Sly & the Family Stone 'An Oral History' Book Reissue [Permuted Press-10/11/2022]
Info from BestClassicBands.com-
The 1998 book Sly & the Family Stone: An Oral History, by Joel Selvin, which has been out of print for years, will return in a new, updated edition on Oct. 11, 2022, from Permuted Press. [It arrives Dec. 8 in the U.K.]
Selvin, an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, conducted more than 40 interviews from all the group’s original members—the sole exception being the notoriously reclusive Sylvester Stewart himself—and the group’s closest associates in what’s described in a press release as “a spell-binding account of the dizzying climb and terrifying descent of the band’s career.”
Sly and the Family Stone, says the announcement, “was the groundbreaking aggregation of Blacks and whites, men and women that symbolized the Woodstock generation and crossed over to dominate pop charts with anthems like ‘Everyday People,’ ‘Dance to the Music’ and ‘I Want to Take You Higher.’”
The book “offers first-person accounts of the rise of the band not only from its members but also from Sly’s parents, other members of the family as well as rock figures including Grace Slick, Sal Valentino, Bobby Womack, Mickey Hart, Clive Davis, Bobby Freeman and many more. In their own words, they candidly share the triumphs and tragedies of one of the most influential musical groups ever formed. It’s a collection of “different strokes” from the immensely talented folks who were there when it all happened that tells a story that is both compelling and cautionary.”
“The key to unlocking the real story of Sly and the Family Stone,” continues the press release, “was finding Hamp [Bubba] Banks, a character of immense proportions; a former Marine and pimp, young Sly’s best friend, brother-in-law and de facto manager who had never before shared his story. Selvin embarked on a quest to locate him by knocking on hair salon doors up and down Third Street in San Francisco’s Hunter’s Point neighborhood. Banks not only gave hours of riveting interviews, but also arranged for Selvin to speak with many other subjects including some of the career criminals who surrounded Sly Stone at his height. Along with Freddy Stewart, Sly’s brother and Family Stone band member, and San Francisco mayor London Breed, Selvin was one of three speakers at Banks’ funeral earlier this year. The new edition of the book is dedicated to Banks in recognition of the role he played in setting the Sly and the Family Stone record straight.
“With the passing of key players like Hamp Banks, the band’s manager David Kapralik, and others interviewed for the 1998 book, the story Selvin captured can never again be told so fully.
Selvin is the author of more than 20 books on pop music. Director Rob Reiner has announced plans to make a feature film of Here Comes the Night, his biography of R&B songwriter/producer/label chief and mob intimate Bert Berns. His book with rock star Sammy Hagar, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock, was a number one New York Times best-seller, and his recent Hollywood Eden tells the story of the kids whose music launched the myth of the California dream at the dawn of the 1960s.
Available for pre-order at Amazon USA-
Sly & the Family Stone: An Oral History: Selvin, Joel: 9781637585023: Amazon.com: Books
