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The Isley Brothers: 10 Of The Best

Stevie Chick, The Guardian, 7 January 2014

1. 'Shout (Parts 1 & 2)'

The Brothers Isley (Kelly, Rudy and Ron) started out singing gospel music before embarking upon a pop career that would stretch over five decades. Their first smash — which began life as an improvised onstage vamp on their cover of Jackie Wilson's Lonely 'Teardrops '— had its roots firmly in the call-and-response tradition of gospel, and even featured Professor Herman Stephens, the organist at their church, on keyboards. A signature hit for Lulu in the 1960s, the 1959 original remains a barnstormer 55 years on — it was often Bruce Springsteen's showcloser on his last tour.

Total word count of piece: 1178

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