Tuesday August 25, 2020 “Hot Fun in the Summertime” Sly & the Family Stone
“That’s when I had most of my fun…”
Sylvester Stewart was a popular radio DJ at KSOL in San Francisco using the on-air name of Sly Stone, think maybe the fictional WKRP TV series character Venus Flytrap. He was also a multi-instrumentalist who moonlighted doing some record production with late 60’s Bay Area bands like the Beau Brummels (“Laugh, Laugh”) and had a couple of initial unsuccessful solo recording adventures of his own.
It wasn’t until he put together a band with his sister Rose and brother Freddie along with what was likely the most racially, sexually and instrumentally diverse band of the time. Appropriately named Sly and the Family Stone
And oh yeah, they were good.
Their breakthrough single was “Dance to the Music '' which captured the high energy ‘psychedelic funk’ that the band, guided by songwriter and arranger Sly Stone would become famous for. “Hot Fun” garnered some wide exposure when Sly introduced it at Woodstock I to propel it to number 2 on the Billboard charts and it would be listed on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Unfortunately Sly would become as famous for his drug related problems and his penchant for showing up hours late for shows or sometimes not at all.
Stay safe and well... it’s “summertime and everything it’s true, ooooh yeah.”
