Sly And The Family Stone Songs
Harnessed all of the disparate musical and social trends of the late '60s, creating a wild, brilliant fusion of soul, rock, R&B, psychedelia, and funk that broke boundaries down without a second thought. Led by, was comprised of men and women, and blacks and whites, making the band the first fully integrated group in rock's history. That integration shone through the music, as well as the group's message. Before, very few soul and R&B groups delved into political and social commentary; after him, it became a tradition in soul, funk, and hip-hop. And, along with, brought hard funk into the mainstream. The Family Stone's arrangements were ingenious, filled with unexpected group vocals, syncopated rhythms, punchy horns, and pop melodies.
Their music was joyous, but as the '60s ended, so did the good times. Became disillusioned with the ideals he had been preaching in his music, becoming addicted to a variety of drugs in the process. His music gradually grew slower and darker, culminating in 1971's, which set the pace for '70s funk with its elastic bass, slurred vocals, and militant Black Power stance. Was able to turn out one more modern funk classic, 1973's, before slowly succumbing to his addictions, which gradually sapped him of his once prodigious talents. Nevertheless, his music continued to provide the basic template for urban soul, funk, and even hip-hop well into the '90s.(born, March 15, 1944) and his family moved from his home state of Texas to San Francisco in the '50s.
He had already begun to express an interest in music, and when he was 16, he had a regional hit with 'Long Time Away.' Studied music composition, theory, and trumpet at Vallejo Junior College in the early '60s; simultaneously, he began playing in several groups on the Bay Area scene, often with his brother. Soon, he had become a disc jockey at the R&B station KSOL, later switching to KDIA. The radio appearances led to a job producing records for Autumn Records. While at Autumn, he worked with a number of San Franciscan garage and psychedelic bands, including,. During 1966, formed the Stoners, which featured trumpeter. Though the Stoners didn't last long, he brought along as one of the core members of his next group,.
Formed in early 1967, also featured (guitar, vocals), (bass, vocals), (drums), (saxophone), and (piano), who all were of different racial backgrounds. The group's eclectic music and multiracial composition made them distinctive from the numerous flower-power bands in San Francisco, and their first single, 'I Ain't Got Nobody,' became a regional hit for the local label Loadstone. The band signed with Epic Records shortly afterward, releasing their debut album, by the end of the year.
Sly And The Family Stone Videos
The record stiffed, but the follow-up, generated a Top Ten pop and R&B hit with its title track early in 1968. Followed later in 1968, but the record failed to capitalize on its predecessor's success. 'Everyday People,' released late in 1968, turned their fortunes back around, rocketing to the top of the pop and R&B charts and setting the stage for the breakthrough success of 1969's. Featuring 'Everyday People,' 'Sing a Simple Song,' 'Stand,' and 'I Want to Take You Higher,' became 's first genuine hit album, climbing to number 13 and spending over 100 weeks on the charts. Also marked the emergence of the political bent in 's songwriting ('Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey'), as well as the development of hard-edged, improvisational funk like 'Sex Machine.' The Family Stone quickly became known as one of the best live bands of the late '60s, and their performance at Woodstock was widely hailed as one of the festival's best. The non-LP singles 'Hot Fun in the Summertime' and 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)' b/w 'Everybody Is a Star' became hits, reaching number two and number one respectively in late 1969/early 1970.
Both singles were included on, which became a number two record upon its fall 1970 release. While the group was at the height of its popularity, was beginning to unravel behind the scenes. Developing a debilitating addiction to narcotics, soon became notorious for arriving late for concerts, frequently missing the shows all together. 's growing personal problems, as well as his dismay with the slow death of the civil rights movement and other political causes, surfaced on. Though the album shot to number one upon its fall 1971 release, the record - including 'Family Affair,' 's last number one single - was dark, hazy, and paranoid, and his audience began to shrink slightly. During 1972, several key members of, including and, left the band; they were replaced by and, respectively. The relatively lighter appeared in the summer of 1973, and it went into the Top Ten on the strength of the Top Ten R&B hit 'If You Want Me to Stay.'
Released the following year, was a moderate hit, reaching number 15 on the charts and going gold, but it failed to generate a big hit single., released in late 1975 and credited only to, confirmed that his power and popularity had faded. 'I Get High on You' reached the R&B Top Ten, but the album made no lasting impact. Disco had overtaken funk in terms of popularity, and even if wanted to compete with disco, he wasn't in shape to make music. He had become addicted to cocaine, his health was frequently poor, and he was often in trouble with the law. His recordings had slowed to a trickle, and Epic decided to close out his contract in 1979 with, a compilation of previously released material that had the original funky rhythm tracks replaced with disco beats.
Signed with Warner Brothers that same year, crafting the comeback effort with several original members of, but the record was critically panned and a commercial failure. In light of the album's lack of success, retreated even further, eventually joining forces with on 's 1981 album. Following the album's release, toured with 's, which led him to embark on his own tour, as well as a stint with. The culmination of this burst of activity was 1983's, an album that was ignored. Later that year, was arrested for cocaine possession; the following year, he entered rehab. Appeared on 's 1986 R&B hit 'Crazay.'
The following year, he dueted with on 'Love & Affection' for the soundtrack; he also he recorded 'Eek-a-Bo-Static,' a single that didn't chart. Was arrested and imprisoned for cocaine possession by the end of 1987, and he was never able to recover from the final arrest. Continued to battle his addiction, with varying degrees of success. By his 1993 induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he had disappeared from public view. Avenue Records gave a recording contract in 1995, but nothing would be recorded.
Contents.Epic Records releases Albums YearAlbumPeak chart positions19911. US: Platinum. US: 5× Platinum1. US: Platinum.
US: Gold13. US: Gold19694Notes:. Issued as M'Lady in the UK. Issued as by 'Sly Stone'.Singles All are also listed. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
Retrieved 2019-04-22. Retrieved 2019-01-20. David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W.
Retrieved 2015-06-01. ^. Retrieved 2015-05-29. ^. Retrieved 2015-05-31. Hoffmann, Frank (1983). The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950-1981.
Metuchen, NJ & London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Retrieved 2019-04-22. at. The Best of Soul Train Live (booklet). 2011.
Edwin & Arno Konings.