Sly & The Family Stone Release Earliest Live Recording from 1967 Winchester Cathedral

The earliest known live recordings of Sly & The Family Stone, captured during their residency as the house band at Redwood City's Winchester Cathedral nightclub in 1967, are set to be released in the album The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967. The album features a newly previewed cover of Otis Redding's "I Can’t Turn You Loose," a track that the band later transformed into their own song "Turn Me Loose." Recorded on March 26, 1967, by the group's first manager Rich Romanello, the tapes were shelved after their signing with Epic Records and rediscovered 35 years later by archivists Edwin and Arno Konings, then restored by Grammy-nominated producer Alec Palao. The release includes a deluxe booklet with exclusive interviews, rare photos, and memorabilia, and offers fans a glimpse into the band's early artistic development and live energy well before their mainstream breakthrough with "Dance to the Music." Drummer Greg Errico described the track as an early experimental piece, emblematic of the band's evolving sound. The album, initially a limited-edition LP for Record Store Day, will now be available on CD, LP, and digital platforms starting July 16 or 18, 2025, shortly after the passing of frontman Sly Stone in June.