Everybody Is A Star – The Sly Stone Songbook – Various Artists CD (Ace)

Despite his status as a recluse for much of the past thirty years, Sly Stone still stands tall as one of the giants of popular music. He broke barriers, the reverberations of which are still felt within not just R&B and hip-hop but pop music as a whole. The omnipresence of tunes like ‘Everyday People’ and ‘Family Affair’ is a constant reminder of Sly’s pivotal role in shaping black music.

“Everybody Is A Star: The Sly Stone Songbook” seeks to celebrate the songcraft and influence of Sly Stone’s work via the interpretations of others across the past fifty years. Differing shades of jazz musicians such as Al Jarreau, Gene Harris and David T Walker flocked to his material, while the R&B world often used Sly tunes to bolster their own career, such as Ike & Tina Turner’s storming ‘I Want To Take You Higher.’

Rather than the expected treatments, we also showcase unusual and frequently fascinating covers from the likes of Iggy Pop, Magazine and Jeff Buckley. From Bobby Freeman’s soulful waltz ‘Friends’ to the Raincoats’ angular 80s take on ‘Runnin’ Away’ and Eric Benet’s teasing modern soul version of ‘If You Want Me To Stay,’ Sly’s music touched all genres.

“Everybody Is A Star” also features several Sly related rarities, and is thus linked to Ace’s earlier collections “Precious Stone” and “Listen To The Voices”. There are rarely-heard Sly compositions performed by 6IX, the Magnificent Men, Diana Ross and Joe Hicks. The Family Stone itself is the artist on the uptown rarity ‘Man Does Not Live’.

With copious, well-illustrated notes by Alec Palao, “Everybody Is A Star” is essential for any admirer of the work of the incredible, unpredictable, one and only Sly Stone. – Ace Records