Fresh (Sly and the Family Stone album)

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Fresh
Fresh cover
Studio album by Sly & the Family Stone
Released June 30, 1973
Recorded 1972 - 1973
Genre Funk
Length 39:18
Label Epic
KE 32134
Producer Sly Stone
Professional reviews
Sly & the Family Stone chronology
There's a Riot Goin' On
(1971)		 Fresh
(1973)		 Small Talk
(1974)

Fresh is the sixth album by American funk/soul/rock band Sly & the Family Stone, released by Epic/CBS Records on June 30, 1973 (see 1973 in music). Written and produced by Sly Stone, Fresh is more upbeat than its predecessor, the landmark There's a Riot Goin' On, but still retains much of Riot's dark, funky feel.

Contents

[edit] History

The album's biggest hit was "If You Want Me to Stay". Other notable tracks include "Frisky" and "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be),", a cover of Doris Day's Academy Award-winning song from Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much, sung here by Rose Stone. "Que Sera, Sera" is notable as the only cover song issued on an original Family Stone album. The cover photo is by Richard Avedon.

As with There's a Riot Goin' On, Stone held on to the Fresh masters well beyond the record's official release, constantly remixing and re-recording the tracks.[1] As a result, alternate and significantly different versions of at least ten songs from the album are known to exist. In 1991, Sony Music, by then owner of the Epic catalog, accidentally issued a sequencing of Fresh on CD featuring alternate takes of every song except "In Time", which remained unchanged. Sony immediately recalled and replaced the CDs with the standard 1973 version of the album. However, the mix-up sparked debate among fans over which release was superior. When Sony BMG reissued Fresh in CD and digital download formats for Sly & the Family Stone's 40th anniversary, five alternate mixes were included as bonus tracks. These tracks are extremely similar, if not identical, to the alternate, accidental 1991 release.

Fresh is considered to be the last "big" album by Sly Stone, and is regarded among the most essential funk records. Music legend Miles Davis was so impressed by a song from "Fresh" that he made his band listen to the track repeatedly for a full 30 minutes.[2]

George Clinton, who has listed Fresh as one his favorite albums, later convinced the Red Hot Chili Peppers to cover "If You Want Me to Stay" on their second album, the Clinton-produced Freaky Styley.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 186 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Sylvester Stewart, and produced and arranged by Sly Stone for Fresh Productions, unless otherwise indicated.

[edit] Side one

  1. "In Time" – 5:48
  2. "If You Want Me to Stay" – 3:01
  3. "Let Me Have It All" – 2:56
  4. "Frisky – 3:12
  5. "Thankful N' Thoughtful" – 4:41
  6. "Skin I'm In" – 2:55

[edit] Side two

  1. "I Don't Know (Satisfaction)" – 3:51
  2. "Keep on Dancin'" – 2:23
  3. "Qué Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) – 5:23
  4. "If It Were Left Up To Me" – 1:56
  5. "Babies Makin' Babies" – 3:38

[edit] CD bonus tracks

Added for 2007 limited edition compact disc reissue (all alternate mixes):

  • "Let Me Have It All" – 2:19
  • "Frisky" – 3:27
  • "Skin I'm In" – 2:48
  • "Keep On Dancin'" – 2:44
  • "Babies Makin' Babies" – 4:20

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Samples

"In Time" Image:Slyfam-intime-1973.ogg

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"If You Want Me to Stay"

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"Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" Image:Slyfam-quesera-1973.ogg

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Selvin, Joel (1998). For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History. New York: Quill Publishing. ISBN 0-380-79377-6. pp. 164-167.
  2. ^ Drummerworld: Andy Newmark (English). Drummerworld.
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