SLY LIVES!

The official trailer for Questlove’s new documentary Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) opens with a voice off-camera asking “Do you believe in the concept of Black genius?” Over the next 8 seconds, we hear that opening buildup from Sly & The Family Stone’s 1968 song “Sing a Simple Song” as we see clips of Sly Stone performing for adoring crowds, and shots of music legends interviewed for the film (André 3000, Chaka Khan, D’Angelo).

Paralleling Sly Stone’s musical career, this trailer begins on a happy note, then gradually introduces difficulties into the story. From 0:12, synched to a shot of Sly Stone’s hands on the piano keys, we’re launched into the toe-tapping intro from Sly & The Family Stone’s 1968 #1 hit single “Everyday People.” This song continues as a driving soundtrack accompanying commentary on how unique and popular this band was.

But then at 0:50, “Everyday People” cuts out and the music is stripped back to a lonely bass drum pounding out quarter notes. Here the trailer reaches the beginning of a downward spiral in Sly Stone’s career, caused in part by drug problems. This divides the trailer in half, and is accentuated here in several ways: 1) At 0:51 a tv journalist directs a harsh criticism at Sly, “You get there, and you blow it”; 2) At 0:55 we hear the melodic hook from “Everyday People” sung without any band accompaniment, and edited as though it is echoing off into a cavernous space; and 3) At 0:58 we see Sly’s smile fade and his eyes look down in reaction to the journalist’s criticism.

Next, at 1:00 we slip into verse two of “Underdog,” the opening track on Sly & The Family Stone’s 1967 debut album A Whole New Thing. The lyrics “‘cause you might be movin’ up too fast” are animated in block letters on the screen at 1:06. Following this there’s a series of still images and narration detailing the mental health and addiction challenges that Sly Stone faced in the 1970s. Then at 1:24, after the chorus of “Underdog,” we have a dramatic accent from the band and a cut to silence.

From 1:26-2:00, the soundtrack pivots back and forth between two of Sly & The Family Stone’s catchiest hits, “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” and “Dance To The Music.” Sadly, I’m not old enough to be able to say that I ever saw Sly & The Family Stone perform live in their prime, but the way these two hit songs flow seamlessly back and forth into each other here feels as if they may have been performed live like this in a mashup. Or perhaps it’s just Questlove’s brilliance as a DJ on display here.

During this segment of the trailer we see clips of high energy performances by the band, accompanied by musings from André 3000 about the effects on the body of coming down from the energy of being a pop superstar performer. At 1:56 the trailer closes with a colourful list of the names of the music stars who are interviewed in this documentary.

Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) begins streaming on Hulu and Disney+ February 13th and I can’t wait.

— Jack Hui Litster