The Isley Brothers · 1973 · Behind the Songs
“That Lady” (1973) is the sound of a group reinventing itself in public.
“That Lady” (1973) is the sound of a group reinventing itself in public. It appeared on 3 + 3, the first album by the expanded Isley Brothers lineup, in which Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, and Chris Jasper joined Ronald, Rudolph, and O’Kelly Isley as full members. The recording reworked an earlier Isley Brothers song, “Who’s That Lady,” from 1964, and turned it into something harder, longer, and more guitar-driven.
The change is in the arrangement as much as in the title. Ernie Isley’s guitar gives the track its sharp edge and its sense of movement, while the group’s harmonies keep it rooted in their earlier soul and gospel background. Ronald Isley’s lead vocal moves between smoothness and urgency, and the band stretches out rather than rushing to a short pop ending. The result feels both familiar and new: a family vocal group stepping confidently into funk and rock territory.
In the group’s career, “That Lady” matters because it announced the 3 + 3 era. It showed that the Isleys could keep their identity while changing their sound, and it set the template for the albums that followed — records where tight singing, strong guitar, and funk rhythms worked together rather than competing.