Vault 69 deadline is July 31 midnight CT.
One would be hard-pressed to find a better band than Sly And The Family Stone in 1968. Sure folks were louder, wilder, more psychedelic….but in the purest sense of the term, of a group of musicians, working together, creating rhythm and harmony and a groove that is larger than the sum of its individual parts, the coterie of Sly Stone, Greg Errico, Larry Graham, Sister Rosie Stone, Brother Freddie Stone, Jerry Martini and Cynthia Robinson the forward-thinking, racially and gender integrated band typifying the age of Aquarius.
In October of that year, the band played four shows across two nights at the legendary Fillmore East on Second Avenue in New York City. The shows, each slightly different from the next with jams and vamps and assorted explorations, were recorded for posterity by the band’s label Epic Records. While remaining unreleased for decades, their eventual unveiling in 2015 was met with unbridled excitement and astonishment from fans and critics alike. Particularly, how could music this good have been unreleased for so long?
So for the 69th installment in the Vault, the longest continually running vinyl subscription service in the world, Third Man Records in conjunction with Sony Music is proud to offer Sly And The Family Stone Turn Me Loose: Live At The Fillmore East 1968.
Each show is confined to a single LP with repeats and less-than performances eschewed to highlight the explosive and incendiary moments from each show. With each disc pressed on colored vinyl evocative of the mood of the evening, the set is primed, smooth and with nary a dip in unadulterated, sensational vibe.
Where deep cuts like the syncopated funk of “Chicken” and the jazzy New Orleans inflections of “St. James Infirmary” can live next to a stone-cold smash hit like “Dance To The Music” and the unrivaled groove of “Color Me True” and the overall takeaway here is one of wishing you could go back in time to be in the room to witness these legendary performances.
In addition to four LPs and a gatefold showcasing the historic performance shot by Amalie Rothschild, Vault package #69 comes complete with a top notch slip mat featuring artwork from the legendary Joshua Light Show projected at the Fillmore East in 1968, the hallmark liquid light look that became the backdrop of the era. And to tie it all together, two 6” x 6”, luster-finish photo prints made from unarchived studio portraits shot by Bob Cato, printed by Third Man Photo Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.
Vault 69 deadline is July 31 midnight CT.
VAULT #69: SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE
TURN ME LOOSE: LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST 1968
4 x 12" COLORED VINYL
TRACKLIST:
SHOW ONE (OCTOBER 4, 1968 – EARLY SHOW)
Side A:
Are You Ready
Won’t Be Long
We Love All (Freedom)
Side B:
Medley: Turn Me Loose / I Can’t Turn You Loose
Chicken
Love City
SHOW TWO (OCTOBER 4, 1968 – LATE SHOW)
Side C:
M’Lady
Don’t Burn Baby
Color Me True
St. James Infirmary
Side D:
Medley: Turn Me Loose / I Can’t Turn You Loose
Dance To The Music
Medley: Life / Music Lover
SHOW THREE (OCTOBER 5, 1968 – EARLY SHOW)
Side E:
Life
Color Me True
Won’t Be Long
Are You Ready
Side F:
Dance To The Music
Music Lover
M’Lady
SHOW FOUR (OCTOBER 5, 1968 – LATE SHOW)
Side G:
M’Lady
Life
Won’t Be Long
Side H:
Dance To The Music
Love City
Medley: Turn Me Loose / I Can’t Turn You Loose
Riffs
Um… Yup
What a great choice! After seeing the amazing RRHOF opening performance dedicated to Sly & The Family last year, when the White Stripes got inducted, it reminded me of how much I loved their music, (you as well Ben & Jack?), plus to get it in the same year as the fantastic Jimi Hendrix set and a new White Stripes Vault….well the Vault just keeps delivering amazing packages this year. Well done Third Man!!