Earliest live recording of Sly & The Family Stone to be released in July

Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 4:30 PM

The earliest live recording of Sly & The Family Stone is getting a wide release.

The album, The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967, was originally released earlier this year as a limited-edition LP for Record Store Day and sold out. Now more people will be able to get their hands on it with the July 16 release on CD, LP and digital.

The performance was recorded during the band’s tenure as the house band at Winchester Cathedral, a club in Redwood City, California. They served as the house band from Dec. 16, 1966, to April 28, 1967, with the performance taking place a year before the release of their hit track "Dance to the Music."

"The Winchester Cathedral recordings showcase a one-of-kind outfit that was already at the peak of its powers, long before it became internationally famous," says Alex Palao, who restored the original recording and produced the release. "Sly [Stone] is fully in command, while the unique arrangements and tighter-than-tight ensemble playing point clearly to the road ahead, and the enduring influence of Sly & The Family Stone's music."

To give fans a taste of the album, a live performance of "I Gotta Go Now/Funky Broadway" has been released to digital outlets.

The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 will include a deluxe booklet with liner notes from Palao, as well as exclusive interviews with Stone and members of the band. The CD includes the added bonus of the band performing Otis Redding’s classic “Try A Little Tenderness.”

The album is available for preorder now.