Diggin in the Crates: Sly & the Family Stone "Fresh"

One of the funkiest albums ever made and probably one of my favorites to just drop the needle and let it ride - Sly and the Family Stone's 6th album "Fresh" (released in 1973). George Clinton liked the album so much he convinced the Red Hot Chili Peppers to do a remake of "If You Want Me To Stay". According to wikipedia, jazz legend Miles Davis was so impressed by the song "In Time" from the album that he made his band listen to the track repeatedly for a full 30 minutes. Another interesting note, "Que Sera Sera" is the only cover song Sly and the Family Stone ever recorded (a cover of Doris Day's Academy Award-winning song from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much"). Rolling Stone magazine listed the album at number 186 on their list of the 500 greatest albums ever made. With all that said, the album hasn't been sampled much at all. The only 3 tracks that I could find any sample credits for were "If You Want Me To Stay", "In Time", and "Thankful & Thoughtful" (samples listed below)

FRESH: (EPIC 1973)
* "If You Want Me to Stay"
Above the Law - "Commercial"
BBD - "She's Dope"
Dana Dane - "Tales from the Dane Side"
The D.O.C. ft MC Ren - "Comm 2"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "If You Want Me to Stay"
Warren G - "Reality"
Non Phixion "The Freshfest"
Dysfunkshunal Familee "Keep Me High"
* "In Time"
J-88 - "Stupid Ass Lies"
Maceo Parker ft Fred Wesley, Pee-Wee, & Bootsy Collins - "In Time"
Missy Elliot - "X-tasy"
Future Sound "The Function"
Pizzicato Five "Cosmic Blues"
* "Thankful & Thoughtful"
PM Dawn - "Comatose"
La Cliqua "Requiem" and "Maintenant Ou Jamais"
Panda One "Panda Meets Sly '99"

My personal favorite from the album is "Let Me Have It All" which really makes me think Prince must have listened to a ton of Sly and the Family Stone because that song sounds like a Prince record from the vibe to the vocals.



If anyone has really paid attention to my previous mixtapes you would have heard me chop in clips of "Keep On Dancin" in my mixes. Listen close and you'll hear me chopping in clips from this album from time to time in my mixes. Looking for a link to cop the album? Visit SoGoodMusic.com

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE "FRESH"
Side one
"In Time" – 5:48
"If You Want Me to Stay" – 3:01
"Let Me Have It All" – 2:56
"Frisky – 3:12
"Thankful N' Thoughtful" – 4:41
Side two
"Skin I'm In" – 2:55
"I Don't Know (Satisfaction)" – 3:51
"Keep on Dancin'" – 2:23
"Qué Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) – 5:23
"If It Were Left Up to Me" – 1:56
"Babies Makin' Babies" – 3:38
LINER CREDITS
Sly Stone: vocals, organ, guitar, bass guitar, piano, harmonica, and more
Freddie Stone: vocals, guitar
Rose Stone: vocals, piano, keyboard
Cynthia Robinson: trumpet
Jerry Martini: saxophone
Pat Rizzo: saxophone
Rusty Allen: bass guitar on "In Time", "Let Me Have it All", and "Keep On Dancin'"
Larry Graham: bass guitar on "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" and "If It Were Left Up To Me" (uncredited)
Andy Newmark: drums
Little Sister (Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton): vocals
Karat Faye: Engineer