Pee Wee Herman introduced me to Sly and the Family Stone. During the first third of his 1981 stage show, Pee Wee Herman and Jelly Donuts performed a musical tribute to Sly Stone. If you remember it, Pee Wee’s hilarious and odd comedy special aired on HBO for most of the early 1980s. Pee Wee and the Jelly Donuts wove several Sly Stone songs together and performed them in caricature. As a kid, I remember thinking that the songs were catchy and fun. Fast forward to the late 90s and I picked up a Sly and the Family Stone anthology album that featured most of their singles and hits. As it would turn out, six of the eight tracks that comprise Stand! were also a part of that anthology. And, as it would turn out, many of the six songs on the anthology were cut-down single edits. So, in a lot of ways, I never really heard Stand! until recently, although I have been quite familiar with its songs.
Released on May 3, 1969 and produced by Sly Stone, Stand! sold 500,000 copies in its first year and over three million copies total. It contains the ubiquitous singles “Stand!” and “Everyday People” as well as celebrated deep cuts “You Can Make It If You Try” and “Sing a Simple Song.”
Stand! conveys the progressism of the 1960s. “Stand!” empowers listeners to stand up for what they believe to be right. “Everyday People” expresses the commonality of all people, in spite of color. “Don’t Call Me N*&&$#, Whitey” portrays racial tension felt both then and now.
The legacy of Stand! seems to be its inspired performances. The guitar riff and other elements of “Sing a Simple Song” would go on to be covered or sampled on several dozen occassions. After his groundbreaking Bitches Brew double LP, Miles Davis recorded A Tribute to Jack Johnson, which, at times, sounds inspired by Stand!. The near 14 minute “Sex Machine,” which takes up most of the second side of Stand!, resonates boldly among its shorter adjacent tracks.
I love the energy of Stand!, especially how it captures the band’s live sound. By 1969, rock music had become a staple on various television broadcasts. The few that are preserved on YouTube of Sly and the Family Stone from 1969 are pure gold.
A
Bonus: Sly and the Family Stone on TV in 1969