Isley Brothers, The “Shout!” Indianapolis styrene ‘shout’ 7″ (1959, 1985)
If you’re going to name an event after a smash hit, do give credit where credit is do. And credit, they gave. Jukebox NYC opened up in the mid-Eighties on East 39th St. Manhattan and promoted their Fifties and Sixties nights after the Isley’s early breakout hit. Give it at least 20 to 25 years before the full effect of nostaliga to properly kick in, and it was no surprise that Dirty Dancing (Ardolino, 1987) and Cousin Brucie’s Saturday Night Dance Party on CBS-FM was big business in the Eighties.
Pressed in Indianapolis, this record was made of stylene, so it’s a misnomer to call it a “vinyl” one. Styrene records are lighter and are more brittle and fragile than vinyl. Their labels are glued on, edges are flat like a nickel, and have a matte surface finish. The good news? Styrene doesn’t warp like vinyl does.