Song Clearance Sheet
3 sources citedShout
Rhythm And Blues1950s139BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (O’Kelly, Rudolph & Ronald Isley), no dispute found — the group’s foundational 1959 hit. The poignant origin (the death of their brother Vernon and the group’s reforming) and the spontaneous ad-lib genesis are documented factually.
Quick Facts
Released1959
AlbumShout!
GenreRhythm And Blues, Gospel, Rock And Roll
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerHugo Peretti & Luigi Creatore
Recorded atNew York City
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — O’Kelly, Rudolph & Ronald Isley
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — RCA Victor; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
A foundational, endlessly-covered party standard (immortalized in “Animal House,” 1978); the earliest song in this batch’s Isley thread.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Same group, early era (this batch)
Same group (this batch)
Same group, early era (already in this catalogue)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)O’Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley & Ronald Isley
A poignant originThe group began as four brothers (Ronald, Rudolph, O’Kelly and younger brother Vernon) singing gospel. Vernon, then 13, was struck and killed by a car while riding his bike in 1955; the group disbanded in grief, reforming in 1957 with their parents’ blessing, with Ronald taking the lead role Vernon had held.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A spontaneous ad-lib born on stage
Opening for Jackie Wilson in Washington, D.C. in mid-1959, the brothers were performing Wilson’s “Lonely Teardrops” when Ronald ad-libbed a line and Rudolph and O’Kelly joined in; the crowd went wild, and an RCA executive in attendance suggested building their next single around the moment. No lyrics reproduced.
Songfacts · read it →
A gospel-in-pop objection, and a family organist
Ronald Isley said some church groups wrote to radio stations asking them to stop playing the record, objecting to a traditional Black gospel sound in a secular pop context. The family congregation’s organist, Professor Herman Stephens, played on the recording.
Wikipedia · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
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Times sampled
The group’s foundational first hit
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
ST
O’Kelly, Rudolph & Ronald Isley (RCA Victor)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 22)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass