The Neville Brothers
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Founder | Art Neville, Charles Neville, Aaron Neville, Cyril Neville |
| Headquarters | New Orleans , United States |
| Products | R&B, soul, funk music |
The Neville Brothers were a renowned American ensemble specializing in R&B, soul, and funk, established in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
History
The formation of the group occurred in 1976 when siblings Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (born 1941), and Cyril (born 1948) joined forces during a recording session for the Wild Tchoupitoulas, a project led by their uncle George Landry, known as "Big Chief Jolly."
Their first album, titled The Neville Brothers, debuted in 1978 under the Capitol Records label.
In 1987, they released Uptown through EMI, featuring collaborations with artists such as Branford Marsalis, Keith Richards, and Carlos Santana. The next year saw the release of Yellow Moon on A&M Records, with production by Daniel Lanois. The song "Healing Chant" earned them the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1990.
Contributing to the 1990 AIDS benefit compilation Red Hot + Blue, the Neville Brothers recorded "In the Still of the Night". That same year, they appeared at the Glastonbury Festival. Due to Art Neville dedicating more time to his other group, The Meters, the band kept a low profile during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Their comeback came in 2004 with Walkin' in the Shadow of Life, released on Back Porch Records, marking their first new album after a five-year hiatus.
Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Cyril and Aaron relocated from New Orleans, with Aaron briefly settling in Austin. The band returned to perform at New Orleans events, headlining the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, a prestigious slot held for them over many years.
On occasion, Aaron's son Ivan Neville (keyboards) and Art's son Ian Neville (electric guitar), both members of Dumpstaphunk, joined the group on stage.
Footage of The Neville Brothers performing is featured in the 2005 documentary Make It Funky!, which explores New Orleans music's influence on R&B, rock, funk, and jazz. They are seen performing "Fire on the Bayou" alongside Ivan and Ian Neville.
The band officially disbanded in 2012 but reunited for a farewell concert in New Orleans in 2015. Charles Neville passed away from pancreatic cancer on April 26, 2018, at age 79; Art Neville died on July 22, 2019, aged 81.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label | Highest chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | NZ | UK | |||
| 1978 | The Neville Brothers | Capitol | — | — | — |
| 1981 | Fiyo on the Bayou | A&M | 166 | — | — |
| 1987 | Uptown | EMI America | 155 | — | — |
| 1989 | Yellow Moon | A&M | 66 | 16 | — |
| 1990 | Brother's Keeper | 60 | 4 | 35 | |
| 1992 | Family Groove | 103 | 11 | — | |
| 1996 | Mitakuye Oyasin Oyasin/All My Relations | — | — | — | |
| 1999 | Valence Street | Columbia | — | — | — |
| 2004 | Walkin' in the Shadow of Life | Back Porch/EMI | — | — | — |
Live recordings
- 1984: Neville-ization (Black Top)
- 1987: Nevillization 2 (Live at Tipitina's Volume 2) (Spindletop)
- 1994: Live on Planet Earth (A&M)
- 1998: Live at Tipitina's (1982) (Rhino)
- 2010: Authorized Bootleg: Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA, February 27, 1989 (A&M)
Anthology albums
- 1986: Treacherous: A History of the Neville Brothers (1955–1985) (Rhino)
- 1991: Treacherous Too!: A History of the Neville Brothers, Vol. 2 (1955-1987) (Rhino)
- 1997: The Very Best of the Neville Brothers (Rhino)
- 1998: Greatest Hits (A&M)
- 1999: Uptown Rulin' – The Best of the Neville Brothers (A&M)
- 2004: 20th Century Masters – The Millenium Collection: The Best of the Neville Brothers (A&M)
- 2005: Gold (Hip-O/UMe)
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B | AUS | NZ | NLD | GER | IRE | UK | |||
| 1978 | "Washable Ink / Speed of Light" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Neville Brothers |
| 1979 | "Sweet Honey Dripper / Dance Your Blues Away" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| 1981 | "Sitting In Limbo / Brother John / Iko Iko" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Fiyo on the Bayou |
| 1987 | "Whatever It Takes" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Uptown |
| "Sister Rosa" | 75 | 154 | 23 | — | — | — | — | Yellow Moon | |
| "Yellow Moon" | — | 89 | — | 21 | — | — | — | ||
| "With God on Our Side" | — | — | — | 53 | — | 26 | 47 | ||
| "A Change Is Gonna Come" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Bird on a Wire" | — | 160 | 5 | — | 35 | — | 72 | ||
| "River of Life" | — | 159 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Fearless" | — | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Sons and Daughters" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Drift Away" | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | Treacherous Too! A History of the Neville Brothers | |
| "Fly Like an Eagle" | — | 44 | 8 | 66 | — | — | — | ||
| "One More Day" | — | — | 29 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "On the Other Side of Paradise" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Take Me to Heart" | 200 | — | — | — | — | ||||
Associated albums
- 1976: The Wild Tchoupitoulas (featuring four members of The Neville Brothers)
- 1997: Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival by Wyclef Jean (contributed vocals on "Mona Lisa")