When Ben messaged me about the death of Sly Stone earlier this week, I misread his text as Sly Stallone. I need to wear my glasses when looking at my phone.
Others will no doubt write far better eulogies for Sly of the Family Stone than I can. (Swiss Adam and Khayem already have.) I have to confess to not knowing much about him beyond the headlines, but I did enjoy his music. Plus, without Sly Stone, I don't reckon we'd have had Prince... at least not in the way we remember Prince. And that would have been a tragedy.
And so did these guys, I guess...
Danced to the music
And I sang a simple song
I was thankful and thoughtful
Sly Stone came along
'Cause he took me higher
And he made me see
It's good to look in your eyes
Knowing your eyes aren't the bottom of the soul
Because they high kick me like
Sly Stone on the cover of Fresh
Do you remember Sly Stone?
(What city did he come from Roger?)
In my script there's a love scene, picture it
Candles with warm apple cider
Sly stone on the radio
Oh, caress your funky dreads in the candle's glow
Whisper in my ear
'Cause I'm in the mood for love
I could be Sly Stone of the family crew
I could be big bad Daddy Warbucks
And love you too
See my hip bone connected to my thigh bone
Club Funkateers and it's a family like Sly Stone
Dancin' in my kitchen with Sly Stone's permission
Lit my ignition, cursing fascist apparitions
Musicians populate my dreams
My band members old and new
Certain Rolling Stones I
An MacDonald from King Crimson
David Bowie showing me round Dryden Chambers
Thighpaulsandra, Sly Stone
Amy Winehouse still alive
Vivian Stanshall punning in a cafe
Alright, I want you to get onboard this train
We're gonna make one stop, that’s all, just one
We're goin' to the place where James Brown, Gladys Knight & The Pips
Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Grand Funk, Sly Stone, The Bar-Kays, The Ohio Players
And everybody we know is funkin’ down there
And there were many more. But I'm sure they'd all admit, they're not a patch on the original...
As I was finishing this post off last night, the news came through about Brian Wilson.
Damn.
That's going to be a hard one to process...
