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In the fall of 1968, Sly and the Family Stone was a confident band worried about its future. Pressured by Epic Records earlier that year to record “Dance to the Music,” a commercial second album, the band pushed back in September with “Life,” which was truer to its freewheeling roots.

To promote the album, Sly and the Family Stone were booked into New York’s Fillmore East on Oct. 4-5. … The band was eager to show Epic that its feel-good, jam-session treatments of gospel-tinged funk-rock originals could whip up any audience. Judging by Sly & The Family Stone – Live At The Fillmore East October 4th & 5th 1968 (Sony Legacy), a four-CD set due July 17, they succeeded.

Read more at The Wall Street Journal.

Hear a medley of Sly & The Family Stone’s “Turn Me Loose” and Otis Redding’s “I Can’t Turn You Loose” off the upcoming Live At The Fillmore East October 4th & 5th 1968 exclusively at Billboard.

SoulTracks presents the world premiere of Sly & The Family Stone’s “St. James Infirmary” a steamy instrumental cover from the upcoming collection, Sly & The Family Stone – Live At The Fillmore East October 4th & 5th 1968. The performance was previously unreleased.

Listen to “St. James Infirmary” now at SoulTracks.

“We were at the top of our game then,” Greg Errico, drummer of Sly & The Family Stone says of the group’s 1968 stand at New York’s infamous Fillmore East. “The band was just killing it. There were moments that made my hair stand up, where that stage lifted off like a 747 and flew.”

… The entire four concert run – two shows each night in October 1968 – will be released on July 17th as Sly & The Family Stone – Live At The Fillmore East October 4th & 5th 1968, showcasing a band both fully formed and on the cusp of greatness. Exclusively at Rolling Stone, you can listen to the group’s intense and grooving rendition of “M’Lady,” from the October 5th early show.