Back in February I made a post in the What Are You Watching thread about Sly Lives!(aka The Burden of Black Genius) a new documentary about Sly Stone directed by Questlove on Hulu. I highly recommend checking it out.
Sly was the recording engineer on the first record the Warlocks/Grateful Dead ever appeared on, when they backed up jazz singer Jon Hendricks (of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross fame) on a single for San Francisco based Autumn records. I've seen a lot of Autumn singles for different artists that have "S. Stewart" credits.
Sly was the recording engineer on the first record the Warlocks/Grateful Dead ever appeared on, when they backed up jazz singer Jon Hendricks (of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross fame) on a single for San Francisco based Autumn records. I've seen a lot of Autumn singles for different artists that have "S. Stewart" credits.
Circa 1971 Sly and the Family Stone could make the counterculture accessible to a typical middle class 13 year-old suburban kid (and budding Deadhead) on the East Coast. It bridged the gap between pop and soul. Between AM and FM music. Between commercial hits and hippie anthems dreaded by the establishment. Between music with a message and dance music.
Speaking of which, Sly's Greatest Hits was on of my first dozen albums, acquired at a teen age dance. The DJs at these weekly bar mitzvah parties, hired from the local radio station (WCAO), would give out their extra "cut-out" promotional copies to the kids as door-prizes. I asked for their more obscure give-a-ways that no one else wanted; I also got Quicksilver's What About Me and Kantner's Blows Against the Empire that evening.
I must admit I'm a little surprised at the outpouring of regards for Sly today, given that he's been completely out of the public eye for what, 20, 30, 40 years?
Mostly what we've heard of him over the decades has been that he was homeless, living in a van and suffering from ongoing mental heath & conspiracy issues and various drug addictions.
In the relatively short time before completely flaming out he was a brilliant talent and it's too bad that he's gone, and really it's amazing that he lived this long, but when was the last time anyone actually thought of the guy? Until today anyway, when suddenly there is an overwhelming love for him.
Anyway, he did have his moment where he was a total badass and a leader in the scene, which is more than a lot of us can say, it's just unfortunate that he is yet another story of a shining talent who burned bright but burned out very quickly, left to smolder in obscurity ever after.
Just finished the Peter Wolf autobio. When J Geils were recording Sanctuary at the Record Plant in LA in ‘78, he said Sly was living in an RV in the studio's parking lot and that different characters were always coming in and out of it at all hours.
Sly took at interest in Wolf's portable recording device and voila, the next day the device was mysteriously gone from their studio space. Ha.
Another day in the Record Plant bathroom, Sly accosts Wolf and accuses him of killing babies and then takes out a leather whip, chasing him back to the Geils studio while yelling about the dead babies.
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RIP Sly.
RIP Sly.
Back in February I made a post in the What Are You Watching thread about Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) a new documentary about Sly Stone directed by Questlove on Hulu. I highly recommend checking it out.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeKg69eOsAk
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Dang he had a good run
Dang
he had a good run
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RIP - I honestly didn't know
RIP - I honestly didn't know he was still alive.
Funky fellow who lived a hard life.
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I saw him in Fresno. Showed
I saw him in Fresno. Showed up very drunk and 2 hours late.
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i saw him sit in with negman
i saw him sit in with negman and p-funk and played for 20-30 mins. was unexpected and great.
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(No subject)
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bummer
bummer
~*~*~ Rest in Power ~*~*~
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R.I.P. Sylvester Stewart.
R.I.P. Sylvester Stewart.
Sly was the recording engineer on the first record the Warlocks/Grateful Dead ever appeared on, when they backed up jazz singer Jon Hendricks (of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross fame) on a single for San Francisco based Autumn records. I've seen a lot of Autumn singles for different artists that have "S. Stewart" credits.
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R.I.P. Sylvester Stewart.
R.I.P. Sylvester Stewart.
Sly was the recording engineer on the first record the Warlocks/Grateful Dead ever appeared on, when they backed up jazz singer Jon Hendricks (of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross fame) on a single for San Francisco based Autumn records. I've seen a lot of Autumn singles for different artists that have "S. Stewart" credits.
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Turtle, where was that?
Turtle, where was that? Unless he did that more than once, I was there too.
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Circa 1971 Sly and the Family
Circa 1971 Sly and the Family Stone could make the counterculture accessible to a typical middle class 13 year-old suburban kid (and budding Deadhead) on the East Coast. It bridged the gap between pop and soul. Between AM and FM music. Between commercial hits and hippie anthems dreaded by the establishment. Between music with a message and dance music.
Speaking of which, Sly's Greatest Hits was on of my first dozen albums, acquired at a teen age dance. The DJs at these weekly bar mitzvah parties, hired from the local radio station (WCAO), would give out their extra "cut-out" promotional copies to the kids as door-prizes. I asked for their more obscure give-a-ways that no one else wanted; I also got Quicksilver's What About Me and Kantner's Blows Against the Empire that evening.
A classic:
Want To Take You Higher
Everybody Is A Star
Stand!
Life
Fun
You Can Make It If You Try
Dance To The Music
Everyday People
Hot Fun In The Summertime
M'Lady
Sing A Simple Song
Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin
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I must admit I'm a little
I must admit I'm a little surprised at the outpouring of regards for Sly today, given that he's been completely out of the public eye for what, 20, 30, 40 years?
Mostly what we've heard of him over the decades has been that he was homeless, living in a van and suffering from ongoing mental heath & conspiracy issues and various drug addictions.
In the relatively short time before completely flaming out he was a brilliant talent and it's too bad that he's gone, and really it's amazing that he lived this long, but when was the last time anyone actually thought of the guy? Until today anyway, when suddenly there is an overwhelming love for him.
Anyway, he did have his moment where he was a total badass and a leader in the scene, which is more than a lot of us can say, it's just unfortunate that he is yet another story of a shining talent who burned bright but burned out very quickly, left to smolder in obscurity ever after.
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Maybe the best "greatest hits
Maybe the best "greatest hits" album of all time.
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Just finished the Peter Wolf
Just finished the Peter Wolf autobio. When J Geils were recording Sanctuary at the Record Plant in LA in ‘78, he said Sly was living in an RV in the studio's parking lot and that different characters were always coming in and out of it at all hours.
Sly took at interest in Wolf's portable recording device and voila, the next day the device was mysteriously gone from their studio space. Ha.
Another day in the Record Plant bathroom, Sly accosts Wolf and accuses him of killing babies and then takes out a leather whip, chasing him back to the Geils studio while yelling about the dead babies.
PCP must be wild.
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Dumpstaphunk played a couple
Dumpstaphunk played a couple Sly and the Family Stone songs last night at Moes. Good shit.
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it was in LA by the staples
it was in LA by the staples markd. I forget the venue name.