Not many acts can say that Jimi Hendrix did a turn as their guitarist or that they have reached the Hot 100 during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

Even fewer could say that their tracks have been sampled by hip-hop greats like Ice Cube, Notorious BIG and Kendrick Lamar and covered by Aaliyah. 

Listen to each original track followed by its sample:

The Isley Brothers, the legendary purveyors of some of the most original R’N B grooves the world has ever seen, can say all these things and we’d be willing to bet they have a few more stunning accolades in their armour after seven decades of success.

Growing up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio were the four Isley Brothers, one of whom unfortunately passed away after a tragic road accident at 13. The brothers got their flair for music performing as a gospel-based vocal group honing their subtle melodies together. After a move to New York in the late 1950s the brothers struck gold with their fourth single written by O’Kelly, Rudolph and Ronald Isley which became one of the most unique and infectious pop anthems ever- Shout! Their follow up went on to be covered by The Beatles as one of their earliest hits – Twist And Shout!

As the 1960s rolled around, the brothers drafted in a then unknown guitarist by the name of Jimmy James (who later adopted the stage name of Jimi Hendrix) as their lead guitarist taking their sound in a more rock – orientated direction. Hendrix left his mark on their sound after a short period with the band, and they continued with their experimental rock’n’soul guitar sound after his departure.

Frustrated with labels that did not understand their new direction, the brothers formed their own independent label, T-Neck Records and began to enjoy a new wave of freedom as they wrote, produced and recorded their own material as well as over-seeing distribution and promotion.

As their empire expanded so did their band, with the addition of younger brothers, Ernie and Marvin Isley and Chris Jasper, brother-in-law of Rudolph Isley. Their original arrangement as a vocal group was now a self-contained pop/rock/R&B/ funk ensemble ready to push the barriers of soul music and funk whilst bringing it back into the mainstream. What followed was a second wave of immense popularity for the group with three gold and seven platinum or multi-platinum albums and a life-long legacy of success and unforgettable music.

Now you can experience some of The Isley Brothers best work with ‘The Complete RCA Victor and T-Neck Album Masters’ box set.

It includes 23 discs that follows The Isley Brothers through their transformation from a 1950’s doo-wop/gospel vocal group into the world’s pre-eminent R&B rock ‘n’soul powerhouse party band. Discover the box set now, which includes 21 newly remastered versions of their albums, the previously unreleased live album ‘Wild In Woodstock’, as well as 84 rare and previously unreleased bonus tracks. Released on August 21st, you can pre-order your copy on Amazon now.

Listen to a Medley of the album: ‘Hello It’s Me’, ‘Footsteps in the Dark’, & ‘For the Love of You’, performed live at Bearsville Sound Studio in 1980.