Sly & The Family Stone 1967: Funk baptism in a nightclub pew
This isn’t just a live album; it’s a soul revival disguised as a nightclub gig. And no, Winchester Cathedral wasn’t an actual cathedral, but the energy? Pure holy funk.
What The First Family does do well is situate the listener in a time and place that seems galaxies away from the one the Beatles would birth two months later when they put out Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
"The Winchester Cathedral recordings showcase a one-of-kind outfit that was already at the peak of its powers, long before it became internationally famous. Sly is fully in command, while the unique arrangements and tighter-than-tight ensemble playing point clearly to the road ahead, and the enduring influence of Sly & The Family Stone's music.
But let’s address the elephant in the cathedral: the sound quality is... vintage. Greg Errico’s drums punch through like they’re trying to escape the mix entirely, while Sly’s vocals occasionally play hide and seek. Still, it’s miles ahead of some other psychedelic-era bootlegs. Think less "pristine studio recording" and more "bootleg that showered and put on cologne."
Sly & The Family Stone were true pioneers on so many levels: black/white, male/female, rock/soul, the act shattered all preconceptions of what popular music could be and would go on to become one of the most innovative and influential groups the world has ever witnessed.
And even though Sly once skipped out on a Johnny Rivers audition entirely, he and the band sound terrifyingly tight here, already planting the seeds of a movement that would eventually tear down racial and musical barriers.
This is not the polished Sly of Dance to the Music, nor is it a posthumous studio masterpiece. But for 50 funky minutes, The First Family drops you straight into the furnace where the funk was forged. Imperfect? Absolutely. But genius rarely shows up on time—or in hi-fi.
The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 is an album containing a historic early live recording by Sly & the Family Stone. It was released in 2025.