Legendary funkateer Sly Stone staged something of a comeback in 2011 by releasing his first album in several decades with I'm Back! Family & Friends. Next, Sly and the Family Stone will revisit their past with a hefty CD box set. Higher! is due out on August 27 through Epic/Legacy.
This four-disc set is being released in celebration of Sly's 70th birthday and includes 77 tracks. Of these, 17 are previously unreleased. The four discs are split into eras; disc one is 1964 to 1967, disc two is 1967 to 1968, disc three is 1968 to 1970 and disc four is 1971 to 1977. The tracklist includes a heap of mono singles, solo tracks released under the name Sly Steart, live performances from the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970, and more.
These songs come in a package that includes an 104-page booklet with photography, track-by-track annotations, an essay, a timeline of Sly's career, artwork and more. The notes include input and statements from Family members and Sly himself.
This is Sly and the Family Stone's first career-spanning anthology. See the hefty tracklist below.
Higher!:
Disc One (1964-1967):
1. I Just Learned How To Swim by Sly Stewart (Autumn Records single, 1964)
2. Scat Swim by Sly Stewart (Autumn single, 1964)
3. Buttermilk (Part 1) by Sly (Autumn single, 1965)
4. Dance All Night by Sly and Freddie (1965, originally unissued)
5. Temptation Walk by Sly (Autumn single, 1965)
6. I Ain't Got Nobody (For Real) (Loadstone single, 1967)
7. I Can't Turn You Loose (Loadstone single, 1967)
8. Higher (mono Epic single master, promo only, 1967)
9. Underdog (mono Epic single master, 1967)
10. Bad Risk (mono Epic single master, 1967)
11. Let Me Hear It From You (mono Epic single master, 1967)
12. Advice
13. If This Room Could Talk
14. I Cannot Make It
15. Trip To Your Heart
16. I Hate To Love Her
17. Silent Communications (1967, previously unissued)
18. I Get High On You (version one, 1967, previously unissued)
19. I Remember (1967, previously unissued)
20. My Woman's Head (instrumental demo, 1967, previously unissued)
Disc Two (1967-1968):
1. What's That Got To Do With Me (1967, previously unissued)
2. Fortune And Fame (1967, previously unissued)
3. What Would I Do (1967, originally unissued)
4. Only One Way Out Of This Mess (1967, originally unissued)
5. I Know What You Came To Say (1967, previously unissued)
6. Dance To The Music (mono Epic single master, 1967)
7. Ride The Rhythm
8. Color Me True
9. Are You Ready
10. Don't Burn Baby
11. We Love All
12. Danse A La Musique by The French Fries (mono Epic single, 1968)
13. Small Fries by The French Fries (mono Epic single, 1968)
14. Chicken (mono Epic single master, 1968)
15. Into My Own Thing
16. Life (mono Epic single master, 1968)
17. Love City (1968, previously unissued mono mix)
18. M'Lady (mono Epic single master, 1968)
19. Dynamite! featuring Johnny Robinson on vocals (1968, previously unissued)
20. Undercat (instrumental, 1967, previously unissued)
Disc Three (1968-1970):
1. Everyday People (mono Epic single master, 1968)
2. Sing A Simple Song (mono Epic single master, 1968)
3. I Get High On You (version two, 1968, previously unissued)
4. Wonderful World Of Color (instrumental, 1968, previously unissued)
5. Pressure (originally unissued)
6. I Want To Take You Higher (mono Epic single master, 1969)
7. Seven More Days (originally unissued)
8. Feathers (instrumental, 1968, previously unissued)
9. Somebody's Watching You
10. Sex Machine
11. Hot Fun In The Summertime (mono Epic single master, 1969)
12. Everybody Is A Star (mono Epic single master, 1969)
13. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (mono Epic single master, 1969)
14. Stand! (LIVE at the Isle of Wight Festival, August 30, 1970)
15. You Can Make It If You Try (LIVE, same as track 14)
16. Dance To The Music (LIVE, same as track 14, previously unissued)
17. Music Lover / I Want To Take You Higher / Music Lover (LIVE, same as track 14, previously unissued)
Disc Four (1971-1977):
1. Luv N' Haight (Epic single master, 1971)
2. Family Affair
3. Brave & Strong (Epic single master, 1971)
4. Runnin' Away (Epic single master, 1971)
5. (You Caught Me) Smilin' (Epic single master, 1971)
6. Spaced Cowboy
7. You're The One featuring Little Sister (LIVE on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, September 1973, previously unissued)
8. In Time
9. If You Want Me To Stay (Epic single master, 1973)
10. Frisky (Epic single master, 1973)
11. Skin I'm In
12. If It Were Left Up To Me (Epic single master, 1973)
13. Time For Livin' (Epic single master, 1974)
14. Can't Strain My Brain (Epic single master, 1974)
15. Loose Booty
16. Le Lo Li (Epic single master, 1975)
This four-disc set is being released in celebration of Sly's 70th birthday and includes 77 tracks. Of these, 17 are previously unreleased. The four discs are split into eras; disc one is 1964 to 1967, disc two is 1967 to 1968, disc three is 1968 to 1970 and disc four is 1971 to 1977. The tracklist includes a heap of mono singles, solo tracks released under the name Sly Steart, live performances from the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970, and more.
These songs come in a package that includes an 104-page booklet with photography, track-by-track annotations, an essay, a timeline of Sly's career, artwork and more. The notes include input and statements from Family members and Sly himself.
This is Sly and the Family Stone's first career-spanning anthology. See the hefty tracklist below.
Higher!:
Disc One (1964-1967):
1. I Just Learned How To Swim by Sly Stewart (Autumn Records single, 1964)
2. Scat Swim by Sly Stewart (Autumn single, 1964)
3. Buttermilk (Part 1) by Sly (Autumn single, 1965)
4. Dance All Night by Sly and Freddie (1965, originally unissued)
5. Temptation Walk by Sly (Autumn single, 1965)
6. I Ain't Got Nobody (For Real) (Loadstone single, 1967)
7. I Can't Turn You Loose (Loadstone single, 1967)
8. Higher (mono Epic single master, promo only, 1967)
9. Underdog (mono Epic single master, 1967)
10. Bad Risk (mono Epic single master, 1967)
11. Let Me Hear It From You (mono Epic single master, 1967)
12. Advice
13. If This Room Could Talk
14. I Cannot Make It
15. Trip To Your Heart
16. I Hate To Love Her
17. Silent Communications (1967, previously unissued)
18. I Get High On You (version one, 1967, previously unissued)
19. I Remember (1967, previously unissued)
20. My Woman's Head (instrumental demo, 1967, previously unissued)
Disc Two (1967-1968):
1. What's That Got To Do With Me (1967, previously unissued)
2. Fortune And Fame (1967, previously unissued)
3. What Would I Do (1967, originally unissued)
4. Only One Way Out Of This Mess (1967, originally unissued)
5. I Know What You Came To Say (1967, previously unissued)
6. Dance To The Music (mono Epic single master, 1967)
7. Ride The Rhythm
8. Color Me True
9. Are You Ready
10. Don't Burn Baby
11. We Love All
12. Danse A La Musique by The French Fries (mono Epic single, 1968)
13. Small Fries by The French Fries (mono Epic single, 1968)
14. Chicken (mono Epic single master, 1968)
15. Into My Own Thing
16. Life (mono Epic single master, 1968)
17. Love City (1968, previously unissued mono mix)
18. M'Lady (mono Epic single master, 1968)
19. Dynamite! featuring Johnny Robinson on vocals (1968, previously unissued)
20. Undercat (instrumental, 1967, previously unissued)
Disc Three (1968-1970):
1. Everyday People (mono Epic single master, 1968)
2. Sing A Simple Song (mono Epic single master, 1968)
3. I Get High On You (version two, 1968, previously unissued)
4. Wonderful World Of Color (instrumental, 1968, previously unissued)
5. Pressure (originally unissued)
6. I Want To Take You Higher (mono Epic single master, 1969)
7. Seven More Days (originally unissued)
8. Feathers (instrumental, 1968, previously unissued)
9. Somebody's Watching You
10. Sex Machine
11. Hot Fun In The Summertime (mono Epic single master, 1969)
12. Everybody Is A Star (mono Epic single master, 1969)
13. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (mono Epic single master, 1969)
14. Stand! (LIVE at the Isle of Wight Festival, August 30, 1970)
15. You Can Make It If You Try (LIVE, same as track 14)
16. Dance To The Music (LIVE, same as track 14, previously unissued)
17. Music Lover / I Want To Take You Higher / Music Lover (LIVE, same as track 14, previously unissued)
Disc Four (1971-1977):
1. Luv N' Haight (Epic single master, 1971)
2. Family Affair
3. Brave & Strong (Epic single master, 1971)
4. Runnin' Away (Epic single master, 1971)
5. (You Caught Me) Smilin' (Epic single master, 1971)
6. Spaced Cowboy
7. You're The One featuring Little Sister (LIVE on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, September 1973, previously unissued)
8. In Time
9. If You Want Me To Stay (Epic single master, 1973)
10. Frisky (Epic single master, 1973)
11. Skin I'm In
12. If It Were Left Up To Me (Epic single master, 1973)
13. Time For Livin' (Epic single master, 1974)
14. Can't Strain My Brain (Epic single master, 1974)
15. Loose Booty
16. Le Lo Li (Epic single master, 1975)