I’ve written before about how much I like Sly and the Family Stone. 

Etta James‘ recent passing (and her birthday today) started me thinking about Sly again.  I have to set The Beatles aside as an insurmountable high point in sixties pop music, but other than them, I’d say Sly and the Family Stone is the top contender for my favorite sixties band.  How do they qualify as the quintessential ’60s band? 

They were racially diverse, with five black members and two white members.
They were gender-diverse, with five males and two females, one a horn player.
Sly was an outstanding songwriter, with many catchy-but-not-treacly hooks.
Sly’s songwriting and the Family Stone’s playing helped James Brown pioneer the whole funk thang.
I’m particularly interested in vocal arrangements, and this group not only had fabulous harmonies, but they effectively used trade-offs, call-and-response, and a cappella breaks.

They sounded tight and hip and still managed to sound like they were having a really great time.  There were only three top-shelf albums in Sly’s output–Stand, There’s a Riot Goin’ On, and Fresh, plus the best Greatest Hits album ever–but these records were masterpieces, and the records before and after contained some gems.

So here are my top ten Sly and the Family Stone songs:

1. “Hot Fun in the Summertime“–I think this is the best pop single ever recorded.  I don’t really know why but I don’t need to know why.  It still gives me chills, after listening to it for four decades.
2. “Everyday People”–Sometimes I think this is actually the best pop single ever recorded. 
3. “Family Affair”–The big hit from There’s a Riot Goin’ On, only slightly less loopy than the rest of that excellent album. 
4. “Everybody Is a Star”–This was a gorgeous song, and The Roots deconstructed it wonderfully years later for the Sly tribute album Different Strokes by Different Folks.
5. “Stand!”–An anthem that rocked and was funky–that’s gotta be a unique accomplishment!
6. “If You Want Me to Stay”–Laid-back but at the same time driving funk.  See the video versions below.
7. “(You Caught Me) Smilin'”–This was another eccentric and intriguing cut from Riot.
8. “Dance to the Music”–My neighborhood buddies and I used to sing the a cappella vocal break from this song on the street corner when we were in high school.
9. “Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be)”–This great cover featured Rose and Sly and sparked a goofy rumor that Sly and Doris Day had hooked up.
10. “Thank You (Falettin’ Me Be Mice Elf Agin)”–There are times I think that this is the best pop single ever recorded.  Definitely groundbreakin’ and earth-shakin’.

I’m an ol’ Sly fan from near the Rio Grande.  He only burned bright for a few years either side of 1970, but he left his mark.

So how about a little Etta cover of Sly?

Well okay then.

Related articles

• Sly & The Family Stone (camcash21.wordpress.com)
• Why did we let Sly Stone slip away? (thegrio.com)