Bay Area's iconic '60s band, Sly and the Family Stone, is dropping a historic live album recorded in 1967, titled "Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967." Set for release next month, this album presents the band's earliest concert recording, captured during their time as a house band at Winchester Cathedral in Redwood City. As KRON4 reports, this marks an important discovery for fans and music historians alike, signaling a pivotal moment just before the group's rise to stardom.
The announcement comes with promises of a treasure trove of archival material. Alongside the live tracks, there will be a 52-page booklet featuring liner notes from Alec Palao, interviews with original band members, including Sly Stone, and previously unseen photographs. The album will be released via High Moon Records in various formats, including CD, vinyl, and digital, with the CD edition featuring an exclusive bonus track, a cover of Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness." According to Pitchfork, captured in the after-hours set from March of 1967 are vintage soul covers and early renditions of what would become the band's signature sound.
Because of their timing, the recordings on "The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967" were made before Sly and the Family Stone signed with Epic Records and the subsequent release of their groundbreaking first album. Billboard details that the live set includes none of the tracks from their later-released debut album, "A Whole New Thing," underscoring the pure and early essence of the band's developing style.
Having turned the ear of the music world with their distinct fusion of psychedelic rock and funk, Sly and the Family Stone left an indelible mark on the soundscape of the era. They remained influential long after their chart-topping hits like "Dance to the Music" and the historically resonant performance at Woodstock in 1969. "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," producer Alec Palao told Billboard in a testament to the raw talent captured on the unearthed tapes.
.jpg){kind=link}