Little Sister (band)
Encyclopedia
Little Sister was an American
all-female
vocal harmony
group, which served primarily as the background vocalists for the influential rock
/funk
band Sly & the Family Stone
in concert and on record. Originally a gospel music
group called The Heavenly Tones, Little Sister was composed of Vet Stewart (Family Stone frontman Sly Stone
's "little sister"), Mary McCreary, and Elva Mouton, and became a recording act of its own for a brief period in 1970-1971.
, Vaetta Stewart and her friends Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton and Tramaine Hawkins had a gospel
group called The Heavenly Tones and performed at various venues around the Oakland
/San Francisco area. In 1966 they recorded the album "I love The Lord" for the Gopsel label and a 45 for the Music City label called "He's Alright" When Vaetta's older brother Sylvester aka Sly Stone
formed Sly & the Family Stone
with their brother Freddie
, and friends Larry Graham
, Cynthia Robinson
, Jerry Martini
, and Greg Errico
, The Heavenly Tones were recruited directly out of high school to become Little Sister, Sly & the Family Stone's background vocalists for their recording. Tramaine Hawkins left the group and started a very successful solo career.
The group performed background vocals on a number of the Family Stone's biggest early hits, including "Everyday People" and "Stand!" Besides Little Sister's background vocals, Sly, Freddie, Larry Graham, and middle sister Rose Stone
were heard singing backgrounds on the tracks as well.
and There's a Riot Goin' On
, Sly Stone negotiated a production deal with Atlantic Records
, resulting in his own imprint, Stone Flower. Stone Flower released four singles, including one by R&B artist Joe Hicks
, one by 6IX, and two by Little Sister: "You're The One" and "Somebody's Watching You", a cover of a song from Stand!. The Little Sister version of "Somebody's Watching You" was the first major record to have a rhythm track created with a drum machine
.
Both Little Sister 45s reached the Billboard Hot 100
Top 40 and the Billboard R&B Top 10:
but for unclear reasons Sly ceased production of further Little Sister recordings, and Little Sister were relegated to background vocal work for the rest of its existence. Atlantic flipped the 2nd single over and reserviced it and it charted, as well;
Leon Russell
and with him recorded Wedding Album
in 1976. She was replaced by Lucy Hambrick. Little Sister continue to do the background vocals and was also included in the live band of Sly & The Family Stone.Little Sister was dissolved when the Family Stone did, in 1975, after the band's fortunes slowly fell due to Sly Stone's drug abuse problems.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
all-female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
vocal harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
group, which served primarily as the background vocalists for the influential rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
/funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
band Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
in concert and on record. Originally a gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
group called The Heavenly Tones, Little Sister was composed of Vet Stewart (Family Stone frontman Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
's "little sister"), Mary McCreary, and Elva Mouton, and became a recording act of its own for a brief period in 1970-1971.
Formation
While still in high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Vaetta Stewart and her friends Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton and Tramaine Hawkins had a gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
group called The Heavenly Tones and performed at various venues around the Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
/San Francisco area. In 1966 they recorded the album "I love The Lord" for the Gopsel label and a 45 for the Music City label called "He's Alright" When Vaetta's older brother Sylvester aka Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
formed Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
with their brother Freddie
Freddie Stone
Freddie Stone is an African-American musician, best known for his role as co-founder, guitarist, and vocalist in the band Sly & The Family Stone, the frontman for which was his brother Sly Stone...
, and friends Larry Graham
Larry Graham
Larry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...
, Cynthia Robinson
Cynthia Robinson
Cynthia Robinson is an American musician, best known for being the trumpeter and vocalist in the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone...
, Jerry Martini
Jerry Martini
Jerry Martini is an American musician, best known for being the saxophonist for the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone...
, and Greg Errico
Greg Errico
Greg Errico, sometimes missspelled as Gregg Errico, is an Italian American musician/record producer, best known for being the drummer for the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band, Sly & the Family Stone...
, The Heavenly Tones were recruited directly out of high school to become Little Sister, Sly & the Family Stone's background vocalists for their recording. Tramaine Hawkins left the group and started a very successful solo career.
The group performed background vocals on a number of the Family Stone's biggest early hits, including "Everyday People" and "Stand!" Besides Little Sister's background vocals, Sly, Freddie, Larry Graham, and middle sister Rose Stone
Rose Stone
Rose Stone is an African-American singer and keyboardist. She is best known as one of the lead singers in Sly & the Family Stone, a popular psychedelic soul/funk band founded by her brothers, Sly Stone and Freddie Stone...
were heard singing backgrounds on the tracks as well.
Hit singles
During the interim period between the releases of the Family Stone albums Stand!Stand!
Stand! is the fourth studio album by soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone, released May 3, 1969 on Epic Records. Written and produced by lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, Stand! was the band's breakout album. It went on to sell over three million copies and become one of the most...
and There's a Riot Goin' On
There's a Riot Goin' On
There's a Riot Goin' On is the fifth studio album by American funk and soul band Sly & the Family Stone, released November 20, 1971 on Epic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place primarily throughout 1970 to 1971 at Record Plant Studios in Sausalito, California...
, Sly Stone negotiated a production deal with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, resulting in his own imprint, Stone Flower. Stone Flower released four singles, including one by R&B artist Joe Hicks
Joe Hicks
Joe Hicks may refer to:* Joe Hicks , American baseball player—outfielder* Joe Hicks , American R&B and soul blues singer and songwriter* Joe R. Hicks, African-American conservative activist...
, one by 6IX, and two by Little Sister: "You're The One" and "Somebody's Watching You", a cover of a song from Stand!. The Little Sister version of "Somebody's Watching You" was the first major record to have a rhythm track created with a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
.
Both Little Sister 45s reached the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
Top 40 and the Billboard R&B Top 10:
- "You're the One", part 1/"You're The One, part 2" made it to #4 R&B and #22 pop (2/28/70),
- "Somebody's Watching You"/"Stanga" made it to #8 R&B and #32 pop (11/28/70),
but for unclear reasons Sly ceased production of further Little Sister recordings, and Little Sister were relegated to background vocal work for the rest of its existence. Atlantic flipped the 2nd single over and reserviced it and it charted, as well;
- "Stanga"/"Somebody's Watching You" made it to #44 R&B but did not chart again on the pop chart (2/19/72).
Later period
During the post-1971 period of Sly & the Family Stone, Mary McCreary left the group and began a solo career. She also married singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
and with him recorded Wedding Album
Wedding Album (Leon and Mary Russell album)
Wedding Album is a studio album by Leon Russell and his then wife, Mary Russell. It was the first album released on Leon Russell's record label, Paradise Records, which was distributed by Warner Bros. Records...
in 1976. She was replaced by Lucy Hambrick. Little Sister continue to do the background vocals and was also included in the live band of Sly & The Family Stone.Little Sister was dissolved when the Family Stone did, in 1975, after the band's fortunes slowly fell due to Sly Stone's drug abuse problems.
Members
- Vet Stewart
- Elva "Tiny" Mouton
- Mary McCreary(replaced in 1972 by Lucy Hambrick)
Singles
- 1966: "He's Alright" b/w "Precious Lord" (Music City) (The Heavenly Tones)
- 1970: "You're The One [Part 1]" b/w "You're The One [Part 2]" (Stoneflower) (US #22, R&B #4)
- 1970: "Somebody's Watching You" b/w "Stanga" (Stoneflower) (US #32, R&B #8)
- 1972: "Stanga" b/w "Stanga" (radio promo release only)(Stoneflower) (US #44 R&B)
External links
- [ Little Sister] at Allmusic.
- Little Sister website