"That Lady" is a song by the Isley Brothers, made famous in 1973 when it was reworked in a funk rock style. It was originally performed as "Who's That Lady?" in a classic R&B vocal style by the Isley Brothers in 1964, inspired by the Impressions.
In 1973, the core Isley Brothers vocal trio had recently expanded, picking up guitarist Ernie Isley, bassist Marvin Isley and keyboardist Chris Jasper to form their 3 + 3 configuration. Guitarist Jimi Hendrix had supported the Isley Brothers on tour in the mid-1960s, and Ernie Isley had been strongly influenced by Hendrix's playing methods. At the Los Angeles Record Plant in 1973 recording the new version of "That Lady", Ernie laid down a searing guitar line with heavy Hendrix-style sustain carrying a soft fuzz distortion. The recording project included other musicians on organ and congas to establish a funk/rock fusion sound. It was also a cross-Atlantic hit for the group, reaching No.14 in the UK. With its prominent electric guitar line, "That Lady" helped establish Ernie Isley as a powerhouse performer.
In 2003, the song was ranked No.357 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Covers and samples
"That Lady" is sampled in "A Year and a Day," a section in the "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" suite on the 1989 Beastie Boys album Paul's Boutique.
Hip-hop versions of the song include "Who's That Lady" by The Get Funky Crew from their 1989 album Shake Them and "Who's That Lady" by Houston rapper 380 Dat Lady on her 1996 album A Day in the Life of 380 Vol. 1. "That Lady" is sampled in "Jus 1 Kiss (The Isley Bootleg)" by Basement Jaxx, which was released in 2001 and appeared on their 2005 greatest hits compilation The Singles.
| style="text-align:center;"|20
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|Netherlands
| style="text-align:center;"|20
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|UK Singles (OCC)
| style="text-align:center;"|14
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|U.S. Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|6
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|U.S. Billboard R&B
| style="text-align:center;"|2
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|U.S. Cash Box Top 100
|align="center"|6
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Year-end charts
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!Chart (1973)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank
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|Canada
| style="text-align:center;"|164
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|U.S. Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|21
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|U.S. Cash Box
| style="text-align:center;"|24
|-
|}
Personnel
- Ronald Isley – lead and backing vocals
- Rudolph Isley – backing vocals
- O'Kelly Isley Jr. – backing vocals
- Ernie Isley – guitar, backing vocals
- Marvin Isley – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Chris Jasper – piano, backing vocals
- George Moreland – drums
- Truman Thomas – organ
- Rocky – congas