Recorded Milestones of Funk and Soul Originator Sly Stone

Soul and funk superstar Sly Stone passed away on June 9 of a “prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues,” according to a statement by his family.

Sylvester Stewart was born in Denton, Texas on March 15, 1943. After Stewart had relocated to the Bay Area, in 1961, record producer George Motola recorded Stewart as lead singer with the Viscaynes on “Yellow Moon,” backed with “Heavenly Angel” in San Jose, who came to the attention of Motola through Vito “Vic” Gazzi, who told him, “I got this singer. I think he’s great, why don’t you come up to San Jose to record him?”

“I wasn’t happy with the track I done in San Jose, so I turned around, cut it at Modern in Culver City over again. H.B. Barnum wrote the other side, ‘Uncle Sam Needs You My Friend’ or whatever it was,” a song Barnum had just recorded with the Viceroys. Five years later, Sylvester Stewart became Sly Stone leader of Sly & the Family Stone. This Viscaynes debut record charted top 20 in Bay Area radio in October 1961.

“‘Yellow Moon’ sold over 60 to 70,000 records in San Francisco and became bigger than the 4 Seasons in ‘Frisco, they couldn’t penetrate the record,” said Motola. “They were #1, they couldn’t penetrate Sylvester Stewart.” The pressing as the Biscaynes was a misprint.

His first name change was to Danny (Sly) Stewart on the very rare and sought-after 45, “A Long Time Alone” recorded for Motola on the Luke label in November 1961. It charted not.

While as a disc jockey on San Francisco’s leading soul radio station, KSOL, Sly Stewart recorded as series of dance records, “I Just Learned How To Swim” in August 1964 and a Sly, “Buttermilk” and “Temptation Walk” on the Autumn label in November 1965.

Los Angeles-based vocal group singers, Bobby Relf and Earl Nelson were Bob & Earl on the breakout hit, “Harlem Shuffle.” It was a bi-coastal and national hit.

“In 1963 we went to San Francisco to do ‘Harlem Shuffle’ and they had a band backing us up it,” said Bob & Earl’s Earl Nelson. “It was led by a disc jockey on the big San Francisco soul station. He hadn’t done any major recording yet. His name was Sly Stone. They brought us out with our horn introduction and he asked us if we minded if he used that ‘Harlem Shuffle’ opening sometime. We didn’t care so we told him it was okay and that’s how he began his first big hit ‘Dance To the Music.’” Sly’s sax player Jerry Martini said, “we moved to New York to make it. We weren’t that popular in San Francisco. A previous album that stiffed and a single, ‘Underdog’ that went along with it, was a little premature, the rhythms, everything we’re trying to do was a little early. After our first record, I remember walking down the halls with Sly. He was really upset. He said, ‘I’m going to put something together that’s total formula, that’s what they want, that’s what they’re going to get.’” In fact, the lyrics are very simplistic, introducing each band member’s instrument. “The ‘boom boom’ part, that originally only came in the middle of it. At the last minute, the record company spliced that and put it on the beginning of the song and it had a lot to do with the catchiness of it. Then we got ‘Dance To the Music’ to hit on the East Coast.”

Sly & The Family Stone’s “I Want to Take You Higher” opens with a bluesy guitar riff played by Freddie Stone. Said Martini, ‘’’I Want to Take You Higher’ was not a drug song, it was not about that, it was about taking you higher musically. He just got caught up with what was going on at the times, a product of our times and culture. He was fine until he moved to New York City, where people and bands he hung out with offered him free candy. By that point, everybody was catering to him and he wouldn’t listen to anybody. He’d become Sly Stone, as opposed to my good friend, Sylvester Stewart. There was a personality transformation.” A remake by Ike & Tina Turner hit big in 1970.

In late 1968, Sly & The Family Stone released the anthem, “Everyday People” which went to #1.

Sly & The Family Stone’s July of 1969 hit, “Hot Fun in the Summertime” was known for its rare use of violins played in the upper register. “He just kept whipping them out,” said sax player Jerry Martini. “He had so many songs in his head and on paper he never got a chance to record.”

“Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin” for which early pressings were entitled “For Letting Me By Myself Again” and “Family Affair’ were Sly & the Family Stone’s final #1 hits.