Get Into Something

The Rise of "Get Into Something" by The Isley Brothers

Picture the dawn of the 1970s, when soul music was bursting its old boundaries and a veteran group of brothers from New Jersey was reinventing itself for a harder, funkier age. The Isley Brothers had been making records since the 1950s, but as the new decade opened they were charging into a grittier, more rhythm-driven sound that matched the changing times. "Get Into Something" captured that transformation in full flight, a propulsive funk workout that showed a seasoned act keeping pace with a fast-evolving musical world.

Veterans Reinventing Themselves

By 1970, The Isley Brothers were already music industry veterans with a long and varied history behind them. They had scored an early classic with a raucous, gospel-charged shout in the late 1950s and had even employed a young Jimi Hendrix in their backing band during the 1960s. Now, as the seventies began, the brothers were taking greater control of their own destiny, recording for their own T-Neck label and embracing the funk and rock textures that were reshaping Black music. "Get Into Something" was a product of that ambitious, self-directed period, the sound of a group refusing to stand still. Running their own label gave the brothers a creative freedom that few of their peers enjoyed, allowing them to follow their instincts and chase the sounds that excited them rather than the ones a corporate label might have demanded. That independence would prove crucial to the artistic rebirth that lay just ahead, and you can hear the confidence of self-determination running through every bar of this record.

A Funk Workout

"Get Into Something" was a driving, percussive piece of funk, built on a tight groove and the brothers' impassioned vocals. The track pulsed with energy, its rhythm section locking into a relentless pocket while the singing soared above it with gospel-bred fervor. This was music made for movement, an irresistible call to dance and let loose. The arrangement leaned into the raw, rhythmic intensity that was coming to define the funk era, far removed from the smoother soul of earlier years. It showed the Isleys fully engaged with the cutting edge of their genre. What made the performance especially striking was how naturally the brothers adapted their gospel roots to the new funk template, their voices carrying the same fire that had powered their earliest hits while the rhythm section pushed into thoroughly modern territory. The blend of old-school vocal power and contemporary groove was a signature the group would refine to perfection in the years to come.

A Brief Chart Visit

On the pop chart, the single made only a modest mark. "Get Into Something" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 17, 1970 at number 96, where it held for a second week before climbing slightly. It ultimately peaked at number 89 in the week of October 31, 1970, and spent just 3 weeks on the Hot 100 before departing. The modest pop showing belied the track's energy and importance, a common fate for funk records that found a more enthusiastic home on the rhythm and blues side than on mainstream pop radio.

A Step Toward Greatness

The significance of "Get Into Something" lies in its place within the Isley Brothers' remarkable evolution. The group was on the cusp of an extraordinary creative renaissance, and within a few years they would deliver some of the most beloved and influential soul and funk albums of the entire decade. This track belongs to the transitional moment just before that explosion, when the brothers were sharpening their funk credentials and laying the groundwork for the towering success to come. It documents a legendary group in the act of reinventing itself yet again.

A Groove Worth Rediscovering

For fans of vintage funk and soul, "Get Into Something" is a hidden gem well worth seeking out. It captures the Isley Brothers at their most raw and energetic, delivering a groove that still compels the body to move. Put it on, turn it up, and feel the relentless pulse of a great group embracing a new sound. Few acts have ever reinvented themselves with quite so much sustained brilliance.

"Get Into Something" — The Isley Brothers' singular moment on the 1970s charts.