Sly and Family Stone, a band that electrified Woodstock, was perhaps the primary bridge between funk and rock and roll. The story is one of great talent, great intentions (listen to the lyrics) and–for a while–great success. It fell apart in the early 1970s, and Sly Stone’s comeback appears to have run out of gas. All Music has a great bio.
Here is If You Want Me to Stay introduced by Wolfman Jack on Midnight Special.
Here are some books to check out.
Duke Ellington brought class, sophistication and style to jazz which, until that point, was proudly unpolished and raucous. His story is profound. The author, Terry Teachout, also wrote "Pops," the acclaimed bio of Louis Armstrong. Click here or on the image.
What else is there to say? Here is the story behind every song written by The Beatles. Click here or on the image.
The Grateful Dead don't get enough credit for the profound nature of its lyrics. Many of the band's songs are driven by a deep and literate Americana ("I'm Uncle Sam/That's who I am/Been hidin' out/In a rock and roll band" and "Majordomo Billy Bojangles/Sit down and have a drink with me/What's this about Alabama/Keeps comin' back to me?").
David Dodd's exhaustive study tells the story, song by song. Click here or on the image.
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