One story I heard of his influence was that Stevie Wonder did a guest spot in a Sly & the Family Stone gig and could feel the energy of the whole place, heaving.
Took that feeling and with a new record deal giving him creative control did Superstition, Higher Ground and all those classics.
It's hard to be cynical enough about rock history you see on tv, but it's at least plausible that one genius can inspire another, thinking of a Haydn & Mozart kind of thing.
"If You Want Me to Stay" probably my favourite Sly Stone track.
I never got around to listening to his stuff with Funkadelic, maybe today is that day.
dpc050505 · 26m ago
Stevie Nicks wrote Dreams hiding in Sly Stone's basement den.
He led the first popular racially integrated rock band and is among the 3 biggest stars in funk.
thomassmith65 · 49m ago
Their performances were certainly lively. By the time this one ends, half the audience is dancing on stage with them: https://youtu.be/4URogrXiKsI
briandoll · 2h ago
Everyone should go watch Sly Lives! - The Burden of Black Genius
coastalpuma · 2h ago
RIP King
Please listen to "There's a riot goin on"
johnohara · 1h ago
I was young, with all of it yet to unfold, but I have to say, the summer of 1969 was a helluva thing.
Stand!
For the things you know are right
It's the truth that the truth makes them so uptight
> Sly recently completed the screenplay for his life story, a project we are eager to share with the world in due course, which follows a memoir published in 2024.
Took that feeling and with a new record deal giving him creative control did Superstition, Higher Ground and all those classics.
It's hard to be cynical enough about rock history you see on tv, but it's at least plausible that one genius can inspire another, thinking of a Haydn & Mozart kind of thing.
"If You Want Me to Stay" probably my favourite Sly Stone track.
I never got around to listening to his stuff with Funkadelic, maybe today is that day.
He led the first popular racially integrated rock band and is among the 3 biggest stars in funk.
Please listen to "There's a riot goin on"
Stand! For the things you know are right It's the truth that the truth makes them so uptight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q49vjFN6Fsw
Worth mentioning, I think, that the album title is a response to Marvin Gaye's What's Going On which came out earlier that year (1971).
He had to systematically learn to "dumb down" his genius, in order to reach an audience, and systematically, methodically, did so ...
... and, in so doing, defined an era.-
Excellent