Ain't No Romance Around There Welcome, ?uestlove fans.

Welcome to the first installment of Friday Funk. If you read the introductory post of my blog, you can see me allude to a rant I went on after the release of Freekbass's Notre Dame pump-up video. Ugh. While I won't rehash exactly what I wrote in that facebook note, I plan on using this space every Friday to show you everything I love about good funk.

Let's start at the very beginning.

My tastes often change depending on my mood, but three bands are always listed among my favorites: Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, and Sly & The Family Stone. From the very first time I heard Cynthia Robinson belt out, "Hey! Get on up and dance to the music!" I was hooked.

The band was comprised of: Sly Stone (born: Sylvester Stewart) on lead vocals and organ; his brother Freddie and sister Rose on guitar and keyboards, respectively; Larry Graham on bass; Gregg Errico on drums; Robinson on trumpet; and Jerry Martini on saxophone. Not only were both sexes represented, but the band was integrated. Quite the feat in the late 1960s.

Sly & The Family Stone's early catalogue showcased not only deep grooves, but an ultra-positive message:


Their lively stage presence got everyone in the crowd off their feet, even those who couldn't dance (like the Rob Reiner look-alike at 3:57):


Rock critic Joel Selvin once summed up Sly & The Family Stone's importance by stating, "There are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone." Indeed, not only did Larry Graham pioneer the slap technique on the electric bass...


...but the band itself bridged the gap between Motown's four-on-the-floor rhythms, psychedelic rock, and the funk of the 1970s. These heavier grooves can be heard on the hit "It's a Family Affair" from the 1971 album There's a Riot Goin' On.


Soon after There's a Riot Goin' On, the band found itself in turmoil. Sly's cocaine and PCP habits made the band unpredictable and combative. Graham and Errico left the group, but Sly still had one more groundbreaking album in him. Recruiting 19-year old bassist Rusty Allen, drummer Andy Newmark, and additional saxophonist Pat Rizzo, Sly & The Family Stone recorded the super funky Fresh in 1973.


The original band split up after Fresh, but Sly recorded two more albums in the 70s with various musicians. Since that time, he had stayed quite reclusive -- an interview here, an appearance on Letterman there, but no new efforts -- until a recent reunion tour of the original lineup.

Sly & The Family Stone had a massive influence on music not only at the time, but today as well. Numerous Gregg Errico drum breaks have been sampled over the years, 1968's "Into My Own Thing" provided the opening hook to Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice," and 1969's "Everybody Is A Star" was beautifully sampled by The Roots for 2004's "Star":


There's so much to love about this band and this music. Granted, I've written before about music being a subjective experience, but if you don't "get it," Cynthia has some more advice for you: "All you squares: Go home!"