The Isley Brothers, That Lady | Throwback Vibez

In the 50th edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “That Lady” by The Isley Brothers.   

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez ! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils ! All genres of music are welcome. In the 50^th edition of Throwback Vibez ️ (2025), we recollect and reflect on “That Lady” performed by The Isley Brothers.

“Who’s that lady (Who’s that lady?) / Beautiful lady (Who’s that lady?) / Lovely lady (Who’s that lady?) / Real fine lady (Who’s that lady?).” Indeed, Ronald Isley, indeed. Those lyrics hail from the timeless The Isley Brothers’ gem, “That Lady”. “That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2” is the opening track from the Grammy-winning soul collective’s milestone album, 3 + 3.  The album also features the ‘single’ version of the song “That Lady, Pt. 1”, which reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100.  3 + 3 marked the expansion of The Isley Brothers and their eclecticism. This includes the monstrous addition of Ernie Isley (guitar). There are also the keys of the late Chris Jasper (1951 – 2025) and bass of Marvin Isley, forming the instrumental half of the band.  Harmonizing sweetly with Ron are the late Rudolph Isley and the late O’Kelly Isley. “That Lady” was written and produced by the soul collective.

The chorus, excerpted above, is the section to beat on “That Lady.” Ronald Isley delivers cool but potent lead vocals.  He gets epic background vocals from Rudolph and O’Kelly. Even with the chorus being the cat’s meow,  the verses are captivating, too.  “Your eyes tell me to pursue,” Ronald sings in the first verse, continuing, “But you say ‘Look, yeah, but don’t touch, baby’.” In the second verse, he continues to be enamored by the lady, imploring her to “Come ‘round my way, baby / Shine my way.” Beyond the lyrics, the music slaps.  “That Lady” thrives off a soulful groove and sensational drumming by George Moreland. The rhythm section is electrifying, led by Ernie’s guitar playing. On the extended version, his soloing is epic. Jasper ‘brings the heat’ on the keys, particularly when he accompanies Ernie during his guitar solo.  Also, amplifying the timbre is a mean-sounding organ performed by Truman Thomas.  And of course, we cannot leave out that sickening, robust bass line performed by Marvin Isley. Whichever version of  “That Lady” that you partake of is epic – once in a lifetime!

The Isley Brothers // 3 + 3 // Sony Music Entertainment // 1973

The Isley Brothers, That Lady: Throwback Vibez ️ No. 50 (2025) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Sony Music Entertainment; AcatXlo, OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]