Sly Stone had a rare talent

Sly and the Family Stone's biggest hits were, in a word, joyous. In a time of national turmoil in the late 1960s and early '70s, Sly Stone's band put out songs that preached inclusion, love and fun. "I am no better, and neither are you," Stone sings in "Everyday People." "We are the same, whatever we do." The song was calming and positive, and sends a good message that is still important today. Sly and the Family Stone practiced what it preached. The band was diverse, with Black and white members, men and women. That wasn't common for a band in the late 1960s. But when you listen to Sly and the Family Stone, you realize the group members weren't selected to meet some kind of quota. Everyone in the band had a part to sing or an instrument to play, and they did it brilliantly. The leader of the group was Stone, who died last week at 82. Musically, Stone did just about everything in his career. He was a disc jockey and record producer early on. As a producer, Stone worked with a number of white acts in the San Francisco area in the mid-1960s. One of the groups he produced was the Beau Brummels. Stone produced the group's first album, which included the hits "Laugh, Laugh" and "Just a Little." It's hard to believe Stone produced that folk rock group, and then just a few years later was doing the funk-infused Sly and the Family Stone records. There was a period when Sly and the Family Stone were one of the biggest groups in American music. Stone was the primary songwriter and producer for the band, and they put out some work which, I believe, holds up with anything at the time. What Sly and the Family Stone had was a tight band. The records were precise, and yet, at times, ad-libbed. It's disciplined, but sounds so carefree. When you listen to "Dance to the Music," it's just fun. It makes you want to obey the lyrics. The vocals are shared by Sly, his brother, Freddie Stone, Larry Graham and Cynthia Robinson. Robinson, though, stands out with her trumpet, and her message "All the squares, go home!" The group had an image of love, fun and peace. The outlook that the band presented changed in later years. In 1971, Sly and the Family Stone released "There's a Riot Goin' On.' The album included another one of the band's classic hits, 'A Family Affair,' but the sound was different. More bluesy and dark, the album has been regarded by many as brilliant. But it was a departure that reflected the changing times, and Stone's feelings. For instance, the album's title track is three seconds of silence. As the 1970s went on, the band — and specifically Sly Stone — was deteriorating. Drug problems and other issues took a toll on the group, and on Sly's productivity. His influence on the music scene, however, never wavered. In many ways, Sly is similar to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, who also died last week at about the same age. Both were musical geniuses. Both created pop songs that will be played forever. But both struggled with the drugs and pressures that came with success and fame. And yet, the productivity, even if it was just for a few years, was amazing. Stone had a talent few people had, and he made sure the public could hear it and feel it. And it will continue to hear it for years to come. Zach Baker is sports editor of The Courier.