A while ago I began working on a post about Sly & the Family Stone. I was about to return to it after seeing this item about Sly Stone in the same issue of Rolling Stone that has the Monty Python article I scanned for the previous post.
Now I’m forced to rush it out, because of the news that Sly Stone has died.
With no slight intended to the great Soul hits of my childhood (who doesn’t like ‘Funky Broadway’?), as my teenage years approached they were sounding like “more of the same.” Sly’s brand of Funk brought something new and different to Black music on the AM airwaves. These records had an infectious creativity in them that I really enjoyed hearing on the radio.
P.S. I’m cribbing this from the chat on Big Planet Noise. Bob Irwin said this a few minutes ago:
“Here are my thoughts – I’ve spent a few hours today texting and speaking with old Sony Music pals and various music biz buds about Sly. I was the caretaker of Sly’s incredible catalog for 20+ years at Sony, producing nearly all the compilations, boxsets, expanded editions, etc, etc. So, I feel very, very close to all of it. BUT – everyone is in a remarkably great mood, focusing on a zillion funny stories about Sly, laughing about various nearly-indescribable events that he was involved in, and so much more. So, we’ll get a Sly tune into tonight’s show for sure, but we’ll do a real-deal, proper tribute next week, after the dust settles a bit and I can absorb it all, really focus and have some fun…. RIP, Sly – thank you for ALL of it, Sir.”
Next Monday’s Big Planet Noise, on WFMU’s Give the Drummer stream, will be something special.