T-Neck Records was a record label founded by members of the R&B/soul group The Isley Brothers in 1964, which became notable for distributing the first nationally-released recordings of Jimi Hendrix, their guitarist, and which later became a successful label after the Isleys began releasing their own works after years of recording for other labels, scoring hits such as "It's Your Thing" (1969) and "That Lady" (1973).
History
Conception
The Isley Brothers had been recording music professionally since 1957 and had struggled with the release of many of its recordings. Encouraged by the million-selling success of their 1959 single "Shout", which the trio wrote, the trio formed the Three Boys Music publishing company, which would include their own compositions including later songs "Respectable" and "Nobody But Me", all of which helped to earn the brothers monetary royalties after the songs were licensed to other artists who covered the tunes including The Yardbirds and The Human Beinz.
After not scoring any major hits after RCA's release of "Shout", they moved to the Wand label in 1961, where they recorded the Bert Berns dance number "Twist & Shout", that would be released in 1962. The song became the brothers' first single to score success on the main US pop chart (#17) and the R&B chart (#2), and also scored moderate international success as it reached #42 in the United Kingdom. However, the band did not capitalize on any further hits at Wand, much like the issue at RCA, and began recording for United Artists Records in 1963. "Nobody But Me" was released on that label, but the group's tenure with United Artist was short-lived.
In 1964, they signed with Atlantic Records and released their penned composition, "Who's That Lady", which also failed to chart. In the meantime, the success of "Shout" by other pop and rock acts had helped the song sell well over two million records in various versions. This allowed the brothers, who owned the song as part of their Three Boys Music company, to move the family out of the Cincinnati suburb of Lincoln Heights into a house in Englewood, New Jersey. Meanwhile, the three brothers of the group - Kelly, Rudy and Ron - had moved to other areas of New Jersey. Ron had settled at a house in Teaneck, New Jersey. After discussing their musical futures, it was eventually decided that the brothers would form their own record label. They settled on an abbreviated form of where Ron lived, naming the label T-Neck Records.
First releases
Following the label's formation, the Isleys decided to record a couple of compositions with their band, which included a then-unknown guitarist named Jimi Hendrix (who was going by Jimmy Hendrix or Jimmy James at the time). One of the label's first – and one of its only – releases at the time, was a gospel-influenced soul record titled "Testify", which was released as a single in 1964.
There were at least three versions of the song: the first version featured Hendrix's guitar work. This version is sought after and has been rarely heard due to its poor distribution. A second version was issued in two parts (much like "Shout" had been) and featured more vocalizing from the Isleys. This version was later issued on the Isleys' best-ofs, The Isley Brothers' Story, Vol. 1: Rockin' Soul (1959-1968) and It's Your Thing: The Story of the Isley Brothers in 1999. A third more abbreviated version was recorded in 1971 with the Isleys redoing their vocals with new lyrics by Ron Isley on a Hendrix tribute album, In the Beginning: The Isley Brothers and Jimi Hendrix, shortly after Hendrix's death in 1970.
After that record failed to chart, the brothers decided to have T-Neck distributed briefly by Atlantic Records, where the company released two more singles under the T-Neck name, featuring another Hendrix performance on the 1965 single, "Move Over and Let Me Dance", and the ballad "Wild as a Tiger", which did not include Hendrix. Both records, much like "Testify" before it, failed to chart. Following these failures and an offer to record for Motown by its CEO, Berry Gordy, the brothers decided to temporarily fold T-Neck. At Motown, they enjoyed success with the 1966 single "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)". However, subsequent releases failed to chart and in 1968 the Isleys asked to be released from their contract, which was granted.