The Isley Brothers...The Last Girl

[solemannking]

[mr_june]

The Last Girl was discussed not too long ago and like I said then, it's my favorite IB song. It's also unique because it features a young and then unknown [[to the public) Jimi Hendrix playing that guitar effect that can be heard in the left speaker and for the amount of changes the song has. Most songs even today only have a couple of changes but TLG has about 9 or 10. Super duper rare for a song from the 60's let alone a non all instrumental release. I also must mention the Burt Bacharach/Walk On By feel of the guitar in the song [[listen closely).

[nosey]

Never heard this before. Nice.

[robb_k]

Great song! I seem to remember having heard it. But, I couldn't find it among my Wand, United Artists, Atlantic or Atlantic/T-Neck 45s. I can only conclude that it was a Wand album cut. If they sang it on a TV show, it CANNOT have remained unreleased. Was it on The Isley Bros.' "Twist and Shout" album, or was it on the follow-up album? Or was it on an album of theirs on UA or Atlantic Records [[I don't remember ever seeing any on those labels). By the sound of it, it certainly can't have been recorded by Motown or the 2nd T-Neck label. It sounds like late 1964 or early 1965. I believe The Isley Brothers would have been either with UA [[early portion of that period), or back with Atlantic [[latter portion of that period). So, I'm guessing that it was an album cut from an album with one of those two labels. Did they have an album released on UA or Atlantic? Certainly, it sounds as if it were recorded by Bert Berns in NYC. Berns worked with them for Wand, UA and Atlantic.

[sunset_traveler]

Robb

It was a T-Neck production and was released as a 45 on Atlantic in 1964 backed with the Garnet Mimms styled "Looking For A Love".

[keith_hughes]

Robb,

It was the A side on Atlantic 2273, issued December 1964, the first of three singles released during their second tenure with the company, immediately prior to their joining Motown.

I agree enitrely with mr_june's opinion of the track. And even though it's a lip-sync, it's just great to see a video of it. However, I thought Hendrix never recorded with the group, just toured with them for a short while. Note, I'm not saying who's right and who's wrong, just going by something I heard ...

Keith

ps you snuck your post in while I was still typing, sunset!

[robb_k]

[robb_k]

I DO have that record. It is Atlantic 2263. Atlantic 2273 is a Willie Tee record. Although it is a T-Neck production, by The Isleys, I can't help think that they got Bert Berns to arrange it. It has that "sweet" New York sound, with those strings, that sounds just like Berns' work from that period. Here is the scan:

[robb_k]

Robb,

It was the A side on Atlantic 2273, issued December 1964, the first of three singles released during their second tenure with the company, immediately prior to their joining Motown.

I agree enitrely with mr_june's opinion of the track. And even though it's a lip-sync, it's just great to see a video of it. However, I thought Hendrix never recorded with the group, just toured with them for a short while. Note, I'm not saying who's right and who's wrong, just going by something I heard ...

Keith

ps you snuck your post in while I was still typing, sunset!

That's what I've heard, read, and always assumed. I've never heard that he recorded with them. But, I DID read that he played on some recordings for VJ Records in 1965 [[I don't know if that was in Chicago, New York or L.A.).

[jsmith]

Is the video from a UK TV show [[it looks that way to me from the appearance of the kids in the audience) ....
..... maybe RSG [[Ready, Steady, Go) or a similar show from 1965.

[solemannking]

[sunset_traveler]

The clip is definitely taken from the UK TV show "Ready Steady Go". And I agree Robb, it sounds like Bert Berns hand on the tiller. Certainly for its time it was a very complex and unusual song.
According to the Soulful Kinda Music site Hendrix did play on that session, but I can't vouch for where they got their information.
http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/isleys.htm

[davidl gordon]

I agree it's from "Ready Steady Go" - filmed in Dec 1964 during the Isleys' first UK tour when they were support act to
Dionne Warwick. The track was recorded in New York in September 1964. I'll have to check but I'm pretty sure Hendrix
had no involvement in the session.

Robb, there was a UA album - "The Famous Isley Brothers" - issued in Dec 1963. All their UA tracks, including some
previously unissued tracks, were issued on CD about 10 years ago.

[ceasar]

Could some one help me<
Did the brothers record a song with the lyrics
COLD BOLOGNA, MAYONNAISE, AND BREAD.

[mr_june]

Hendrix recorded with the Isley's. There was an album released in the over a decade ago to take advantage of his one time affiliation titles "In The Begining" which featured "The Last Girl," and "Wild Little Tiger".

Wikipedia:

In 1964, the group hired a young guitarist who had been in several rhythm and blues groups as a backing guitarist. His name was Jimi Hendrix but was then going by his nickname at the time, Jimmy James. Hendrix, who was homeless when O'Kelly Isley saw him while at a store, was brought in to the Isleys' family home and soon Hendrix was included in recordings the group was doing for T-Neck. Two of which, "Testify" and "Move Over and Let Me Dance", was released locally. By 1966, Hendrix had left the group to tour with Little Richard and the group signed with Motown Records after accepting a deal from Berry Gordy, who had promised to bring the group crossover success. That year, they had their first hit in four years with the pop-friendly "This Old Heart of Mine [[Is Weak for You)", which peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100.

[GeeTee(HPK)]

Ceasar,
To anwser your question ...

[ceasar]

GeeTee[[HPK)
Thank you so very much for that.
No one really beleved me. My wife thought she knew all of their records.
I could not convience her until now. Again, thank you.
CEASAR

[GeeTee(HPK)]

You're welcome Ceasar,glad I could help.