her, he has a more pressing obligation/commitment to attend to work.
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...
song 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...
, released on their 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. The song, written and produced by the group, was issued on their 1972 album, Brother, Brother, Brother
Brother, Brother, Brother
Brother, Brother, Brother is a 1972 rock album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint. It was to be the Isleys' last studio record with Buddah Records moving on to Epic in the middle of 1973...
, and charted at #51 pop and #11 R&B upon its initial charting. Lyrically, the song explicates a troubled situation between a man and his girlfriend/wife, concerning the lack of quality time spent with each other. The man pleads that as much as he cannot wait to get home and spend time with her, he has a more pressing obligation/commitment to attend to work.
Cover versions
Over the years, the song has gotten much more success thanks to cover versions- The Main Ingredient in 1973 (AfrodisiacAfrodisiacAfrodisiac is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Brandy Norwood, released by Atlantic Records on June 28, 2004 on most international territories and on June 29, 2004 in Canada and the United States...
);
- the Average White Band in 1974 (AWBAWB (album)AWB is the second studio album by the Scottish funk and soul band Average White Band, released in August 1974 . An enormous best-seller, AWB was the Average White Band's breakthrough record, stunning many listeners with its soul and funk coming from a Scottish band.AWB topped Billboard's Pop...
)
- Vanessa L. WilliamsVanessa L. WilliamsVanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
, who recorded the track in 1991 (The Comfort ZoneThe Comfort Zone (album)The tracks "Work to Do" and "What Will I Tell My Heart?" both appeared in the film Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man; the latter also appeared on the film's soundtrack album.-Production:...
), and turned it into a Top 5 R&B hit in 1992.
- Mayer HawthorneMayer HawthorneMayer Hawthorne is an American singer, producer, songwriter, arranger, audio engineer, DJ, rapper and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California, USA. The stage name "Mayer Hawthorne" is a combination of Cohen's real middle name and the name of the street he grew up on in Michigan...
covered the song on his "Impressions - The Covers" EP in 2011.
Credits
- 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...
: guitars and percussion - Marvin IsleyMarvin IsleyMarvin Isley was the youngest member of the family music group the Isley Brothers and its bass guitarist....
: bass, percussion - 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...
: piano, keyboards - George Moreland: drums
- Karl Potter: congas