Sly & the Family Stone, iconic funk band and previous subject of our podcast The Opus, have announced the release of a newly unearthed live album from the late ’60s. It’s called The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 and is set to arrive Friday, July 18th. As a preview, the performance of “I Gotta Go Now / Funky Broadway” dropped today.
Having recently been featured in Questlove’s documentary Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) and receiving a limited-edition pressing for this year’s Record Store Day, the project marks the first time the recordings have been widely and officially released on physical and digital formats. Vinyl and CD editions come accompanied by a deluxe booklet that features liner notes from Grammy-nominated producer Alec Palao, interviews with Sly Stone and the original band members, never-before-seen photos, rare memorabilia, and more. The CD edition also comes with a bonus performance of the Otis Redding song “Try a Little Tenderness.” Pre-order The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 on vinyl or CD here.
“The Winchester Cathedral recordings showcase a one-of-kind outfit that was already at the peak of its powers, long before it became internationally famous,” Palao previewed in a statement. “Sly is fully in command, while the unique arrangements and tighter-than-tight ensemble playing point clearly to the road ahead, and the enduring influence of Sly & The Family Stone’s music.”
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The set was captured months before “Dance to the Music” brought Sly & the Family Stone widespread attention. At the time of recording, the act served as the house band at the Winchester Cathedral in Redwood City, California. The tapes of the performance were finally rediscovered in 2002 by two dutch Sly & the Family Stone archivists and have now been restored by Palao and mastered by Dan Hersch.
Check out the full tracklist for Sly & the Family Stone’s The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 and listen to “I Gotta Go Now / Funky Broadway” below. Then, check out where their classic hit “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” landed on our list of the 50 Greatest Basslines of All Time.
The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 Artwork:
The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 artwork
The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 Tracklist:
01. I Ain’t Got Nobody
02. Skate Now
03. Show Me
04. What Is Soul?
05. I Can’t Turn You Loose
06. Try A Little Tenderness *
07. Baby I Need Your Loving
08. Pucker Up Buttercup
09. Saint James Infirmary
10. I Gotta Go Now (Up On The Floor) / Funky Broadway
*CD Only Bonus Track
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