Before the British Invasion, which brought The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and a whole host of British acts to the States, Ernie Isley was a pre-teen whose family happened to be hosting a young Jimi Hendrix at the early stages of his career.
And it was next to Hendrix that Isley witnessed the cultural watershed moment that truly kicked Beatlemania into a frenzy: The Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
“[Hendrix] was in our home the night the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan in ’64, the first time, you know – ‘Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles!’ I was on the left side of the couch, Marvin [Isley, from The Isley Brothers] was on the right, and Jimi was in the middle,” Isley tells Guitar World.
“There was a thunderclap in our house. We saw that performance. A few days went by, and there was a band meeting in our house, and my eldest brother O’Kelly [Isley Jr.] took the floor and said, ‘Everything’s changed. This English group, the Beatles, isn’t all hype. In terms of rock ’n’ roll music, I don’t think we’ll be alright.’”
The two groups were connected by the fact they both released their own versions of Twist and Shout. The Isley Brothers recorded and released their take in 1962, and it became the group's first single to reach the Top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Inspired by the Isley Brothers, The Beatles popularized the song even further with their own two-guitar version, released in the States in 1964. They also performed it during their third appearance on the mega-popular variety show, leading the track to smash global records and propel them to stratospheric heights.
Decades later, Isley would come face to face with one of the musicians who instigated the change in direction of The Isley Brothers' music.
“A few years ago, we were in New York at the estate of a family that owns a red wine, and the Isley Brothers were part of the entertainment. We played, came off stage, posed for selfies, and all that. As I got to my table, my wife said, ‘Paul McCartney’s over there,’” Isley recalls.
The Fab Four bassist was just four tables away, so Isley weaved his way through the tables and tapped him on the elbow. “He stood up and, at his full height, gave me a hug, that just about shut my wind off.
“We were yelling in each other’s ear, and I yelled something like, ‘Paul, George, Ringo and John – you guys were just wonderful!’ He said, ‘Ernie, if it were not for the Isley Brothers, the Beatles would still be in Liverpool.’”
After this heartfelt – and, frankly, historic – exchange and admission, the two got on stage and performed together for the first time. The song they picked? Twist and Shout – a truly full-circle moment.
“That was an amazing experience. I was up there on stage knowing that Jimi once played Shout! with The Isley Brothers.”
For more from Ernie Isley, plus new interviews with Tony Iommi and Billy Corgan, pick up issue 585 of Guitar World at Magazines Direct.
