"Testify" is an uptempo

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

song by the American

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

group

the Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American soul group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of the brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...

. Written by the Isleys and recorded in 1964, it followed several successful singles by the group and was the first single to appear on their own T-Neck record label. Music critic

Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' The Daily P ...

describes "Testify" as "a delightful track, one that worked as a both an out-and-out raver and a novelty", praising it as "tremendously exciting uptempo soul music".

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

provided the guitar parts, which Unterberger identifies as one of the best examples of his pre-Experience recordings.

Lyrics and composition

The practice of "testifying" is used in churches in the American South to express belief in Christian faith and experiences. For their song, the Isleys parody the practice: During the song, others are called upon and testify briefly, including "Raymond, the genius, Ray", "James from Augusta, Georgia", "our friend Stevie", "another friend that lives in Detroit called Jackie", and "across the water ... them cats with long hair". The Isley Brothers respond, imitating the singing styles of

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer who was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of th ...

and

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

Ronald Isley Ronald Isley ( ; born May 21, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Isley is the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers. Early life Born in 1941 to Sallye Bernice (née Bell) and O ...

provides the lead vocals, with

Rudolph Isley Rudolph "Rudy" Bernard Isley (April 1, 1939 – October 11, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter and Christian minister and one of the founding members of The Isley Brothers. Life and career Rudolph "Rudy" Bernard Isley was born on April 1, ...

and O'Kelly Isley Jr. supplying the background vocals. Due to its length of nearly six minutes, "Testify" was split into two parts for release as a single. Although it missed the record charts, it later gained wider exposure as one of the first recordings featuring guitarist

Hendrix involvement

The Isley Brothers were one of the first groups that Hendrix recorded and toured with after relocating to New York's Harlem neighborhood from Nashville, Tennessee. Hendrix biographer Harry Shapiro describes his guitar parts for the song as "churning, hard-hitting rhythm chords and fluid blues-inspired solo breaks". Unterberger notes Hendrix's "spindly, roving electric guitar" in the opening section, and about ten seconds of "really wild, unhinged R&B soloing" later in the track. In 2010, "Testify" was included on the Hendrix compilation '' West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology'', along with several other of his pre-Experience recordings. American blues guitarist

Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (also known as SRV; October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (band), Double Trouble. Although his ma ...

recorded the song for his 1983 debut album ''

Texas Flood ''Texas Flood'' is the debut studio album by the American blues rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, released on June 13, 1983, by Epic Records. The album was named after a cover song featured on the album, " Texas Flood", which wa ...

''. Music writer Brad Tolinski calls it "More a tip of the hat than a cover ... one of Vaughan’s very best performances".

References

{{Authority control 1964 songs The Isley Brothers songs Songs written by Ronald Isley Songs written by O'Kelly Isley Jr. Songs written by Rudolph Isley 1964 singles Jimi Hendrix songs Stevie Ray Vaughan songs T-Neck Records singles