Sly Stone fans rejoice: the iconic American musician’s previously unreleased recordings with his first band are set for release. The early-career recordings will be released under the name The Viscaynes & Friends which should excite Stone’s ardent history-buff aficionados who know that Stone was part of the doo-wop group The Viscaynes during their short-lived 1961 run. Sly joined the band while still in high school, beginning what would be a decorated career in music that would see him, as the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, cement his place in rock and funk history. The singles set to be released are rare recordings that are sure to fit into the catalog of any Sly Stone fan. Songs like “Yellow Moon” and “Help Me With My Broken Heart” are a window into the beginnings of a musical prodigy who would dazzle the world around.

While the tracks have been bootlegged many times over, they have never before been released officially. The Viscaynes & Friends will be available on black vinyl, CD, and digital formats beginning December 6, 2019. The Viscaynes are said to have inspired Sly’s multicultural Family Stone as his first band included him and his Filipino friend Frank Arellano which at the time made them the only non-whites in the group. The powerful history behind these singles is something to treasure indeed. Fans can also get their hands on limited copies of “Yellow Moon” color vinyl at select Zia Record Exchange stores. According to a press release, the vinyl will come with a gatefold jacket with extensive liner notes from author, historian, and radio host Rickey Vincent.

Sly Stone’s U.S. catalog was recently purchased by the Jackson estate and more specifically by MIJAC Music. For fans of Sly Stone and for fans of American music history this is a relic that evokes memories of a time gone by when legends were defined and modern music as we know it was taking its first steps. Check out below the playlist for the vinyl and preorder your copy here.

TRACKLIST:

A1 Help Me With My Broken Heart – The Viscaynes
A2 Without Success – The Individuals
A3 You’ve Forgotten Me – The Viscaynes
A4 Yellow Moon – The Viscaynes
A5 Mama Told Me – The Precisions
B1You’re My Only Love – The Viscaynes
B2 A Long Time Alone – The Viscaynes
B3 Uncle Sam Needs You – The Viscaynes
B4 Heavenly Angel – The Viscaynes
B5 Eight Reasons Why – The Precisions