Sly Stone, 1943-2025

James Brown may have created the genre of funk music. It was Sly Stone who got the genre out into mainstream America. Thank you Sly and The Family Stone for bringing us such funky music.

For this show we are going to explore some of the funky tunes that were done by Sly and the Family Stone.

Here’s the song list and some comments:

Buttermilk = a  tune which Sly released in June of ’65 while he was in-house producer at Autumn Records.

Underdog = got the group noticed but didn’t get much airplay. The album, A Whole New Thing, was considered a musician’s album. Sly himself thought that Underdog was superior to the chart topper tune Dance To The Music.

Dancer A La Musique = was the French version of the tune original that the band did at the label’s request. If you are fortunate enough to find a rare copy of it you will notice the song is credited to the group The French Fries.

Ride The Rhythm was from the band’s second album, Dance To the Music.

Fun and M’Lady =  were off the band’s 1968 album Life. Interestingly, like Underdog, the tune M’Lady wasn’t popular the first time around.

Thank you (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) = was the first time that Larry Graham was able to use his thump and pluck technique together. As you know, this song was also the inspiration for Janet Jackson’s song Rhythm Nation.

Stand! = title tune from their 1969 album. I think the best part is the ending jam.

Poet, Luv N’ Haight and Brave and Strong =  are from the 1971 album There’s a Riot Going On.

Sing a Simple Song, again from the Stand! album. Greg Errico, the drummer from the group, felt it was the funkiest track the band ever cut.

In Time = from the band’s 1973 album Fresh. Greg Errico had since left the band and was replaced by Andy Newmark, who, when auditioning for the job, was the only drummer to understand and play Sly’s drum pattern idea he had for this song.

Frisky, Skin I’m In and Loose Booty = all songs were also from the Fresh album.

Fun = from the Life album