Isley-Jasper-Isley was a
splinter group
A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...
of
the Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...
formed in 1984 by brother-in-law
Chris Jasper
Christopher Howard Jasper (born December 30, 1951)Allmusic biography/ref> is an American singer, composer, and producer. Jasper is a former member of the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley and is responsible for writing and producing the maj ...
(keyboards),
Ernie Isley
Ernest Isley (born March 7, 1952) is an American musician, best known as a member of the musical ensemble The Isley Brothers, and also the splinter group Isley-Jasper-Isley.
Biography
Ernie was born in Cincinnati, where his older brothers for ...
(lead guitar), and
Marvin Isley
Marvin Isley (August 18, 1953 – June 6, 2010)
– accessed June 2010 was the youngest member of the family music grou ...
(bass), due to creative differences that arose among the group.
Jasper, a classically trained musician and composer and the key songwriter, producer, and arranger of Isley Brothers music, became the lead vocalist on most of the trio's recordings, and was also responsible for the majority of the writing and production for the new group. The older Isley Brothers returned to their original vocal trio formation and continued to record, employing a number of musicians, producers, and writers to fill the void left by Chris, Ernie, and Marvin.
Isley/Jasper/Isley released three albums on their
CBS Associated Records
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
label, including ''Caravan of Love,'' which featured the No. 1 title hit, written and sung by Chris and subsequently covered by English band
the Housemartins
The Housemartins were an English indie rock group formed in Hull who were active in the 1980s and charted three top-ten albums and six top-twenty singles in the UK. Many of their lyrics conveyed a mixture of socialist politics and Christiani ...
, who made the song an international No. 1 pop hit.
"
Caravan of Love
"Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of the Isley Brothers' ''3 + 3'' lineup of the 1970s.
Original Isley-Jasper-Isley version
After breaking away from the family group, the group (nota ...
" has also been used in the Dodge Caravan commercials, was recorded by
Marvin Sapp
Bishop Marvin Louis Sapp Sr. (born January 28, 1967) is an American Gospel music singer-songwriter who recorded with the group Commissioned during the 1990s before beginning a record-breaking solo career. Sapp is also the founder and former sen ...
on the WOW 2000 gospel album, and has become an anthem sung by numerous groups and individuals throughout the world who have made their unique version of the song available on YouTube.
In 1987, Isley/Jasper/Isley disbanded.
The Isley-Jasper-Isley half of the group was inducted with the rest of the Isleys in 1992 to the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...
and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in January 2014. At various times, younger brothers Marvin and Ernie Isley returned to perform with older brother Ronald Isley. Marvin Isley died from complications of diabetes in 2010 and Ernie Isley continues to perform with older brother Ronald Isley as The Isley Brothers.
After the break-up of Isley-Jasper-Isley, Jasper continued as a solo artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer, forming his own independent record label, Gold City Records. He has since released 14 solo albums, including four gospel albums. He released two albums on his CBS-Associated label, Gold City Records, including the No. 1 R&B hit "Superbad" in 1988,
a song which emphasized the importance of education, a theme Jasper continued to stress in many of the songs he has written on his solo albums. In January 2013, Jasper released ''Inspired: By Love, By Life, By the Spirit,'' a compilation of love songs as well as socially conscious and spiritual tracks. In May 2014, Jasper released ''The One'', reminiscent of the soulful R&B and funk music he wrote for the Isleys. In 2016, Jasper released ''Share With Me,'' which included a cover of the Billy Preston hit, "You Are So Beautiful" and a special track called "America," a tribute to the nation and a call to come together. In June 2018, Jasper released a double-A single "The Love That You Give/It's a Miracle" from his 15th solo album, ''Dance With You.'' Jasper, who earned a law degree in 2004, has continued to write, record, and perform all the music on his solo albums and produce artists for his Gold City label, including Liz Hogue, Out Front, and Brothaz By Choice. The most recent addition to the Gold City label is Jasper's son, Michael Jasper, an up-and-coming songwriter, recording artist and screenplay writer, who earned his law degree in 2018. In 1989, Jasper wrote, produced and performed on "Make It Last" for Chaka Khan's CK album. In 2015, in conjunction with Sony Music, Jasper released the ''Essential Chris Jasper'' which encompasses all of the tracks that Jasper sang lead on during his IJI years and solo career at CBS/Sony Music. In 2015, he received the prestigious German Record Critics Lifetime Achievement Award ("Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik"). In 2016, Chris was awarded the National R&B Society Lifetime Achievement Award.
Discography
Albums
*''
Broadway's Closer to Sunset Blvd
''Broadway's Closer to Sunset Blvd'' is the 1984 debut album of Isley-Jasper-Isley on CBS/Magic Sound Records. Marvin Isley announced the record as a separate project from the Isley Brothers rather than a permanent break up. "Look the Other Way" re ...
'' (1984)
*
''Caravan of Love'' (1985)
*
''Different Drummer'' (1987)
Compilations
*2003: ''The Best of Isley-Jasper-Isley: Caravan of Love''
*2010: Broadway's Closer to Sunset Boulevard/Caravan of Love/Different Drummer
ouble cd
Singles
*1984: "Kiss & Tell" (No. 63 US Pop; No. 52 US R&B, No. 46 US Dance Club Play)
*1984: "Look the Other Way" (No. 14 US R&B)
*1985: "
Caravan of Love
"Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of the Isley Brothers' ''3 + 3'' lineup of the 1970s.
Original Isley-Jasper-Isley version
After breaking away from the family group, the group (nota ...
" (No. 51 US Pop; No. 1 US R&B; No. 52 UK
)
*1986: "Insatiable Woman" (No. 13 US R&B; No. 90 UK
)
*1987: "8th Wonder of the World" (No. 18 US R&B)
*1988: "Givin' You Back the Love" (No. 15 US R&B)
Music videos
*1984: "Kiss & Tell"
*1984: "Look the Other Way"
*1985: "Caravan of Love"
*1985: "Insatiable Woman"
References
External links
Official website of Chris JasperChris Jasper's YouTube channelGold City Records
{{Authority control
American soul musical groups
American funk musical groups
American musical trios