Sly & the Family Stone

   

Sly & the Family Stone, circa 1969. Front row, l to r: Jerry Martini, Sly Stone, and Greg Errico. Middle row, l to r: Larry Graham, Freddie Stone, and Rosie Stone. Back row: Cynthia Robinson.
Sly & the Family Stone, circa 1969. Front row, l to r: Jerry Martini, Sly Stone, and Greg Errico. Middle row, l to r: Larry Graham, Freddie Stone, and Rosie Stone. Back row: Cynthia Robinson.

Sly & the Family Stone was an important and influential American rock band of the late 1960s and 1970s, and was pivotal in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia. The band was also important for being the first major rock band to have a multicultural lineup and to include women in important roles in the band's instrumentation.After working as both a dee-jay and a record producer in San Fransisco in the 1960s, Sylvester Stewart (AKA Sly Stone) formed a band called The Stoners in 1966, which included Cynthia Robinson on trumpet. Around the same time, his brother Freddie formed a band called Freddie and the Stone Souls, which included Greg Errico on drums. At the suggestion of saxophonist Jerry Martini, Sly and Freddie combined their bands, creating Sly & The Family Stone in 1967. Besides both Stewarts/Stones, Robinson, Errico, and Martini, the first lineup of the band also included bassist Larry Graham. Sly and Freddie's sister Rosie Stone would join the band in 1968.


History

The band's debut single as Sly & the Family Stone was "I Ain't Got Nobody", a major regional hit for Loadstone Records. The band soon signed to Epic Records, and released A Whole New Thing to disappointing sales. Dance to the Music and its title track were big hits in 1968, but the follow-up, Life, was not as successful. Their 1969 album Stand!, however, was a breakthrough smash hit. Featuring several hit songs (including "Everyday People," "I Wanna Take You Higher," and "Sing a Simple Song"), Stand! was also notable for its increased political awareness, perhaps best exemplified with the song "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey". The band's performance at Woodstock was said to be one of the best shows of the festival.

Around this time, Stone started taking numerous pain killers for relief from ulcers. He eventually started regularly illegal narcotics as well, which caused him to become increasingly unreliable (he often was late for or altogether missed the band's gigs) and hard to work with. But Sly & the Family Stone carried on for the time being, releasing a Greatest Hits album in 1970 that featured the hit single "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)."

There's a Riot Goin' On (1971), featuring the hit single "Family Affair," contributed the trend towards political awareness in the lyrics, even while Stone's erratic behavior began driving the band apart. By the mid 1970s, Sly & the Family Stone's audience was mostly gone and the most of the band members had quit or been replaced, many going on to start bands of their own: Larry Graham founded Graham Central Station in 1973, and background singers Lynn Mabry & Dawn Silva left in 1976 and became the Brides Of Funkenstein in 1978. Sly Stone worked with Funkadelic on The Electric Spanking of War Babies (1981), but this was unable to re-jumpstart his career. Stone, caught up in his numerous drug addictions, disappeared from the limelight, sporadically releasing new music at irregular intervals.

Sly & the Family Stone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

Personnel

Original Members


Little Sister

Little Sister, Sly & The Family Stone's background vocalists on both record and in concert, became a recording group for a brief period in 1970 - 1971.

  • Vet Stone (Vaetta Stewart, Sly's "little sister"); later an official member of Sly & The Family Stone from 1974 on.
  • Mary Rand
  • Elva Melton

Other Members


Discography


Greatest Hits

Top 40 Hits

These songs reached the Top 40 of either the Billboard pop charts or the Billboard R&B charts (or, in some cases, both):

  • 1968: "Dance To The Music," from Dance To The Music (#8 pop, #9 R&B)
  • 1969: "Stand!" from Stand! (#22 pop, #14 R&B)
  • 1969: "I Want To Take You Higher" from Stand! (#60 pop in 1969, #38 pop in 1970, #24 R&B)
  • 1969: "Sing A Simple Song," from Stand! (#89 pop, #28 R&B)
  • 1969: "Everyday People," from Stand! (#1 pop, #1 R&B)
  • 1969: "Hot Fun In The Summertime," later included on Greatest Hits (#2 pop, #3 R&B)
  • 1969: "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," later included on Greatest Hits (#1 pop in 1970, #1 R&B in 1970)
  • 1971: "Family Affair," from There's A Riot Goin' On (#1 pop, #1 R&B)
  • 1971: "(You Caught Me) Smilin'," from There's A Riot Goin' On (#42 pop, #21 R&B)
  • 1971: "Runnin' Away," from There's A Riot Goin' On (#23 pop, #15 R&B)
  • 1973: "If You Want Me To Stay," from Fresh (#12 pop, #3 R&B)
  • 1973: "Frisky," from Fresh (#79 pop, #28 R&B)
  • 1974: "Loose Booty," from Small Tak (#84 pop, #22 R&B)
  • 1974: "Time For Livin'," from Small Tak (#32 pop, #10 R&B)


Other Important Songs

  • 1968: "Life," from Life
  • 1968: "Fun," from Life
  • 1969: "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey," from Stand!
  • 1969: "Somebody's Watching You," from Stand!, covered by Little Sister in 1971.
  • 1969: "Everybody Is A Star," later included on Greatest Hits
  • 1971: "Luv N' Haight," from There's A Riot Goin' On
  • 1971: "Thank You For Talkin' To Me, Africa," from There's A Riot Goin' On, an alternate version of "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"
  • 1973: "Babies Makin' Babies," from Fresh
  • 1973: "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)," from Fresh, a cover of a Doris Day song.



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