Essentials by the Dozen - Sly & the Family Stone in 12 Tracks

With respect to Sly & the Family Stone, if you’ve ever made statements worthy of a solid facepalm, such as “They’re like any other funk band”, or found yourself listening in on some conversation that had you asking “Who the hell is Sly & the Family Stone?”, then this next list should serve as a good starting point if you wish to expand your knowledge on one of music’s most celebrated groups.

[NOTE: This list is not a definite top 12 of Sly & the Family Stone’s all-time greatest songs. Rather, it should be viewed as a strong collection in their catalogue that would essentially allow to have an efficient overview of their entire career. As a Family Stone fan myself, I also firmly believe that you should at the very least know every single one of these songs if you ever wish to debate the brilliance of their music. If at the moment you do not, RELAX, SIT BACK & ENJOY THE MAGIC OF THE STONE.]

1. Dance to the Music (1968)

Sly & the Family Stone was a power-funk soul band like no other. Following the release of their debut album which proved less than successful both critically and commercially, Sly Stone endeavored to create a record that would sell well amongst the masses. The result was Dance to the Music on which the titular song has since remained a staple of psychedelic soul, a genre which the band greatly helped develop in the late 60’s. The Family Stone consisted of frontman Sly Stone, his sister Rose Stone (the keyboardist), his brother Freddie Stone (the guitarist), bassist Larry Graham, saxophonist Jerry Martini, trumpetist Cynthia Robinson and drummer Greg Errico. The band was one astoundingly enjoyable project that helped develop the funk genre to such an enormous extent, and “Dance to the Music” serves as the perfect introduction to all of the group’s members, for each one is, at various instants throughout the record, called upon to provide his or her own shining moment.

Great Moment:

“All we need is a drummer

For people who only need a beat, yeah!

[Cue the drummer]

I’m gonna add a little guitar

And make it easy to move your feet

[Cue the guitarist]

I’m gonna add some bottom,

So that the dancers just won’t hide

[Cue the bassist]”

2. Fun (1968)

Their third album Life is an extension of the psychedelic funk sounds heard on their previous LP. While discovering their early work, I found it beyond impossible to avoid bopping my head and being totally immersed in every single one of their tunes in the process. It is evidently clear that this band was created for the purpose of pleasure, and that sense of enjoyment is quite honestly what I feel at every moment of every one of their songs. Everything one would expect from a song appropriately titled “Fun” is what one gets, and although I cannot speak for other cities around the globe, it’s truly a shame there aren’t more people in Montreal who know of this legendary group.

Great Moment:

“[Girls:] Fun

[Boys:] When I party, I party hearty

Fun is on my mind

[Girls:] Fun

[Boys:] Put a smile on your face

Leave that bummer behind”

3. M’Lady (1968)

I was fourteen years of age when I pleaded my uncle to lend me his Sly & the Family Stone albums. It was nearing the end of the secondary two school year, and my classmates and I had just finished reading Alexandre Dumas’ Les Trois Mousquetaires, a novel which considerably resonated with me at the time. Having done some online research on the novel, I happened to land on a song entitled “M’Lady”, which I quickly understood had absolutely no relation with the book’s villainous character, and it was recorded by some group who was completely unknown to me. Above all else, what most surprised me upon looking into The Family Stone was the group’s lineup, which consisted of both men and women, and both Black and White, a combination I had not yet come across, and various pictures on the internet seemed to portray them as the happiest group of the time. After having heard “M’Lady”, my uncle lent me their Greatest Hits album, and the rest was history.

Great Moment:

“M’Lady, M’Lady

M’Lady, M’Lady”

4. Sing a Simple Song (1969)

In the closing months of secondary two, “Sing a Simple Song” was my anthem. After having previously spent my year being frightened of life’s futility so bluntly presented to me by Pink Floyd and other artists alike, Sly & the Family Stone appeared to me like a breath of fresh air, at a time during which the snow was melting and the flora was in full bloom once more. Although I still managed to make friends in classes disparate from mine, at fourteen years old, I was mostly an introverted and dispirited kid who was somewhat of a class wallflower, bestowed a timid soul until the following year. The music I would listen to on the hour-long rides to school felt like a mental sanctuary, and Sly & the Family Stone were the first to invariably brighten my mornings with the ebullient warmth they exuded. “Sing a Simple Song” never failed to bring about a grin to my face, for it felt like a four-minute reminder of all the blissful features life could indeed provide and was delivered by a group who seemed to have not a single care in the world. Although all members are vital in the awesomeness of this track, it’s really the women who prove their worth on this one with those imposing vocal skills.

Great Moment:

“[Cynthia:] Sing a simple song!

[Rose:] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

[Freddie:] I’m talkin’ talkin’ talkin’ talkin’ talkin’ in my sleep

[Larry:] I’m walkin’ walkin’ walkin’ walkin’ walkin’ in the street”

5. Everyday People (1969)

This is undoubtedly the ultimate Sly & the Family Stone song. In just a little over two minutes in length, “Everyday People” encompasses every detail for which the group stood, both lyrically and musically. My mother once admitted liking this song to which my ignorant older sister, who only heard a snippet of the chorus, laughed and poked fun of her for enjoying such a tune. I quickly replied with “Damn right she likes this song! As does every other sane music lover in the world!” My sister immediately turned silent and never repeated anything as mindless since. “I’m everyday people!” Could they have been any clearer regarding the message of togetherness they strived to communicate with the rest of the world? “Everyday People” is among those joyous tunes I can hear endlessly and still feel a sense of optimism within the cruel beautiful world in which we all try our best to live.

Great Moment:

“I am no better and neither are you

We are the same, whatever we do

You love me, you hate me, you know me and then

You can’t figure out the bag I’m in

I am everyday people, yeah yeah!”

6. You Can Make It If You Try (1969)

Along with the two previous entries on the list, “You Can Make It If You Try” was released on the group’s fourth album Stand!, my personal favourite of all their albums. It sees the group at their most entertaining, and every song slaps. I only ever listened to it in its entirety when I was about twenty years old. My then-girlfriend and I serendipitously happened to stumble upon a quaint record store on Mont-Royal Avenue, and the album was unexpectedly selling for 2.99$. Playing it later that night not only reminded me of the band’s prowess as musicians, but it also allowed me to discover many other tracks that equally struck me as spectacular. By this point, the titles of the Family Stone’s songs alone should give a good idea of the type of group its members strived to be, and “You Can Make It If You Try”, originally a slow-paced song recorded by Gene Allison in the 50’s, serves as another superlative example of the groove so naturally embedded within all of its members.

Great Moment:

“Push a little harder

Think a little deeper

Don’t let the plastic bring you down

All together now!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah”

7. Luv N’ Haight (1971)

Whereas Stand! was arguably the peak of the band’s creative journey into upbeat optimistic tunes, their fifth album There’s a Riot Goin’ On was the peak of their venture into darker subject matter, all the while exploring the various possibilities of psychedelic funk. After listening to their Greatest Hits (very kindly lent to me by my uncle who claimed such a collection should have proved enough for a fourteen-year-old kid), I was famished for more, nonetheless, and fortunately learned of the substantial importance their album entitled There’s a Riot Goin’ On had in the music world. The title serves as a direct response to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, released that very same year, and the album was highly influenced by the growing apathy of the American population with regards to the civil rights movement in the early 70’s. “Luv N’ Haight”, the album opener, is exactly what its lyrics suggest when they state: “Feel so good inside myself”. The first time I heard “Luv N’ Haight”, I knew I was in for something exceptional with the entire album, and I was quickly proven right.

Great Moment:

“As I go up

I’m going down

And when I’m lost

I know I will be found”

8. Family Affair (1971)

The most celebrated song of their magnum opus, “Family Affair” is as dismal as Sly & the Family Stone ever got. By this time, it is important to note that the band slowly began to disintegrate, due to internal tension and Sly Stone’s unfortunate addiction to drugs. Although this record still sees its members playing at their full potential, it wouldn’t be the case for the final two albums to follow. That being said, although I still very much enjoy their entire catalogue, There’s a Riot Goin’ On is generally seen as the peak of the group’s masterful artistry before everything veered tragic. “Family Affair” is a haunting track on which my head and heart react quite differently, the former bopping to the solemn beat, the latter aching in the wake of its lyrics and their delivery.

Great Moment:

“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”

9. Runnin’ Away (1971)

It’s crazy to think I had to buy There’s a Riot Goin’ On from the iTunes store back in 2011 for more money than what was spent purchasing Stand! a few years later. Unable to find it on YouTube and too young still to buy records on my own, I caved and bought it with those iTunes gift cards, quite popular at the time, my aunts would give me for my birthday. This album is truly one inspired statement, and even with its gloomy subject matter, the band’s funk appeal remains. “Runnin’ Away” appears near the end of the LP and oddly feels like a slight glimmer of hope amid the other much darker tracks. There is something about the way the horn resonates every time Sly Stone and the other singers complete their verses that makes me look forward to a seemingly optimistic future secreted amongst all the nonsensical chaos.

Great Moment:

“Running away

To get away

Ha-ha, Ha-ha

You’re wearing out your shoes”

10. Thankful N’ Thoughtful (1973)

Their second-to-last effort as the original Family Stone (since later lineups of the band, though nowhere near as successful, would eventually emerge as well), Fresh remains a spectacular feat, regardless of the internal group struggles that were very much apparent by this point. Although generally regarded as less heavy than its predecessor, Fresh seems to further explore the sounds of deep funk heard throughout There’s a Riot Goin’ On. “Thankful N’ Thoughtful” is amongst the many hidden Family Stone gems one would be unable to discover amid their greatest hits alone. If this list of essentials was of interest to you, I highly recommend that string of remarkable albums in their entirety, commencing with Stand! and ending with Fresh.

Great Moment:

“Sunday morning, I forgot my prayer

I should have been happy, I still be there

Something could have come and taken me away

But the main man felt Sly should be here another day

That’s why I got to be… Thankful!”

11. Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) (1973)

In secondary two, I was an avid Hitchcock fan and pretty much watched every single one of his flicks that would air on TCM when the opportunity presented itself, even if that implied staying up until or waking up at four in the morning to do so. The recording feature of the television set was nonexistent to me and my family at the time, and I did everything in my might to watch as many Hitchcock films as I could. Upon discovering the title of this song in the Family Stone’s repertoire, I thought it impossible the group had done a funk cover version of the tune so elegantly interpreted by Doris Day in Hitchcock’s 1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much. What was Sly & the Family Stone’s relation to the American actress, I thought to myself? Then again, me being an Anglo-Italian in the predominantly French city of Montreal, what was my relation to an American group like Sly & the Family Stone? Absolutely nothing, and to the cheerful people of the world, this should serve as strong enough evidence that great art shall never die to those who seek it.

Great Moment:

“Que sera, sera

Whatever will be, will be

The future’s not ours to see

Que sera, que sera”

12. Time For Livin’ (1974)

Released off their lesser-known final album Small Talk, “Time For Livin’” still exudes a radiating funk sound that feels considerably fresh for a music period considered subpar with regard to the group’s remaining catalogue. “Time For Livin’” is proof to me that, even at the lowest point in their career, Sly & the Family Stone still remained a powerhouse of a band. It is for this reason I hold them in the highest of esteem, for they are undeniably my favourite American band of all time, and I am aware this comes from a very subjective standpoint, but it would be absolutely foolish to objectively disregard their importance and influence on the music world as a whole. The group’s internal struggles, largely due to Sly Stone’s drug addiction, are truly shameful, but for what the band was worth at the height of their popularity, they were worth every moment.

Great Moment:

“Time for livin’, time for givin’

No time for makin’ up a monster to share

Time for livin’, time for givin’

No time for breakin’ our own fairy tale”

BONUS:

1. “Underdog”

2. “Color Me True”

3. “Into My Own Thing”

4. “Stand!”

5. “I Want to Take You Higher”

6. “Hot Fun in the Summertime”

7. “Africa Talks to You (‘The Asphalt Jungle’)”

8. “If You Want Me to Stay”

9. “In Time”

10. “Loose Booty”

Disclaimer: The original version of this story was published on another platform. Link to original version: https://medium.com/@gabriele_delbusso/essentials-by-the-dozen-sly-the-family-stone-in-12-tracks-290ea3d6c268