On June 9, 2025, Sylvester Stewart aka Sly Stone died age 82. He was musician (keyboards, guitar, bass, harmonica), singer, songwriter and producer, one of the most important figures in the development of funk with his pioneering fusion of soul, rock, psychedelia, and gospel in the 1960s and 1970s. Sly Stone collaborated with Funkadelic, Parliament, Jesse Johnson and Bobby Womack, but was best known as founding member and leader of the band Sly and the Family Stone. In 1993, he was inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”. He released his autobiography “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). As leader he released two albums.
Tag Archives: Sly and the Family Stone
Gary Kellgren
On July 20, 1977, Gary Kellgren died aged 38. He was an audio engineer and co-founder of “The Record Plant” recording studios (with Chris Stone). He worked with musicians John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Mick Jagger, Ron Wood, Bill Wyman, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Bobby Goldsboro, The Animals, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Frank Zappa, Sly, and the Family Stone, Velvet Underground, Rod Stewart, Ravi Shankar, Keith Moon, CSNY, Barbra Streisand, and Neil Diamond. He also worked with producers Chas Chandler, Jack Douglas, Robert Margouleff, Phil Spector, Wes Farrell, Tom Wilson, and Bill Szymczyk.
Sly & The Family Stone: Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I’m Back
On December 18, 1976, “Epic/CBS” labels released “Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I’m Back”, the eighth Sly and the Family Stone album. It was recorded in 1976, and was produced by Sly Stone.
Personnel:
- Sly Stone – vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, various instruments, string arrangements
- Joe Baker – vocals, guitar
- John Farey – keyboards, percussion
- Dwight Hogan – vocals, bass
- Anthony Warren – drums
- Virginia Ayers – vocals, percussion
- John Colla = vocals, alto and soprano saxophone
- Steve Schuster – tenor saxophone, flute
- Cynthia Robinson – vocals, trumpet
- Lady Bianca – lead and backing vocals, clavinet
- Vicki Blackwell – violin
- Ed Bogas – string arrangements
- Armando Peraza – timbales, congas
- Sister Vet& Cousin Tiny – vocals
- Karat Faye – engineer
Track listing:
All tracks by Sly Stone.
- Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I’m Back
- What Was I Thinkin’ in My Head
- Nothing Less Than Happiness
- Sexy Situation
- Blessing in Disguise
- Everything in You
- Mother Is a Hippie
- Let’s Be Together
- The Thing
- Family Again
Sly & the Family Stone: Back on the Right Track
On November 3, 1979, “Warner Bros” label released “Back on the Right Track”, the ninth Sly and the Family Stone album. It was recorded in 1979, and was produced by Mark Davis.
Personnel:
- Sly Stone (Sylvester Stewart) – vocals, keyboards, harmonica
- Hamp Banks – guitar
- Joseph Baker – guitar
- Roscoe Peterson – guitar
- Mark Davis – keyboards
- Walter Downing – keyboards
- Keni Burke – bass
- Alvin Taylor – drums
- Ollie E. Brown – percussion
- Pat Rizzo – saxophone
- Cynthia Robinson – trumpet
- Tom DeCourcey – trombone
- Steve Madaio, Gary Herbig, Fred Smith – horns
- Rose Banks, Lisa Banks, Joe Baker, Freddie Stewart – backing vocals
- Karat Faye – engineer
Track listing:
All tracks by Sly Stone except where noted.
- Remember Who You Are – Sly Stone, Hamp Banks
- Back On The Right Track
- If It’s Not Addin’ Up…
- The Same Thing (Makes You Laugh, Makes You Cry)
- Shine It On
- It Takes All Kinds
- Who’s To Say
- Sheer Energy
Sly & The Family Stone: A Whole New Thing
In October 1967, “Epic” label released “A Whole New Thing”, the debut Sly and the Family Stone album. It was recorded in June 1967, and was produced by Sly Stone.
Personnel:
- Sly Stone (Sylvester Stewart) – vocals, organ, guitar, piano, celeste, harmonica
- Freddie Stone– vocals, guitar
- Larry Graham– vocals, bass guitar
- Greg Errico– drums
- Jerry Martini– saxophone
- Cynthia Robinson– trumpet, vocal ad-libs
- Little Sister(Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton) – backing vocals
Track listing:
All tracks written by Sly Stone.
- Underdog
- If This Room Could Talk
- Run, Run, Run
- Turn Me Loose
- Let Me Hear It from You
- Advice
- I Cannot Make It
- Trip to Your Heart
- I Hate to Love Her
- Bad Risk
- That Kind of Person
- Dog
Sly & the Family Stone: Life
In September 1968, “Epic” label released “Life”, the third Sly and the Family Stone studio album. It was recorded in 1968 in San Francisco, and was produced by Sly Stone.
Personnel:
- Sly Stone– vocals, organ, guitar, piano, harmonica, and more
- Freddie Stone– vocals, guitar
- Larry Graham– vocals, bass guitar
- Rosie Stone– vocals, piano, keyboard
- Cynthia Robinson– trumpet, vocal ad-libs
- Jerry Martini– saxophone
- Greg Errico– drums
- Little Sister- Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton – backing vocals
Track listing:
All tracks by Sylvester Stewart.
- Dynamite!
- Chicken
- Plastic Jim
- Fun
- Into My Own Thing
- Harmony
- Life
- Love City
- I’m an Animal
- M’Lady
- Jane Is a Groupee
Sly & the Family Stone: Small Talk
In July 1974, “Epic” label released “Small Talk”, the seventh Sly and the Family Stone album. It was recorded in 1974, and was produced by Sly Stone.
Personnel:
- Sly Stone – vocals, organ, guitar, piano, harmonica
- Freddie Stone – guitar, backing vocals
- Rose Stone – piano, keyboard, backing vocals
- Rusty Allen – bass guitar
- Andy Newmark, Bill Lordan – drums
- Cynthia Robinson – trumpet
- Jerry Martini – saxophone
- Pat Rizzo – saxophone
- Sid Page – violin
- Little Sister (Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton) – backing vocals
- Ed Bogas– string arrangements
- Karat Faye – engineer
- Norman Seeff – cover photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Sylvester Stewart, save for “Small Talk”, written by Sylvester Stewart and W. Silva
- Small Talk
- Say You Will
- Mother Beautiful
- Time For Livin’
- Can’t Strain My Brain
- Loose Booty
- Holdin’ On
- Wishful Thinkin’
- Better Thee Than Me
- Livin’ While I’m Livin
- This is Love
Massive Attack: Protection
On September 26, 1994, “Circa” label released “Protection” the second Massive Attack album. It was recorded 1993–1994, at “Wild Bunch Studios” in London; “Massive Attack” and “Antenna Studios” in Bristol, and was produced by Robert Del Naja, Adrian Nicholas Thaws, Andrew Vowles, Grantley Evan Marshall and Nellee Hooper.
Personnel:
- Robert Del Naja – vocals, keyboards, programming, mixing, artwork
- Grant “Daddy G” Marshall (Grantley Evan Marshall) – vocals, programming, mixing, artwork
- Andrew Vowles – drums, percussion, keyboards, turntables
- Tricky (Adrian Nicholas Thaws) – vocals, programming, mixing, artwork
- Chester Kamen– guitar
- Craig Armstrong– piano
- Rob Merril – drums
- Tracey Thorn, Horace Andy, Nicolette– vocals
- Marius De Vries, Andy Wright, The Insects, Nick Warren– programming
- Jeremy “Jim Bob” Wheatley – additional engineering
- Al Stone – additional engineering
- Nellee Hooper– mixing
- Mark “Spike” Stent– mixing
- Jim Abbiss – mixing
- Mike Marsh – mastering
- Michael – Nash Assoc. – artwork
- Matthew Donaldson, Jean Baptiste Mondino, Eddie Monsoon – photography
Personnel:
- Protection (sampled “The Payback” by James Brown) – Andrew Vowles, Robert Del Naja, Grantley Evan Marshall, Tracey Thorn
- Karmacoma – Andrew Vowles, Robert Del Naja, Grantley Evan Marshall, Tricky, Norfolk, Locke
- Three – Andrew Vowles, Robert Del Naja, Grantley Evan Marshall, Nellee Hooper, Suwoton
- Weather Storm (sampled “It’s Time for Love” by Pieces of a Dream)) – Andrew Vowles, Robert Del Naja, Grantley Evan Marshall, Nellee Hooper, Craig Armstrong, Harmon, Napoleon, Lloyd, Murray
- Spying Glass (sampled “Chapter 3” by Joe Gibbs & the Professionals, and, “Shaft in Africa” by Johnny Pate – Andrew Vowles, Robert Del Naja, Grantley Evan Marshall, Nellee Hooper, Andy Wright
- Better Things (sampled “Never Can Say Goodbye” by James Brown) – Andrew Vowles, Robert Del Naja, Grantley Evan Marshall, Tracey Thorn, Watt, Brown
- Eurochild (sampled “Cheetah” by Startled Insects) – Andrew Vowles, Robert Del Naja, Grantley Evan Marshall, Tricky, Norfolk, Locke
- Sly (sampled “Africa Talks to You ‘The Asphalt Jungle'” by Sly and the Family Stone) – Andrew Vowles, Robert Del Naja Grantley Evan Marshall, Nellee Hooper, Suwoton, Goldman
- Heat Miser – Andrew Vowles, Robert Del Naja, Grantley Evan Marshall, Nellee Hooper, Marius de Vries
- Light My Fire (live) (sampled “Light My Fire” by Jackie Wilson, The Doors)
Sly and the Family Stone: Stand!
On May 3, 1969, “Epic” label released “Stand!”,the fourth Sly and the Family Stone studio album. It was recorded 1968 – 1969, at “Pacific High Recording Studios” in San Francisco, and was produced by Sly Stone. In 1986, “Stand!” was certified Platinum in the US by the “RIIA”. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 118 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of all Time”.
Personnel:
- Sly Stone – vocals, organ, guitar, piano, harmonica, vocoder, bass guitar
- Freddie Stone – vocals, guitar
- Rose Stone – vocals, piano, keyboard
- Larry Graham – vocals, bass guitar
- Cynthia Robinson – trumpet, vocal ad-libs, backing vocals
- Jerry Martini – saxophone, backing vocals
- Greg Errico – drums, backing vocals
- Little Sister(Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton) – backing vocals
- Don Puluse, Brian Ross-Myring, Phil Macey – engineer
Track listing:
All tracks by Sly Stone.
- Stand!
- Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey
- I Want to Take You Higher
- Somebody’s Watching You
- Sing a Simple Song
- Everyday People
- Sex Machine
- You Can Make It If You Try
Sly & The Family Stone: Dance To The Music
On April 27, 1968, “Epic” label released “Dance to the Music”,the second Sly and the Family Stone studio album. It was recorded in September 1967, and was produced by Sly Stone.
Personnel:
- Sly Stone (Sylvester Stewart) – vocals, organ, guitar, piano, harmonica
- Freddie Stone – vocals, guitar
- Larry Graham – vocals, bass guitar
- Rose Stone – vocals, piano, keyboards
- Cynthia Robinson – trumpet, vocal ad-libs
- Jerry Martini – saxophone
- Greg Errico – drums
- Little Sister(Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton) – backing vocals
Track listing:
All tracks by Sylvester Stewart.
- Dance to the Music
- Higher
- I Ain’t Got Nobody (For Real)
- Dance to the Medley
- Music Is Alive
- Dance In
- Music Lover
- Ride the Rhythm
- Color Me True
- Are You Ready
- Don’t Burn Baby
- I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
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