18 Miles to Motown

In the mid-sixties, disappointing sales led the Isleys to sign with Motown, which was of course red hot at the time. They were teamed with the Holland-Dozier-Holland team and had their biggest hit yet with "This Old Heart of Mine," which happens to be the first Isley Brothers song I ever heard.

But the hits stopped there. They wouldn't have another major chart success in the US on Motown, despite some quality work, such as "Take Me in Your Arms," a song everyone knows as done by The Doobie Brothers.

The Isleys weren't happy with being molded to fit Berry Gordy's template for successful groups, and the brothers felt like a second-tier act. Hell, with The Supremes, Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and The Four Tops on the same label, they were.

So, once again they set out to do it their way. They restarted their own T-Neck label and moved to Buddah.