influential funk-rock band, formed in the 1960s by singer Sly Stone, known for hits like "I Want to Take You Higher" and "Dance to the Music."
In the year 1967, before their groundbreaking album "Stand" in 1969, Sly & the Family Stone recorded "The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral". This live recording, a testament to the band's early days, features only one original song, "I Ain't Got Nobody (For Real)", and nine covers of contemporary soul and R&B titles.
Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart in Texas in 1943, is the leader of the six-piece band and is credited as one of the inventors of funk. His musical journey began in a church environment, which significantly influenced his sensibilities, blending gospel's communal and uplifting qualities with funk, soul, and rock.
The sound quality in "The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967" is not ideal, but the drums and horns are very loud, giving the music an unpolished, garage soul quality. The band magically connects and sounds well-rehearsed, with precise horn lines, driving, bouncy bass, and an equally precise, overflowing drumming.
One standout track is the Motown classic "Baby I Need Your Loving", which builds over eight minutes in a secular invocation. The audience in "The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967" behaves less like they're at a pop concert and more like they're at a gospel church service.
Sly & the Family Stone’s early music was deeply influenced by spirituality, particularly drawn from Sly Stone’s upbringing as a church musician. This spiritual foundation infused their work with themes of unity, social consciousness, and a message of salvation through music and dance, predating and influencing later genres such as hip-hop.
The religious foundation of Sly & the Family Stone's music, as well as black music before hip-hop, can be heard in the songs that exceed six minutes in "The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967". The recording showcases the spirituality expressed in the tradition of spirituals, work songs, early jazz, and gospel.
Director and drummer Questlove explores the life and work of Sly Stone in his documentary "Sly Lives!", where Sly Stone is presented as the first black musical genius in pop. The band's music laid foundational beats and breaks that hip-hop artists would later sample, but their influence was not just musical; it was also thematic and cultural. Their fusion of various genres, socially conscious lyrics, and a focus on collective harmony through their music can be seen as an extension of spiritual practice through art.
In sum, "The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967" is a valuable historical document of Sly & the Family Stone's early days, showcasing their unique blend of spirituality, funk, soul, and rock. It serves as a testament to Sly Stone's musical genius and the band's influence on later genres, including hip-hop.
Sly Stone, despite being a pioneer of funk and the leader of Sly & the Family Stone, had a musical journey influenced by his church upbringing, which imbued their early music with themes of unity, social consciousness, and spirituality. The live recording "The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967" reflects this, as it features not only contemporary soul and R&B covers but also the Motown classic "Baby I Need Your Loving", a spiritually-charged track that draws upon the tradition of spirituals and gospel.
