What Sly and the Family Stone can teach creative people
Throughout my career, there is one thing that stands out as the best thing that I’ve done. There was a company that had a Slack channel for “question of the day”. The question that day was “who is the most famous person from your hometown?”. I answered Sly Stone, which is the only correct answer, and included one of their videos from Soul Train, which I think was “Thank You…”
I did not expect any response, but the response I got from one of the young developers on my team was amazing. He had never heard of this band and now, was absolutely obsessed with them. Honestly, my work was done that day, and week, and probably quarter or more.
Sly and the Family Stone can still connect, in particular with creative people. Nearly sixty years later, they can teach all of us some important lessons. Whether you are familiar with their music or not, get ready recognize some samples from your favorite rap songs and to enjoy some lessons:
Lesson #1: diversity seeds creativity
When I listen to Sly and the Family Stone, I hear a lot of things, but a big one I hear is Vallejo, California: Sly’s hometown, since it’s my hometown too.
You wont see any obvious signs as you drive into Vallejo that advertises that it is one of the most culturally diverse places in the United States — as defined as most equally divided between black, white, asian, and hispanic residents. You will see smaller less obvious signs in town, such as any kind of ethnic restaurant you can think of. Or you can just look around at the everyday people there: much like the Family Stone, mixed races, and genders, together.
And the together part is what strikes me the most. When I grew up in Vallejo, I assumed that everyone just spent time together no matter who they were or what they looked like. As a kid Sly and the Family Stone was a soundtrack in class: a lot of their songs are easy for kids to sing along to, particularly “Everyday People”.
Also consider “Underdog”, the first track on their first album A Whole New Thing — their calling card to the world — starts with the melody to “Frére Jacques”.
“Underdog” could be a great theme song for Vallejo: if a city was ever an underdog, it would be the one that radio DJ’s always called made fun of as “the armpit of the West”.
Once I left Vallejo, I realized how naive I was in assuming that the everyday humdrum harmony I was used to was anything but the norm in (most of) the rest of the country.
That Sly and the Family Stone showed the country that a band of mixed races and genders could not only happen, but be excellent, is a powerful statement on its own. But where most Americans see novelty in this, I see my hometown. This is where I learned maybe the most important lesson in life: things are better when a diverse group of people are involved.
As creative people, we need to especially value different opinions and perspectives. Those differences give us important input and feedback that are essential to any creative work.
Lesson #2: creativity is not a machine
Another important lesson I have learned as a creator is that things sometimes take time. Much has been said about the creation of There’s a Riot Goin’ On and how many years that it took to make it, particularly in Sly’s own autobiography. Sly was facing a lot of pressure from his record company to record a follow-up to 1969’s hit album Stand! and it took about two years to record There’s a Riot Goin’ On. I am certain that the pressure — from fans as well as the record company — just made the recording process even longer, from meetings and phone calls alone.
The album’s title track may cause some confusion: it has a run time of 0.00. You can take it two ways: either there is no riot at all, or maybe there’s a riot, but it’s going on inside your mind.
Lesson #3: artists change and people often don’t understand
I am sure people in 1971 were looking for another Stand! or a bunch of dance songs, but There’s a Riot Goin’ On goes to another level. I have a feeling that some of the lyrics of “Runnin’ Away” from that album hint at a reluctance to cash in and churn out hits: i.e. the quick fix, or what you may hear in your meetings as “low-hanging fruit”.
Shorter cup is quicker but
Ha-ha, ha-ha
Time is here to stay
Like many people, the members of Sly and the Family Stone changed a lot from 1969 to 1971. Initially There’s a Riot Goin’ On got mixed reviews. People expecting another Stand! got challenged to hear another version of the band. It was still funky, but it was downbeat. Artists change, and often fans won’t go along for the new ride. Years later, There’s a Riot Goin’ On is now seen as a masterpiece, but changing that perception took time.
This confused reaction to There’s a Riot Goin’ On likely influenced the more upbeat follow-up album, Fresh, from 1973. The band changed again, and once again fans were challenged to go for another ride. But I feel that they were all aware that successes and failures were not 100% in their control, as I see through their cover of “Que Sera Sera”:
That this music is still as relevant today as it was when it was made shows that Sly and the Family Stone’s art stands the test of time especially well. Sometimes making something different gets a great reception, sometimes people get confused, but the great thing is that it is still here and we can still enjoy it as well as learn from it.
