In the control room, the chosen successor to Sly Graham showed his true prowess, enthusiastically approving of certain elements by demanding loud acclaim.
In the '70s, Sly & The Family Stone reigned supreme, with Sly Stewart's fusion of genres like funk, soul, gospel, blues, and psychedelic rock reshaping the music landscape through hits like Dance to the Music, Everyday People, and Family Affair. Meanwhile, Larry Graham was revolutionizing the electric bass guitar with his slap bass technique.
By 1973, things were shifting, as Sly's unpredictable behavior had forced Graham and drummer Greg Errico to depart in late '71. Despite the turmoil, Sly had one last gem up his sleeve.
The aptly titled Fresh album dropped in early July, showcasing a grittier, more unpolished sound compared to previous releases. This 11-track set benefited from the bass grooves of Rustee Allen, handpicked by Graham to replace him.
Sly himself worked on some of the album's bass tracks, but it was Allen's lilting bassline that truly shone on If You Want Me to Stay, the disc's hit single.
Born in Monroe, Louisiana, and raised in Oakland, California, Allen picked up the guitar at 12 and soon found himself playing bass in local bands. A disadvantaged age led him to draw a moustache on to appear old enough to play in bars with blues guitarist Johnny Talbot.
A stint with the Edward Hawkins Singers introduced him to Sly's brother Freddie, who hired him for Little Sister's band. On Freddie and Larry Graham's recommendation, Allen joined the Family Stone in '71.
In late '72, Allen headed to the Record Plant in Sausalito to overdub the bass part on If You Want Me to Stay. Armed with an early-'70s Jazz Bass and new Rotosound roundwound strings, he connected to the board and listened to the track.
"Sly's scratch bass had this bouncing eighth-note pattern," Allen shared with Bass Player. "When we recorded, he turned his back on me and grooved with my interpretation, giving a shout when he heard something he liked. Rather than being controlling, he wanted me to be myself and add my nuances in the part."
The three-minute track kicks off with Allen's pickup and three bars of bass and drums—a shoutout to his heavy James Jamerson influence. Sly enters at bar 4 with his piano and vocal scat scats, playing the four-bar progression twice.
In the four bars leading up to the vocals' entrance at 00:27, several key elements of Allen's bassline take shape. The first is the alternating short-long eighth-note feel, which he achieved using thumb plucks.
"That's Larry and Sly's trademark bass approach, like on Everyday People. It's sort of a light slap in which you hold your thumb perpendicular to the strings and, using just the side of your thumb, you strike the string, sometimes using a little bit of your nail. You control the notes' duration with your left hand. I learned that from Sly, who is a great bass player; he actually took it even further than Larry by incorporating upstrokes and downstrokes—the way Victor Wooten does so incredibly now."
Allen's finger pops on the V7 chord turnaround, first heard at 00:17, and his preference for the bluesy A against the F7 chord in those bars make his contribution to the part clear. His chromatic 16th-note fills continue to reveal his jazzy, James Jamerson roots. These manifest in his movements to the Db7 chord (as at 00:49 and 01:08), but also begin to appear on the Bbm7 chord's downbeat as the part progresses.
At 01:51, the first instrumental interlude (with Sly's piano patter) arrives, and Allen lets loose a bit, adding galloping 16ths, the Db root-5-octave fill at 01:56, and the reverse drop at 02:01. Stone's vocals return at 02:10, only to drop out again for another instrumental interlude at 02:29.
"Because Andy's drums were already down, I didn't zero in on any part of his kit, per se; I just focused on the overall groove. Try to capture the feel of the part; it's eighth-notes, but there's so much going on underneath, like the light swing in the 16th-note pickups. It's most important to relax and lay back in the pocket; if you play right on the beat or push it, it's all over!"
- Rustee Allen, who joined the Family Stone in 1971 on Freddie and Larry Graham's recommendation, showcased his unique bass technique on the hit single If You Want Me to Stay from Sly & The Family Stone's album Fresh, released in 1973.
- Allen's bassline on If You Want Me to Stay was influenced by James Jamerson, as evident in the three bars of bass and drums that open the track.
- Allen's bassline on the song featured a trademark approach that he learned from Sly Stewart, involving thumb plucks for an alternating short-long eighth-note feel and light slaps with the side of his thumb.
- In addition to his jazzy influences, Allen's bassline on If You Want Me to Stay showcased his own nuances, such as finger pops on the V7 chord turnaround and chromatic 16th-note fills that revealed his bluesy roots.
