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Beck, Moby Toast Sly Stone
Rockers cover funk legend on "Sly 2K"

Colin Devenish
February 25th, 2004
RollingStone.com

Beck, Moby, Audioslave, the Roots, Lenny Kravitz, Maroon 5, Floetry and the Black Eyed Peas will all contribute tracks to Sly 2K, a Sly and the Family Stone tribute album due out this spring.

<< " FUNKIEST THING EVER "

The album is being produced by Nile Rodgers (Duran Duran, David Bowie). Maroon 5 cut their version of "Everyday People" last Friday in a New York studio. "It's a little rougher around the edges," says singer Adam Levine. "More synthetic in the Daft Punk kind of vein."

With songs such as "Stand," "Everyday People" and "Dance to the Music," Sly and Family Stone brought funk to the mainstream, before Stone's personal difficulties derailed the group. Stone last released an album of new material in 1983. Last June, five original members of the group convened in a Berkeley, California, recording studio to begin work on a new album. Stone was invited to be part of the sessions but did not join the group.

A latecomer to Sly and Family Stone, born right around the time the band hit its late Sixties peak, Levine was introduced to the group when he heard "If You Want Me to Stay" in the movie Dead Presidents.

"It introduced our generation to Sly," says Levine. "Sly's just the funkiest thing ever. He was completely unafraid to do whatever the hell he wanted."

[ NileRodgers.com correction: Nile produced Maroon 5 track, "Everyday People" ]