Artist Spotlight Shines on Sly & The Family Stone

MOG ^ | SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2010 | Jason Warburg

[nickcarraway]

Before Sly & The Family Stone came along, there was music you could dance to, and music that made you think. Once they had made their undeniable, indelible mark on the music scene, the two characteristics would never again be thought of as mutually exclusive.

Beginning today and running through this Friday, Staff Writer David Bowling shines the Daily Vault's Artist Spotlight on some of the highs and lows of Sly & The Family Stone's catalog, a tenure marked by tremendously influential albums full of socially conscious songs backed with infectious beats, and also by the mercurial and ultimately self-destructive nature of bandleader Sly Stone.

It's quite a ride, and it starts today with David's review of the band's breakthrough sophomore album Dance To The Music. They did, we did, and the rest is music history.

[djf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdorgC9qUkI

Back when funk was actually funky!!

[dfwgator]

When they were at their peak, they were the greatest band going IMHO.

Then drugs destroyed it all. But one can argue that no act had a greater impact on the future course of music.

[freeagle]

They used to live in a regular house in a regular neighborhood, in the Oakland Hills. They had a white Cadillac with a white vinyl roof and a spade window on the back. :)

[patriot08]

‘Spade window’? What’s that?

[nickcarraway]

Yep, there were kind of like CCR: they only had a few years at their peak, but they produced as much that was memorable as those that lasted longer.

[dfwgator]

And it’s still just as fresh today.

[nickcarraway]

My friend’s family moved into a house there in the early 80’s that used to belong to Sly. I think it’s the house you are referring to.

[nickcarraway]

It’s amazing how they influenced Norman Whitfield & Barret Strong at Motown, who were basically putting out music at the same time. They obviously heard what he was doing, but produced something that was completely Motown.

[Beowulf9]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ahhmiuyko0&feature=related

Yup, miss that music.

[tlb]

Joan Jett’s version of Everyday People. She changes one line to “You still haven’t figured out the scene I’m in. I — am everyday people”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEhINAm36Ts

[Thrownatbirth]

One child grows up to be
Somebody that just loves to learn
And another child grows up to be
Somebody you'd just love to burn

I never appreciated that until I had two kids.

[PUGACHEV]

Back in the ‘70s Sly and the Family Stone was scheduled to give a concert at the DAR Constitution Hall near the White House in Washington D.C. The concert sold out the cavernous venue, not one seat was left, but the band didn't show. Not knowing where Sly was, the promoters kept coming on stage and lying to the crowd, telling them that the band was on its way, and then just getting ready and etc. Finally, after several hours, it was discovered that the Sly and his band had just blown off the concert and never left New York City. When they were told the truth, after hours of waiting, the crowd went berserk: they trashed the hall, tore off the doors, flooded onto 17th Street and started a small riot. From that point, and for many years afterward, Constitution Hall refused to booked Rock groups.

[Thrownatbirth]

tore off the doors

Actually, that was too many giant Afro 'dos trying to leave at the same time.

[freeagle]

Off Malcolm, right? I drove by in 1971, 72. Yard wasn’t maintained very well.

[freeagle]

It was a window cut out of the vinyl roof, in the shape of a spade. As in the card suit.

[patriot08]

Ok. Thanks.